I’ve been sitting thinking about umpiring in the World Baseball Classic, and it seems they have
missed a few calls. Many people are blaming the umpire for the reason the Dominican Republic
lost to Team USA. Let’s take a closer look at the game and umpiring in general.
As a player and coach in baseball and softball, I can tell you that an umpire has a very thankless job. Most of the time, they do get it right, but they are human, and mistakes will be made. This is where a player must not let this happen. As a coach, I would tell my players never to let it come down to a final strike. When you leave it in the umpire's hands, you have to accept the outcome of it.
My advice for players has always been do not let an umpire call you out. If it's close, I’d rather have you swing than leave it to chance. Players might often think it’s a ball, but leaving it to the umpire is very risky. The Dominican Republic left it to the umpire, and that was a mistake, and unfortunately for them, it cost them.
