KBO Demotes Umpire Crew After Player's Complaint

Less than 24 hours after a player publicly complained about an umpire's plate calls, the Korea Baseball Organization demoted his entire five-person officiating crew to the minor leagues. The KBO season is less than a week old and multiple members of the crew hadn't even called balls and strikes prior to their demotion for "lack of consistency on ball-strike calls."

Hanwha Eagles outfielder Lee Yong-kyu took to the media following Thursday's action, and said, "Even though it's only been three games this season, a lot of players are really unhappy with the lack of consistency on ball-strike calls. I'd like to ask all the umpires to please be more considerate of the players. We're all very confused (with the inconsistent zone). I know the umpires are doing their best out there, but I just hope they should start seeing things from the players' perspective, too."

Following the player's comments, KBO officials quickly moved to demote the entire five-person umpiring crew of Lee Ki-joong, Jang Jun-young, Won Hyun-sik, Choi Su-won, and Kim Jun-hee to the Futures League for "retraining" while simultaneously asking players not to publicly criticize umpires and "to show more respect toward officials."

Gil's Call: Logic...Demoting five umpires for balls/strikes performance over the span of three games means that—even if we were to assume the three games were all subpar—two of the demoted umpires never actually called a game behind the plate (and thus cannot logically have turned in a suboptimal performance). That must be what the KBO means by "show more respect toward officials."

KBO umps wear masks, but players don't.

Second, depending on your affinity for science, my mask-as-hindrance-to-breathing gag at the beginning of the last video has now proven to be a legitimate concern. Less oxygen in the bloodstream has a negative effect on performance: "Different masks have varying levels of airflow restriction, depending on the thickness of the material...With less air, your body has less available oxygen to utilize during exercise to convert glucose [sugar] into energy."

Finally, it seems notable for KBO to exercise an adverse employment action against an umpire for poor performance when forcing said umpires to wear face coverings, long sleeves, and gloves (while allowing players to forgo masks) likely carries a negative correlation. Either order players to wear masks or allow umpires to remove them. In the United States, such an event could be deemed a violation of labor law, regardless of whether or not a union or collective bargaining agreement exists. Similarly, the presence of a union such as MLBUA strongly discourages such punitive actions.

I hypothesize MLB umpires will not be forced to wear similar masks, gloves, and long sleeves in the heat of Spring Training stadiums in Arizona and humidity-laden Florida. As long as such protective gear is required, I'd surmise it is likely not yet safe enough to play the game.
Related Post: Korea Baseball Says Play w Umpires in Masks & Gloves (5/5/20).

During its broadcast, ESPN commentators speculated that the KBO had adopted a new policy that allows the organization to demote any umpire—to include entire crews—in the wake of a subpar game.

The KBO reportedly hired a new Director of Umpires prior to the 2020 season. MLB is considering an electronic strike zone for its 2020 campaign.

Video as follows:

Plate Meeting - COVID Mental Health Checkup

In this Plate Meeting Podcast video episode, we step away from on-field umpiring discussion and turn to the current reality for all umpires: a wholesale loss of all games at all levels (in all sports). In this COVID mental health checkup, Jack Furlong of the OSIP Foundation joins tmac & Gil for a conversation about the current sports landscape and reality for officials who continue to lose income due to a lack of games to work.

We've long discussed the subject of umpire abuse stemming from on-field and game-related incidents, but to this point haven't especially delved into off-the-field, non-game mindsets for sports officials.

This episode of The Plate Meeting is available on YouTube in video form as follows, as well as audio form on our Anchor.fm page:

2020 MLB Umpire Crews (Delayed Season)

Before COVID-19 delayed Opening Day, the originally-drafted 2020 MLB umpire crew list features 76 umpires in 19 crews. Major League Baseball may reshuffle these crews due to coronavirus restrictions, however, or assign umpires or crew chiefs regionally as the season begins in modified form.

The following table is arranged by Chief seniority and may be found on the UEFL Umpire Roster, Profiles & Crews page, which features MiLB call-up information as well as the MLB staff list. UEFL Umpire Profiles are also available for full-time MLBU.

Reminder: The 2020 UEFL Draft will remain open until Opening Day.

2020 MLB Umpire Crews (by Umpiring Crew Chief Seniority)

Crew #	Crew Chief	Umpire 2	Umpire 3	Umpire 4
Crew 1	12 Davis, Gerry	6 Carlson, Mark	92 Hoye, James	31 Hoberg, Pat
Crew 2	22 West, Joe	5 Hernandez, Angel	2 Bellino, Dan	78 Hamari, Adam
Crew 3	24 Layne, Jerry	53 Gibson, Greg	93 Little, Will	52 Visconti, Jansen
Crew 4	9 Gorman, Brian	3 Welke, Bill	80 Johnson, Adrian	36 Blakney, Ryan
Crew 5	20 Hallion, Tom	10 Cuzzi, Phil	91 Knight, Brian	90 Ripperger, Mark
Crew 6	33 Winters, Mike	21 Wendelstedt, Hunter	76 Muchlinski, Mike	59 Lentz, Nic
Crew 7	25 Culbreth, Fieldin	39 Nauert, Paul	54 Bucknor, CB	17 Reyburn, DJ
Crew 8	65 Barrett, Ted	60 Foster, Marty	98 Conroy, Chris	96 Segal, Chris
Crew 9	45 Nelson, Jeff	63 Diaz, Laz	49 Fletcher, Andy	85 Scheurwater, Stu
Crew 10	26 Miller, Bill	88 Eddings, Doug	30 Drake, Rob	62 Whitson, Chad
Crew 11	27 Vanover, Larry	51 Hudson, Marvin	19 Carapazza, Vic	86 Rackley, David
Crew 12	41 Meals, Jerry	15 Hickox, Ed	71 Baker, Jordan	47 Morales, Gabe
Crew 13	50 Emmel, Paul	7 O'Nora, Brian	1 Dreckman, Bruce	89 Blaser, Cory
Crew 14	34 Holbrook, Sam	28 Wolf, Jim	79 Gonzalez, Manny	81 Wolcott, Quinn
Crew 15	14 Wegner, Mark	68 Guccione, Chris	64 Porter, Alan	83 Estabrook, Mike
Crew 16	44 Danley, Kerwin	46 Kulpa, Ron	4 Fairchild, Chad	87 Barry, Scott
Crew 17	72 Marquez, Alfonso	95 Timmons, Tim	16 Barrett, Lance	37 Torres, Carlos
Crew 18	77 Reynolds, Jim	11 Randazzo, Tony	13 Tichenor, Todd	73 Gibson, Tripp
Crew 19	58 Iassogna, Dan	23 Barksdale, Lance	74 Tumpane, John	18 De Jesus, Ramon
DL/IR	[To Be Determined]			CloseCallSports.com

New MLB Umpires (New Hire MLBU): Blakney, De Jesus, Lentz, Segal, Visconti.
New Crew Chiefs (Promotion to -CC): Danley, Iassogna, Marquez, Reynolds.
Retirements: Cederstrom, DeMuth, Everitt, Kellogg (DiMuro retired in mid-2019).
RIP: Cooper.

Notes and Observations:

≫ Only one crew—#7 (Culbreth)—remains unchanged from 2019.

≫ As occurred in 2018 & 2019, West swapped all three crewmates. He reunites with Hernandez.
≫ ≫ Not The Onion, But Humurous Coincidence: Hernandez, while mid-suit v MLB, adds a lawyer (Bellino) to his crew.

≫ Lance Barrett switched from sleeve #94 to #16, Mike DiMuro's old number.

Statistical Promotions or Leftward Lateral Movement:
≫ From Umpire 3 to Umpire 2: Hickox, Barksdale, Randazzo, Foster, Guccione, Wolf.

≫ From Umpire 4 to Umpire 3: Little, Baker, Muchlinski, Tumpane, Conroy, L Barrett, Gonzalez.

Statistical Rightward Lateral Movement:
≫ From Umpire 2 to Umpire 3: Dreckman.

≫ From Umpire 3 to Umpire 4: Barry.

Video as follows:

Korea Baseball Says Play w Umpires in Masks & Gloves

The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) started its 2020 season with several COVID-19 mitigation measures in place: As with Taiwan's CPBL, the Korean league played games in empty stadiums without fans, but KBO umpires and coaches took mitigation a step further.

While KBO players participated without protective gear of any sort, umpires and base coaches wore face coverings—the coaches wore white masks and the umpires wore black—and umpires additionally wore long sleeve shirts and black gloves.

Pictured at right is KBO umpire Park Geun-young in the protective gear during Tuesday's NC Dinos - Samsung Lions game.

