Did umpire error alter LLWS 2018 outcomes? 

I use to be a little league umpire and let me tell you it's a lot harder than it looks.

My first baseball coach told me something I'll never forget. "If you have to rely on the officials to make the correct call in order to win the game, you've already lost."

Thanks MJH for those replays from 2018 LLWS. Agreed, we need more umpires. It's so much fun too: Fresh air, exercise, friendships, officiating the game we love, talking about the game we love, the great training and instructors you meet. Umpiring is such a fulfilling and humbling experience, especially volunteering in LL. Truer words were never spoken: "...suggest becoming one yourself, see how perfect you can be and, good luck with that." We appreciate the time you put into editing and narrating the actions of the "third team" on the diamond. Look forward to your next breakdown.

I am on the southwest team and we have discussed that play a lot and you can’t blame the game on one play we made mistakes that might’ve changed the game but you can’t blame it on one play or the umpire

Video 1 comments: The release of the ball (after a "caught" fly ball) must be intentional. Did F3 intentionally release the ball from his glove? I don't think so. There is no time frame that is required for a fielder to "hold" the ball to qualify as a catch. If it was on the transfer, how come his throwing (right) hand never gripped the ball? His fingers were never on the ball and the ball wouldn't have dropped straight down as it did in the video. Video 2 comments: Poor initial set up for the RF umpire. Never be parallel, or almost parallel to F9, as it appears he was. Should've ran in toward the infield and stay on the line for the fair/foul call, stay down (low) upon F9's throw to home. (Most) LL umpires are not trained in proper mechanics (at least not in a 6-man rotation) and experience is "OTJ" from other lesser qualified umpires. (Some) D1 and (most) minor and (all) MLB umpires go through intense schooling, 6 days a week sometimes to get to their level of officiating.

I umpire 11u through 14u and I myself have about 3 missed calls every week. And don’t get me started on balls and strike calls

Your comments are very spot on! Walk a mile in their shoes as it were. I played and umped for years. My view is , if you lose the game you didnt score enough runs to beat the other team. Many things happen in a game, cant blame every pitch or play or person. Thanks for your very helpful and informative series!

As an NFHS umpire, I appreciate the generosity and sense of fair play displayed in your comments. I would want someone with your attitudes coaching my kids.

The first 1 was a B.S. call. The ball dropped during the transfer. The 2nd play is 50/50. In my opinion it would of been close

Bad calls are just part of sports in general. As a player you just have to accept that and be prepared to pitch a fourth strike, or a fourth out.

On the 1st play, never give the ump a reason to believe you didn't catch it. Umpires are human. Slow motion makes it look like he definitely had control of the ball and simply lost it in transfer, but in real-time, it looks like he dropped it. I would probably have called it a drop and foul ball also.

As for the 2nd play, I blame Little League Baseball for assigning 6 umpires on a field that small. The RF umpire was in the right spot to rule fair or foul(which is dumb since the 1st base umpire has the same view), but you can't blame the umpire for being in the position he was put out there to do

Woulda, coulda, shoulda. Umpires are human. I do believe the replay issue in little league needs tweeking. You always put up great video that will make people talk. Awsome job MJH Baseball !

Mistakes are part of the game. Deal with it.

Excellent video & commentary, MVH!

I once had a conversation with Giancarlo Stanton about this a few years back. He told me this never happens. As we, Marlins at the time had/have a whole game to score enough runs that one questionable call will never be the reason for losing a game!!!

I umpired over 3,000 games and coached nearly 500 games at the HS level. I can honestly say that only once did I see an umpire have a direct effect on the outcome by way of bad calls. This umpire made two horrific calls in the bottom of the 6th that allowed the home team to score two runs and take the lead. The first was not taking off his mask and moving to judge whether a pop up was out of play when it was caught. It was in play. The batter hit a double on the next pitch. They eventually get runners on second and third and the defense manages an out. 2nd and 3rd, one out. The batter hts a screaming line drive no more than a foot off the ground. The 3rd baseman dives, catches it, and lands on 3B with the runner off the base. Double play, inning over, right? Nope. The umpire never saw the ball and ruled it a ground ball even though all three runners, both base coaches, and the defense were heading for the dugouts. The 3B coach realized what had happened and got all the runners to their bases. Now it's bases loaded, 1 out. The next batter doubles and drives in 2 runs. The side is retired and the visitors can not score in the top of the 7th. Home team wins by one run. In essence, the visitors were forced to get SIX outs.

as an umpire that is just getting started. I really appreciate your thoughts at the end of this video.

did the 1st base umpire cost gallaraga a perfect game a few years back? i think nuance is important, considering its pretty easy to see times when umpires do indeed have a dramatic impact on the outcome of the game. that said I couldn't agree more about people blaming losses on umpires. love your videos, keep up the great work!

