Tuesday Morning Texas Rangers Update - Umpires Are People Too

Look, I'm getting real sick of you Internet baseball types getting pissy about the hard work done by the boys in blue behind the plate. Umpires are fine people who are good at their job. Stop being such mean, abusive know-it-alls. I'd like to see you stand back there - laptop in hand, TweetDeck open - calling the tough balls and strikes.

Oh. Oh no. You were right. That was terrible. I can totally see why those men are disliked so much now.

I love how there are four different broadcast calls of that pitch in that video and in every one one of them, the announcer says a variation of "and that's low and outside, ball four..." Good lord, Marty Foster. If Joe Nathan's astonished "Wow" doesn't say it it all, the shots of the crowd looking stunned as the Rangers "won" the game complete the thought.

I would be embarrassed by that win if not for the fact that I know, before the remaining 155 games are finished, some ump is going to take the win back.

Keith Whitmire writes of Joe Maddon getting real mad after the Rays lost an opportunity to have Evan Longoria come up with two on, two outs, in a one-run game. Of note, however, is crew chief Tim Welke's thoughts on the call: "It's hard for us when we're not perfect. There's nothing you can do." I can think of one thing they could do and that's why I don't feel sorry for them.

Jim Reeves (I guess Jim Reeves is writing for MLB.com now?) has quotes from all parties involved in the Foster botched call that gave Nathan his 300th career save.

The Rangers did win the game, after all. Todd Wills provides the Rapid Reaction to the Rangers' 5-4 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays.

I think it is worth noting that the Rangers were, obviously, winning at the time of the called strike snafu. Many bad calls have actually robbed a team of an assured victory. That call by Foster merely robbed the Rays of another chance to tie or take the lead. It's a distinction that is surely of no comfort in Tampa, however.

Jeff Wilson's game story focuses on Mitch Moreland and A.J. Pierzynski coming up lar...wait, of course the article doesn't focus on that. It focuses on Marty Foster making one of the worst calls to end a baseball game that you'll ever see.

Anthony Andro too writes of Marty's Miscue. Though, I would personally like to note that I do think Mitch Moreland and A.J. Pierzynski came up large with back-to-back home runs in a then 1-1 game.

Drew Davison wraps up the contest with some notes. One highlight was the work done by Joe Ortiz who was good out of the 'pen while Michael Kirkman, Derek Lowe, and Nathan were not.

Behind the DMN paywall, Evan Grant writes about Nathan laboring to collect save No. 300. Thanks, Marty!

Wilson writes his memorial for Julio Borbon who will likely not be a Texas Ranger anymore beginning anytime today.

MLB.com's Quinn Roberts previews tonight's affair between faux-Fausto Roberto Hernandez and Nick Tepesch in his Major League debut.

Reeves handles T.R. Sullivan's Notebook and writes on Matt Harrison's back pain and how if Harrison can't make his next start the Rangers might have to go with Derek Lowe or Justin Grimm. There are other notes but that's the one that should keep you awake at night.

Davison's notes tackle Harrison's back and Yu Darvish's finger abrasion, Tanner Scheppers' ascent, Tepesch's debut, and the acquisition of Robinson Chirinos.

Finally, I know we're done with the whole Josh Hamilton thing for a while, but I forgot to link to Ken Rosenthal's take which I enjoyed if only for the headline: 'Josh zings & misses in Texas return'