KBO umpires conduct a Replay Review.

For HP Umpire Kang Gwang-hwe, it meant wearing two masks—one a traditional-style facemask and the other an infectious disease-style face covering—along with long sleeves and gloves.

Are the KBO umpire masks truly effective around barefaced players and will MLB umpires follow suit when baseball continues in the Americas—rumored for a potential June Spring Training and July Opening Day?

MLB & Umpires Agree to COVID-19 Pay Cut

As the coronavirus shutdown drags on, Major League Baseball and the MLB Umpires Association agreed to reduce umpire pay in 2020, averting another potential source of discord between the umps and commissioner's office.

To set the table, full-time MLB umpires (MLBUA) receive a base salary and additional compensation for serving as a crew chief, working a certain amount of Spring Training games, and being selected to the postseason.

In the spirit of baseball theming, the umpires receive a Postseason Bonus as an annual perk; Unlike players, MLB umpires are paid year-round, over 12 months, as opposed to only during the season (or, alternately, umpires have their wages stretched out over the course of a full calendar year).

Umpires also receive a per diem for incidentals and other benefits such as retirement and health care.

MLB first considered E-Zones in April.

Ken Rosenthal from The Athletic reported that umpires have received 33% of their yearly pay, which represents the period from January through April.

Although Bob Nightengale reported an agreement that would reduce salaries by 30%, an AP report disputed Nightengale's claim. The deal, which also includes a reduction of the umpiring per diem by 20%, thus allows umpires to keep at least 37.5% of their usual pay whether or not a season with full crews (e.g., with umpires staffing Replay Review) is played.

The deal purportedly allows MLB to forgo Replay Review during the 2020 season. Coming to a return-to-play agreement with the umpires' union means MLB can now turn its attention to the MLB Players Association, which has not yet signed on to a deal.

Also, as previously reported, MLB retains the right to develop electronic strike zone technology in consultation with the umpires; either way, the new deal entitles umpires to the bulk of their usual base earnings.

Is This Gerry Davis & Joe West's Final Season?

Is this it for senior-most MLB umpires Gerry Davis and Joe West? Davis told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch he has informed Major League Baseball 2020 will likely be his final season...that is, if it ever gets played. Both veteran crew chiefs are chasing umpiring milestones: Bill Klem's all-time games umpired record for West and 5,000 career games for Davis.

While Davis explained that, under normal circumstances, the 2020 season would be his last, he also left the door open to returning to the field in 2021 in the event that he is unable to crack the 5,000-games mark in 2020: he might even make his 5,000th game his last.

West trails only Hall of Fame Umpire Bill Klem in all-time regular season games officiated, and seems unlikely to retire until earning the all-time top spot...perhaps even longer. In court documents, West indicated 2021 would be his final MLB season.

And, realistically, how much of a let-down would it be to see either legendary umpire without a proper celebration in stadiums full of fans: As Davis quipped in his Post article, he might achieve the 5,000-mark during a game at a neutral site without fans. That's not what a 5,000-gamer (or in West's case, the #1 all-time games worked leader) deserves.

Even our friend Bob Davidson got a shoutout via the Angel Stadium public address in his final game.

With both Davis and West less than 100 games each from accomplishing their varied goals (Davis needs 43 more games to get 5,000 while West needs 60 for his goal of 5,370 career regular season games officiated [per MLB; it's 5,375 according to Retrosheet]) and the Minor Leagues reportedly ready to contract and eliminate many lower-league teams (thus, umpiring jobs), the baseball landscape appears poised for a change upon sports' eventual post-COVID resumption.

Video as follows:

Angel's New Evidence - Supervisors Wanted Hernandez in World Series, But Woodfork Said No

Plaintiff Angel Hernandez filed over 1,000 pages of evidence in his lawsuit against MLB over the weekend, charging that umpire supervisors Ed Montague and Steve Palermo specifically recommended Hernandez be placed on two World Series crews, only to have the suggestions shot down both times by the Commissioner's Office. Crew Chief responsibility, it turns out, similarly wasn't unusual: Hernandez served as an Interim or Acting Chief nearly every year since Joe Torre's arrival in the Commissioner's Office in 2011.

According to Hernandez's pretrial discovery filings—the non-heavily redacted part—umpire supervisor Montague recommended Hernandez for the 2012 World Series, a suggestion ignored by the League.

