TINO & SWISHER CALL OUT MLB'S BAD UMPIRING & I'M HERE FOR IT!

I've been thinking a lot about Aaron Judge and his recent game ejection. One of the biggest names in baseball who plays the game the right way and with no ego tossed by another bad umpiring call. The umpire controversy is not going away and not getting better. In fact, it's getting worse.

Almost two years ago, I wrote about MLB's experimentation outside of traditional umpiring in RUMOR: ROBOTS ARE COMING TO A MLB STADIUM NEAR YOU. MLB is still experimenting with an electronic strike zone in Triple-A this year where hitters and pitchers can challenge balls and strikes. Even if that isn't the answer, something has to be done about the controversy that has passionate fans everywhere riled up. Even some of our Yankee favorites think change is long overdue, read more HERE.

Anytime Nick Swisher and Tino Martinez have anything to say, I am going to listen intently. I appreciated Tino's passion when he called Judge's ejection "terrible. Aaron Judge never loses his temper, and he didn’t in that situation either. He walked away; he wasn’t in the umpire’s face. He walked away like he should’ve done, and he put him out, which was a little too much by the umpire." As passionate as Tino was Swisher took it a step further and said "He didn't say anything. He said, ‘You were s***, you've been bad all day,’ which was true. I watched the game." 

So MLB is at an impasse, and Rob Manfred needs to do something. When you have veterans like Max Scherzer who have influence with the MLBPA and respected former players vocalizing how they feel, it can't be ignored. It needs to be fixed!

It won't be an easy fix, but I think the "ranking" of these bad umpires with consequences is a good place to start. Fans know there is a human element to this game. Nothing will be perfect, bad calls will be made, but it doesn't have to be so frequent. Those who have good stats and accuracy, get to stay at the big-league level. Those who don't perform, get sent down to the minors. That is how you get more credibility back in this game. It weeds out the undesirables like Angel Hernandez and C.B. Bucknor (amongst others) out of important games.

If it were only that simple though. The umpires have their own union just like players have the MLBPA. Unions are very powerful, and the umpire's union is no exception. Obviously, unions are going to act in what they feel is in the best interest of their workers AND it's not like there is a big supply of MLB umpires. 

No matter what, there needs to be some sort of accountability for the sake of this game. While Manfred sleeps at the wheel, MLB's credibility suffers. I hate turning on a baseball game and seeing the same bad umpires all the time, so I appreciate Tino and Swisher's candor. 

Something's gotta give.... before I write about this again in another two years and it's worse. What's it going to take?

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj