REFLECTING ON BAD CALLS & MISSED OPPORTUNITIES

I started thinking... I do that. I reflect on stuff that doesn't matter.  Why doesn't it matter? Well, because it doesn't change a thing.  All I do is think about it and it drives me nuts, because it's amplified when the Yankees are absolutely lifeless at the plate.  I am hating every minute of this ALCS.  Derek Jeter going down killed my passion for this game and while I loved the Ichiro Suzuki, Raul Ibanez comeback in Game 1, you have to realize that this team of 25 is just plain flat and it's killing me softly.   But again... that got me thinking about bad calls and missed opportunities. The Yankees got robbed this past weekend in the Bronx.  There were 2 plays, both involved Robinson Cano and both could have given the Yankees and extra shot in the ALCS if either one went New York's way.

The first one is world famous. Cano tagged Omar Infante out, yet the umpires called him safe. Now, I am not going to sit here and tell you the Yankees would have won the first 2 games in the ALCS if that call was different.  I will tell you 2 things though; That play at second base with called correctly could have definitely changed momentum. What it does is bring confidence to a sluggish Yankee team and maybe, just maybe the Tigers don't score Infante then with the next hit.  Baseball's a crazy game sometimes.  Sometimes the slightest call makes things happen...after all it sure did for the Tigers after that.

That second play involving Robinson Cano was when he was called out beating out a single. He was safe, even the TBS guys said so, but the umps called him out.  My only thinking was, if Cano got on, does he come around to score? Does Cano feel alittle better about himself? Does the team start to pick it up? Who really knows, but I'll tell you this; Cano may have felt better about his ridiculous slump and maybe that's the turning point for him.

Look, I hate looking back trying to change the course of history in my mind, I feel like Biff in Back to the Future, because the reality is, it doesn't matter.  The Umps drives me nuts though, this season especially.  I remember that stupid call against the Orioles in September involving Mark Teixeira.

The point is they're all frustrating, but in the playoffs, it eats away at me because it's a short season.  Sometimes if it wasn't for those meddling umpires trying so hard to get the call right, maybe instead having instant replay would help. Sure, it may take a few extra minutes to check to see if the calls right or wrong, but consider this; If they used instant replay and got the call right, the same amount of time screening the play would be used more wisely than having Joe Girardi running out and arguing the call anyway! See what I mean?  If the world knows Omar Infante was out, he was out. After all, this is 2012, technology is all around, this isn't the 1960's, unless you're Craig Sager.... Come on!

Yeah, now I'm just rambling and the bottom line, if the Yankees lose the ALCS, it's not because of those 2 bad calls, it will be because the Yankees can't hit on the biggest stage all year... that's the biggest problem right now. I mean look at them with Justin Verlander last night.  All I'm asking is Could the right call changed the momentum for this Yankees team?  Hey, I guess we'll never really know, but it's damn interesting to think about.

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