SEC Baseball Umpires

Not well. A lot of these same jokers keep showing up year after year.

Balls and strikes are often a crap shoot but most times consistent.

I can't tell you how many times on Saturday we saw the exact same pitch and location back to back and each was called differently. That to me is an egregious error.

Want to see horrible calls just watch an SEC softball game. Its amazing that such an outstanding conference would give so little thought to its game officials.

Conference office would rather support a blown call than do anything about it. Its been that way for decades in all sports.

I was amazed yesterday that 4 umpires at the collegiate level couldn't properly interpret the infield fly rule.

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Baseball umps are not the reason games are won an lost

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For the most part yes; however, look at Saturday's game: LSU had a run scored at home plate that was called out that ended the inning. Then later in the game another runner was called out at second that was an obvious blown call which by the next couple of bats would have led to another run. There's two runs - possibly more - and that completely changes the game.

Also, when the pitches are called consistently then both the pitcher and the batters can get used to the zone and act accordingly. If the calls are too erratic then batters have to swing at stuff that they shouldn't, get called on stuff that they shouldn't, and pitchers have to pitch to places that they normally wouldn't and their pitch count could likely suffer.

Could/should LSU have played better and won the game regardless? Yeah. But in close heated games a couple of blown calls can easily throw the game one way or another.

Well when Tom Ritter still has a job I guess they figure blowing calls is the best route to job security.

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Also, when the pitches are called consistently then both the pitcher and the batters can get used to the zone and act accordingly. If the calls are too erratic then batters have to swing at stuff that they shouldn't, get called on stuff that they shouldn't, and pitchers have to pitch to places that they normally wouldn't and their pitch count could likely suffer.

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Balls and strikes are often a crap shoot but most times consistent.

I can't tell you how many times on Saturday we saw the exact same pitch and location back to back and each was called differently. That to me is an egregious error.

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It's consistency that matters. I'm a believer that umps and their calls are "part of the game", at least strikes-balls, and that they should be scouted just like an opposing pitcher.

And some umps will expand/contract their zones over the course of a game (again, scout that). But being inconsistent inning to inning is what should draw the most ire from fans, coaches, and players.

For the record, I've seen just as much if not more inconsistency in Omaha. It gets bad at times.

When your Umps are hired and supervised by Gumps, you'll NEVER have quality, unbiased officiating.

Great conference EXCEPT for the HQ officials. Absolutely nothing will change until the HQ is relocated out of the "Land of Gump".