Years ago, before the Bonds/ Bonillia/ Van Slyke/ incarnation of the Pirates, when they were an awful team (yes, like they have been again in the past 18 years), the Yankees and the Pirates swung a trade where a pitcher went to the Yankees (don’t recall offhand who this guy was). Mattingly made the comment – and I’m paraphrasing here – “He a good pitcher. He’s been with quite a few major league teams… and the Pirates”. Correct? Accurate? Yes. Inappropriate for a pro to make? Absolutely!

I hope karma continues to be a bitch and the Pirates are a thorn in your side for your entire coaching career. Then you can say you’ve lost to quite a few major league teams…and the Pirates!

How about the line drive down the line that’s called foul? Replay shows it should have been fair, how many bases do you give the batter? Would the runner on first have scored? Do you call it a ground-rule double? Maybe the outfielder would have thrown the batter out trying for second. So many possibilities. And I’d hate to see the umps always trying to make the call that keeps play going, knowing that it’s easier to “undo” a missed call that way. Umpiring is hard enough without having to inject that into the judgement process.

Safe or out calls at a base when time is called immediately either way, okay, I’m all for “eye-in-the-sky” replay. But there are so many plays that continue after the call, and how they play out is based on the call.

I know I’m not the first to voice this, and I’ve yet to hear a good solution to it. Maybe it’s out there, but I sure don’t know what it is.