The filings indicate that in October 2015, supervisor Steve Palermo sent an e-mail to his boss, Director of Umpiring Randy Marsh, recommending a World Series crew of Angel Hernandez, Phil Cuzzi, Gerry Davis, Marvin Hudson, Dale Scott, Bill Welke, and Jim Wolf.

Senior Vice President of Baseball Operations Peter Woodfork allegedly stepped in to stop it, sending an e-mail to Senior Director of Umpire Operations Matt McKendry, writing, "Four new umpires and the guy in the middle of the largest debacle"... a debacle reportedly two-years old and allegedly caused by deficient technology in place at the time.

CPBL Teachable - Positioning for a Peculiar Pickoff

Although MLB remains on hiatus, baseball in Taiwan marches on, and this pickoff play from a CPBL game gave Tmac an idea for a Teachable Moment. The 2B Umpire must decide how to receive a play with more than one potential tagging fielder. How does an umpire's positioning differ for a shortstop vs second baseman pickoff?

In this Teachable, we consider pre-play possibilities for both scenarios along with the implications for officiating this play in real-time, both as relates to starting position along the infield as well as the footwork required to wind up in the best keyhole or wedge angle to see the pick off play.

Our last Teachable featuring HP Umpire David Rackley cautioned against moving too much, or over-hustling to take oneself out of position. This time, it's all about taking an appropriate read step or two...but not aimlessly. The goal is to move with a purpose—know when to go, but also when to stop.
Related Post: Teachable - Rack 'Em Up with Rackley's Plate Position (4/17/20).

Video as follows:

CPBL Fight - Illegal Bat, Bean Ball Prompt Bench Clearing

MLB isn't playing baseball, but Taiwan's fan-less CPBL just had its first bench-clearing brawl of the season as Fubon Guardians pitcher Henry Sosa threw at Rakuten Monkeys batter Guo Yanwen in retaliation for an illegal bat 'appeal,' HP Umpire Lin Jinda opting to issue warnings in lieu of ejections.

This is a more complex case than simple "FIGHT!" but if you'd like to simply see a melee, the video can be found at the end of this article.

In the top of the 4th inning of Sunday's Fubon-Rakuten game, with the bases loaded and one out, Guardians batter Lin Che-Hsuan hit a first-pitch fastball from Monkeys pitcher Weng Wei-Jun on the ground to third baseman Lin Li, who threw to catcher Lin Hongyu for the second out of the inning. After the play, Rakuen alerted HP Umpire Lin Jinda as to potential illegal use of pine tar in the bat just used during the groundout.

The veteran umpire—who began his Chinese Professional Baseball League career in 2000 and officiated his 2,000th CPBL game in 2019—walked over to Fubon's dugout, took the bat, consulted with league officials via walkie talkie, and simply acknowledged the illegality of the bat, ordering it out of play without further penalty to Fubon—no additional outs, no ejections (*jump down to see why).

In the bottom of the 4th, Guardians pitcher Sosa threw three straight inside fastballs at Rakuten batter Guo Yanwen, before drilling him in the hip with what would have otherwise been ball four, resulting in warnings—but not ejections—from the umpires.

Sosa remained in the game to strike out ensuing batter Yu-Xian Zhu—and pitch two additional innings—without further incident. At the time of the benches-clearing event, the game was tied, 1-1. The Monkeys ultimately won the contest, 3-1.

Rules analysis and video as follows:

Teachable - Rack 'Em Up with Rackley's Plate Position

When HP Umpire David Rackley took a single read step to his left on a potential play at home plate, he stopped short of committing to a baseline extended and in doing so provided us with a Tmac's Teachable Moment as Rackley's positioning quickly turned into a crew effort featuring 1B Umpire Alfonso Marquez, 2B Umpire Dan Bellino, and 3B Umpire Jeremie Rehak.

We first notice 1B Umpire and Crew Chief Marquez respond to a ground ball to Cubs second baseman David Bote by jogging toward first base in foul territory, setting up for a potential play on the batter-runner.

Instead, the play will be at home plate, and 3B Umpire Rehak strolls toward the bag to watch for Pirates baserunner R2 Pablo Reyes' base touch. Finally, HP Umpire Rackley moves into an optimal spot with which to call the subsequent tag play, ruling via his keyhole angle or wedge that Cubs catcher Willson Contreras tagged out Reyes and did not illegally block home plate, a call affirmed upon Replay Review.

Video as follows: