Baseball Nation: Does MLB Have a Problem With Rogue Umpires?

Good morning, everyone! Happy Wednesday! I'd like to invite you to join us this afternoon at exactly 4:07, as the A's take on the Jays. Gio Gonzalez will try to earn his tenth win following a few shaky starts. He will be opposed by Henderson Alvarez, a flame throwing righty from Double-A (yes, he's making the jump). It is rumored that Alvarez can dial it up to triple digits, so it might be worth a look.

I found this piece on Baseball Nation, written by the Cubs' Al Yellon. The piece includes clips of recent player/umpire interactions, and I thought it might be a nice discussion. How do you feel about umpiring in MLB? Should a good umpire be virtually invisible, or do you like knowing certain personalities? Has the league gone far enough with the use of replay? As technology continues to increase, should its use increase on the field? Do you like the variation on the strike zone, depending on the umpire, or would you prefer a more uniform strike zone?

From the article:

It's time for baseball to control rogue umpires like this, and umpires who consistently rate poorly, as shown in this 2006 SI.com poll of players. I'll name some of them -- besides Davidson (who wasn't named in that poll, but should have been), there's C.B. Bucknor, Joe West, Angel Hernandez and Doug Eddings (who might have cost the Angels a shot at the 2005 World Series with his bizarre non-call in the ALCS involving A.J. Pierzynski). I'm not sure how this sort of evaluation could be done, but it's imperative to do so. Umpires are there to impartially judge, not make themselves ESPN highlights. Those who do should be dismissed.

What do you think?

Come back tonight!