re: Although Ump was terrible...it was smart baseball by tigers.

When the umpire becomes the story of the game, he messed up.

I have no problem with the guy who missed the foul pole call, it's one honest mistake. He was not trying to make the rule his. The game before LSU had a runner called out at second when the replays showed he was out, it happens.

The umpire behind the plate intentionally expanded the zone (for both teams) and made his own strike zone. The fact he did it both ways is better than playing favorites, but it's bad impiring that an ump calling the college World Series either can't see the strike zone, doesn't know the strike zone, or knows it and decides on his own to make it bigger.