Ump calls almost never actually lose the game for a specific team. Normally, there are other mistakes that influence the outcome. I mean, those calls were pretty bad, but there were more mistakes that both teams made that also lost the game. Idaho still had the chance to win. If he made a good throw, they could have won. And if Texas would not have bobbled it, they would not of had a chance at a walk off.

The first play was a transfer issue, not a dropped ball. The second was umpire interference. Both shall be reviewable.

You can never judge a game by one play

Don't think you can blame the loss on one play. You're up by 4 runs and only need 1 out. They had plenty of chances to get the out they needed.

Your last comment is the best and usually conversation ending comment. As a side note in your first example which the catch/no catch there is also slight interference on the batter for stepping in the way of the catcher, but because of the other action it was missed. Great video.

What about the interference on the batter in the first scenario?

I saw the bill buckner error R.I.P Bill Buckner 1949-2019

isnt controlled release of the ball one of the criteria for a catch?

Unless Little league rules are different about catches then college or high school ball that first play is not a catch. The reason that ball fell straight down is because there was no secure transfer, otherwise ball would of rolled backwards. Good call

First one: transfer? If the ball comes straight down, it could easily be judged a no-catch. If the ball comes out at an angle, the ball was given impetus by the throwing hand; that’s transfer. A consultation among the umpires would have been appropriate. I changed a call that way in a tournament.

for the 2# clip. The umpire is considered the feild of play, it is like one of your own teammates standing there, so no matter what you cannot blame the umpire for the outcome of the game.

As an umpire I think the first call is not incorrect because the rule states that a fielder must complete the process of the catch which includes the transfer. The transfer is defined as an intentional exchange of the ball from the glove to the hand. Here I think the ball falls out of the glove prior to the attempted transfer and thus would be a no catch foul ball. This play is not reviewable because the transfer is a judgment call. On the second play the umpire was just too deep to watch the catch and inadvertently got in the way. Remember umpires are a part of the field and being in the way is not intentional. My final comment is remember in the LLWS umpires are volunteering their time to officiate the game and shouldn’t be criticized for trying their best.

Better calls than most MLB Umps. I think any play should be able to be reviewed in LLWS.

Dude amazing video

On the first video, someone commented it's a "bad call". Probably only one team felt that way. It's a judgement call and in the umpires judgement it's no catch. In the second video, having been on the field with LL players, i'ts always a challenge being in position when the unexpected happens. You never know and always need to be alert. That being said, I believe the umpire did his best to get out of the way and it was not ump interference. Everyone's entitled to their opinion, but, they should try being out there before making a negative comment about the umpires were at fault.

On the thought umpires are to blame, well I am an umpire, I love to be an umpire and I love the game and I am used to the bashing. We are always the bad guys and the receivers of the people’s frustrations.

I’m from Idaho and was definitely bummed for those boys when the inning went downhill from there. It is what it is.

As a young umpire, you always worry that a questionable call could be the difference in a team winning or losing a game. I have had multiple veteran umpires tell me "no one call will ever make the difference in a game", & they are right. Baseball is a game of inches & seconds, where each pitch could make a difference in how you approach the situation, offense or defense. I do a lot of tournaments & I've noticed a common theme, the teams whose coaches complain & argue everything rarely get far. They never want to blame their loss on them or their team, always the umpires.

3:33 that umpire did the correct thing by getting in a position to look into the field of play to see the catch. The kid catching the ball, his momentum was taking him into foul territory where he threw the ball. Going further to say that had the umpire not been there (even though he didn't impede the throw) the player would have been "most likely thrown out" is just laughable. As with any sport, umpires and refs are part of the field of play and need to be taken into account accordingly. Yes, they may get in the way on a particular play..but again, that's something as a player you deal with and frankly expect.

I was a volunteer (UNPAID) umpire for a couple of years. The two worse things were: 1) the coaches that did not know the rules of baseball and 2) the parents who were either riding the coaches, the players, or me, all of which was unnecessary. Also, it was very frustrating for me to umpire a youth game a lone as there is no way that I could see everything. Once I asked a second baseman if he tagged the runner as I could not see it coming off of the plate. The second baseman said that he missed and I call the runner safe. Good sportsmanship. Then the kid got cussed out by the coach. Wow! What a lesson.

These kind of plays should be analyzed by the umpires before the next years LLWS.

Remember that everyone from the very first game to the llws are volunteers. Bad calls happen in all sports and so do comebacks.

I’m not sure if they do, but does the LLWS call balks? Because I think the pitch on the second one definitely was, he never came set. Help me out?

I feel like you are asking the right questions. You can't blame the outcome of a game on a single bad call or bad play even if the game ends on it. Sure it looks tragic when everything is on the line, but there are so many opportunities for winning and losing that lead up to that point that you can't fairly say one person changed the outcome. There are just way too many moving parts.

The fact that people truly think that one call from the umpire can change the outcome of a game is ridiculous

You literally cannot call "umpire interference" on that play. Once the ball passes a fielder, as that one did, the umpire is part of the field

Umps do need some glasses when it comes to close plays but it happens and you should just shake it off

First high school game of the 2021 year for me, I had a coach (who is infamous for being an a-hole) kinda take a jab at me for thinking I missed a banger at first. And I laughed out loud and said “you just left the bases loaded two innings in a row” with a smile on my face. Normally, I don’t respond to anything coaches have to say, but I had just gotten off of work from my regular job and it was not a fun day and it was a long drive to that field and he gave our crew crap for being “late” which was starting out plate meeting ten minutes to game time so i really didn’t feel bad about my rebuttal.

Sorry I'm from mi so I wanted mi to win (Thanks for the heart)

I was an umpire for 30 years. The reason I quit was the level of personnel coming into the the field. It was easier to call a game alone than with some of these people. Little or no training, or never having played the game. I enjoyed the kids, and always had a talk session with them after the games, usually to answer game calls. If I was doing several games and one was canceled, I would get my glove and play catch, or how to field a ball. The league stopped that because they thought I would favor one player over another. The biggest problem I always had with umpires was and is being out of position.

What I dont get is why video replay isnt used for ANY questionable call? Isnt the point to get it right at the end of the day? Replay would fix this, why not use it???

My cousin Ryan was in the little league World Series for Texas after the game was over and they lost he uploaded the little clip of them losing, and over 90% of the comments were on how the ump got in the way.

I have officiated sports for many years and no matter how well or how poorly I feel officials worked a game I will always thank them for the effort. My concern is when officials are asked to do something they are not familiar with doing. This puts them in a no-win situation. I work football and in varsity high school games we work with 5 officials while in levels below that we work with only 4 officials. The coverage and responsibilities are very different when you add the extra official. There are some states where they will go from 5 officials to 7 officials in the playoffs and in these cases unless these officials also work at the college level, they have not worked that position all year but are asked in what everyone else will call a "more important game" to work a position for the first time and to get it right. That would be the same as telling your player who was catcher all year to now go and play right field for the championship game and expect that player to play perfectly. Baseball has determined that foul line umpires are needed in some situations but now in the era of video review I think we can ask if they are needed so often. There may have been a day back in the major leagues when this was a valid concern and because of training available to them that it was a benefit. However it was a brand new position for them to work and they needed to know what was their call and what was not. The actual positioning is also critical for these umpires. In an MLB game you see the foul line umpires far in front of the outfielders so that they do not get into the play. On these tiny little league fields if the foul line umpire was to play in front of the outfielder in a somewhat similar way as in MLB then that umpire would be standing, wait for it, exactly where the first and third base umpires are standing thus rendering their presence unneccessary. In this play the right field foul line umpire was positioned where he was told but because that left him so close to the right fielder that when the ball was hit between the two, the umpire didn't realize in time to move to a different postion that would get him out of the way. Not working in that position perhaps ever before meant that he was set up for failure with very little benefit to the game. The group that puts on these games clearly states that all of the umpires are volunteers and they do a great job but I do not see a reason to have 6 of them on the field for a game that is played daily with 2 umpires. 4 umps can do this job. Adding the extra 2 adds very little to the accuracy of the calls in my opinion and when it appears that it could have affected a play negatively then you must ask why they are there in the first place.

You can still score after a fly-out? I thought that was not possible and runners have to get back to their bases...

3:06 umpire is part of the field and the runner would have been safe anyway

I agree there's so many bad umpires in my league

On the 2nd play, that it is pretty big mozza ball you laid out there stating "had the umpire not been in the way that throw would have most likely result in 3rd out". Just as likely he doesn't throw him out. It was a good sac fly for the win.

I love your channel. However, in showing the play before the questionable umpire obstructing the throw in the Texas Georgia game you ask "Are we now going to blame the pitcher for losing the game?" This is the cheapest and lowest insult to the actual play in question. Every pitch matters, every at bat; all of moments in the game are what make up the game. Imagine if your team had a reason for protesting or wanting a call reviewed (not saying this umpire in the way of the outfielder's throw determined the game or not) could I say to you, " Coach, you could have won this game in the second inning when you had bases loaded and one out and didn't score, so why do want this wrong call corrected?" My point is sometimes a single play, ruled incorrectly by an umpire, is the element that determines the outcome of the game. Keep up the good work, though. I do like the channel very much.

I think the first one was okay and Michigan still could have won, but the second one definetly was the umps fault

1st one would of had me screaming at the TV . 2nd one was a bad luck one. One of those what if moments.

These videos are so frustrating to watch. These kids deserve better.

Second time I thought he was exaggerating but he wasn't lieing

Funny how you blame the umpire for making a 50/50 call, without video replay, yet the kid ends up striking out, but dont mention the passed ball(error) and then the bad throw to 1st base(error #2). I have no problem with the 1st video umpire calling that a no-catch. What was the reason for the quick transfer if that was the 3rd out?

Yes when me and my team were in sectionals for llws 50/70 we had a 7 out inning and the game was just horrible it was a championship game too if we won we would have gone to states

The first play was a mistake, but understandable from the point of view of the umpire. The player catches the ball, but he quickly tries to make the transfer. Instead of a transfer, he drops the ball. He doesn't bobble it with his transfer hand. It just drops. The umpire likely thought based on his point of view the player didn't fully control the ball in his glove. The second one wasn't a mistake on the umpire's part. That's where he's supposed to be. It was just an unfortunate place for the ball to go.

I don't know about the 2nd one. The fielder was not able to do much to prep himself for the throw home to make the out and in so doing lost all his momentum. It is a huge stretch to assume that the play would have been any different. Anything other than a perfect throw home the runner is still safe.

The first one wasn't a catch. By definition a catch is when the player voluntarily releases the ball. A dropped ball during the process of transferring shows it was not released from the glove voluntarily. That is why most MLB players show the ball after catches, or pull it out of their glove right after a catch.

Umpires are expected to do there job and do their job well. Players get grief for errors they make and so should umps especially when they are getting paid.

Hi that is not the right call umpire doesn’t have to move he’s part of field but the other one was caught Ps: I love ur vids keep up the work

When I was an umpire they said it’s not a catch until they make the transition from glove to hand voluntarily

Watching the LLWS is almost painful with how awful the umpiring can be sometimes. Yes, I know, they're volunteers, great! Give them a plaque and a visa card, but make sure what you're putting on the field is a good product. There is zero reason why things have to be this bad.

The second play we can’t tell if he would have thrown him out even if the ump wasn’t in the way

1st clip: Catch & Out. Dropped during transfer. 2nd clip: The umpires are "part of the field", so no "umpire interference". However, that umpire was in poor position, which caused him to distract the right fielder.

I have coached and I have unpired and I have made mistakes at both but I learned from them and never made them twice and in my years of little league baseball the only mistakes that I made that caused a team to lose was as a coach. In all those years I lost one game where I thought that the umpire contributed to the loss but it was not because of one bad call.

Great point on the second call. That 9-2 putout is by no means automatic. I mean, look at the automatic comebacker to pitcher lol

Ask Terrell Owens if it was a catch.

The umpire in the Texas-Georgia game was on the playing filed when the catch was made. No umpire, except for the second base ump, if there is one, needs to be in the field of play. The ump did affect the outcome in this case by his lack of positioning himself in the right place. It is not possible to know if the player would have thrown out the runner, but it is better to let the game play the way it should be played. All the other major sports have officials on the playing surface, and rarely do they affect the game's outcome by interfering with the players progress.

I dislike that plays can't be reviewed when other plays can. That being said, since the first one can't be reviewed, the kid looked like he dropped it as he dropped it so soon after the catch. That is why I hate that some plays are not reviewable. The umpire being in the wrong position is a different story. While it wouldn't be a sure out, the player looks like he would have been able to get it there. The umpire was in his way for so long. It is one thing for a player to do something to 'lose' a game. But no one likes it when it is because of the umpire. Especially when it was caused by them (ie, second clip).

There is no reason to blame a umpire cause at the end of the day you still lost the game

Why is the little league 6 man system line umpires so far in the field, when in the MLB they are so close to the base umpires

Can’t really call the second one an umpire error. Sometimes there’s just no good place for an umpire to be. Although I always thought it was absolutely silly to put six umpires on a small diamond.

run in to the ump and throw the ball you’ll get sum type of interference call

2:04 is that Simon from Alvin and the Chipmunks??

I'am not blaming the ump in the 2nd part but did the ump have to be on the field of play could he not have seen just as well from outside of the field ?

I believe that umpires do not change the outcome of the game. I’ve always been told it’s not one play, but all the other plays you could of made.

3:21 the ump sucks

If you read the rule of a catch you have to have a voluntary release for it to be a completed catch. It was close but I can see why he called it foul no catch.

I see three errors in the stat line on the TX-GA game, that's probably a bigger factor.

to be honest--1st case, correct call Foul Ball....however there is a matter of BATTER INTERFERENCE affecting the catchers attempt to make a catch. not only did the batter go abnormally off the line to 1st base, i believe he used his right arm to impede the catcher. i think the catcher concurrently tried to ward off the arm of the batter..rule is the act of altering a defensive player, it does not specify contact must be made, to call interference.......did the ump not see this? probably not as all eyes would have been on the short popup and the fielders going for it... replay the video doesn't even show it that well, but it does.

I don’t believe either umpire cost either team their games

It just looks like a bunch of kids who blew big games and probably still feel bad about it.

As an umpire myself, the plate umpire blew that call, something we all do. On the second play the biggest issue is how many umpires work the foul lines on a normal basis, the answer is none of them. The Right Field Umpire didn't get into proper position in this case, he starts in fair territory and should have stayed there with a ball in front of him on the line. The 1st base umpire should make the fair or foul call in this case, and it would keep the RF Umpire out of the play.

is there a ruling on that umpire being in the way?

Too many umpires = higher probability of disaster, especially on a little league field.

Video #2... To suggest that it would have been an out if the throw was not impeded is assuming too much. Maybe... maybe... Maybe!!! As for the first play one angle showed the ball rattling around in the glove... I don't think the kid had full control of the ball. Also... There was another error on a strike out in the dirt when the catcher throws it wild by the First basemen...

The first call should've been out. The second the umps are part of the game and be aware of your moving if the play comes your way. It's a game like any other, errors and poor judgement go hand in hand ☺️

Technically they could have had the game alot earlier so the umpires yes did make a bad call but players are the ones who could have won the game

Watch the RF on the second play. He moves over a couple of steps into the umpire and into foul territory and then throws. Even if he got behind the ball and drove through the ball and threw home, that runner is still probably safe, even with a GREAT throw.

Who else plays short stop and the umpire gets right in front of you and he ignores you to move its frustrating.

In#2 I think the umpire was in the way but he kind of ran into him?

1:02 happened to me like 2 days ago I caught it the ball then tried to throw and then it then it slipped out of my hand then the umps went over it and called the batter out and said,”He caught it then transferred to throw it.”So he should have been out