The Ump That Broke the Fan's Back

I have been  a Blue Jays fan since I was old enough to bounce in a jolly jumper.  I remember the thrills of the back to back World Series wins - albeit, I wasn't old enough to truly "enjoy" them.  I have stayed the course through the post-lockout era, the rise of Halladay, the Riccardi era, the lose of Halladay and the new AA rebuilding phase.  Through all of this, I cannot remember a season for which I have been so excited.  Did I expect the boys to lead the AL throughout the season - no (but it would have been a great surprise if they did).  Do I think they can still improve?  Absolutely, life is growing and getting better.  Some games have been harder to endure than other (last night's laugher in Arlington for example).  But at the end of the day, I am, always have been and always will be a Blue Jays fan.

Like all self-respecting sports fans, I have strong opinions.  Until now, those opinions have been saved for my loved ones, friends, select colleagues who share a love of the Jays, and occasionally my meager number of Twitter followers.  So what has finally pushed me over the edge and into the self-indulgent realm of blogging?  That's simple - MLB umps!

As a life long baseball fan, I have seen all the blown calls, exaggerated strike zones, revenge strikes and hyper-inflated egos.  The Ump that finally broke this fan's back is the illustrious Marty Foster (of course, Bill Miller's ego of late was probably responsible for pushing me to the edge of sanity).  On a 2-2 count, Henderson Alvarez is thrown out for losing control inside (and not hitting the batter mind you).  Foster basically pushes JPA out of the way to make the botched call. It was a pathetic display of an Ump having the power to completely change the course of a game in a moment all the while being WRONG.  Other umpires should be embarrassed for Foster.  Foster should hang his head in shame and his actions should be reviewed by the MLB.  Should, should, should - but none of this will occur.  Instead, Foster will go about his business, which includes ejecting 77 players since 1996 - I wonder how many were truly warranted.

So thank you Marty Foster for freeing my voice and finally enraging this fan to the point of seeking an online forum to vent against the travesty that is MLB umping.  Yours is the only profession of which I know that employees can be so blatantly wrong, so frequently, and not be fired for incompetence.  Well, no more, says this fan.  While I fully understand that adding another voice to the legions of fans screaming to the rafters about injustices in the ballparks across North America will not change a darn thing, it will at least make me feel better.  And, hey, it also gives me an opportunity to discuss one of my favourite topics - my beloved Blue Jays (who are still alive in the 11th as I write this, despite the umps' best efforts).