March 17, 2006

AMERICAN UMPIRE COULDN’T GET AMERICANS INTO FINALS

       Balking Bob Davidson they used to call him—ostensibly because he favoured such a call during major league games.  Whenever a balk was called these past few years I would wonder…whatever happened to balking Bob?  Well, wonder no more.  Balking Bob is safe and comfortably employed by SEAT…Senate to Ensure an American Title down at the World Baseball Classic.  But try as he might Balking Bob just couldn’t do the job and now the Americans, in their beloved national pastime, have to watch some other country take the title as world baseball power.  I guess SEAT will be looking for another employee in 2009.

       Balking Bob did his job.  He called a Japanese runner out for leaving third early on a sacrifice fly in the eighth inning of a tie game.  Even U.S. manager Buck Martinez was simply following a baseball guideline.  He obviously had nothing to lose by petitioning the play and forcing the umpires to make a decision.  Balking Bob overruled the third base umpire and called the Japanese player out to keep the game, eventually won by the Americans in the ninth) deadlocked.  Instant replays showed that the play wasn’t even close—the runner did not leave early—but balking Bob had a job to do.  (Ironically, in the next game the Mexicans petitioned the same play but Chipper Jones was ruled not to have left early by the THIRD BASE umpire.  The home plate umpire and Balking Bob (who was operating from first base) did not enter the fray.

       Later in the Mexican game came the opportunity for Balking Bob to make his mark, and he took it.  A Mexican hitter by the name of Valenzuela crushed a ball off the right field foul pole for an apparent home run and the first run of the game, but Balking Bob ruled that the ball had bounced out of the yard and thereby becomes a ground rule double.  Once again replays showed that the ball hit the pole on the fly, about ten feet off the ground, but Balking Bob was adamant.  Unfortunately for Balking Bob Valenzuela was driven in by a two out single from Jorge Cantu who likely was forced to hear a lengthy disgruntled diatribe at first base, from the umpire, about wasting opportunities.  The entire contingent of SEAT were probably shaking their heads, in their seats, and muttering the same refrain.

       Balking Bob didn’t have another opportunity to help his own cause, and his country, again.  The Americans, overconfident and under-prepared, went down to an ignominious defeat.  The U.S. club could look back at this tournament and consider themselves fortunate for even having escaped the first round, and they can look back and realize that the quality of pitching on hand, and the amount of intensity brought to the field by the other countries, was greater than their own.  Simply fielding a talented bunch of veterans does not ensure victory.  Just ask Team Canada about that after this past Olympics. 

      The epitaph to this tournament, or course, will be…what will become of Balking Bob?  Well, he will likely have umpired his final game of consequence and, in the upcoming years will be in the middle of some squabbles by the coaches and players of twelve-year old baseball leagues.  And if you happen to pass by one of those ballparks one day and hear that familiar call—BALK—then smile and nod knowingly for Balking Bob is in town and on duty.