There was a time when baseball umpires were selected to do playoff games based on the merit system. Then, for some reason (possibly the umpires union getting involved), MLB decided every umpire should get a chance to work baseball’s biggest games, no matter how terrible they are. Phil Cuzzi is the type of umpire who would normally spend his Octobers playing golf or shuffleboard. He has a reputation for needing glasses, and thus was not at the top of anyone’s list for playoff duty based on the merit system. With baseball’s new let’s-give-everyone-a-turn system, Cuzzi was put in a position where he could make or break a team’s season.

Cuzzi missed a crucial call in game 2 of the ALDS. I can understand some missed calls on close plays, but this one was a little different. Umping the left field line, Cuzzi was kneeling over the line about 15 feet from a ball hit by Joe Mauer. First of all, the ball clearly hit off Melky Cabrera’s glove while he was in fair territory. Second, the ball still landed in fair territory after hitting his glove. It wasn’t on the line, it was about a foot to the fair side of the line. Considering Cuzzi’s proximity to the play, it was an easy call to make. Forgetting that the ball hit Cabrera’s glove, did the ball land to the right or the left of the line? Remember, Cuzzi is straddling the line at this point. It’s like those eye exams they give in elementary school. Is the apple on or off the picnic table? How Cuzzi managed to call that ball foul is beyond me. Did he make the foul signal on accident and then have to stick to his call? Was his view obstructed because he was buried too deep in George Steinbrenner’s pocket? I don’t think we’ll ever know.

The non-New York media has been ripping Cuzzi apart this week. It’s not often that you’ll see newspapers being very critical of umpires, but it’s not often that you see an umpire miss a call like Cuzzi did. The Chicago Sun Times asked if Cuzzi’s call was among the worst ever. MLB Fanhouse did a little background check on Cuzzi after the blown call and found he was once fired as a minor league umpire. ESPN had to write a column explaining why Cuzzi wasn’t the only one to blame for the Twins eventual loss in the game.

I’m the last person who would call for an instant replay system in baseball, but I do want to see the best umpiring possible when it comes to the postseason. MLB needs to rethink the umping assignments and reconsider the merit system, at the very least to ensure guys like Phil Cuzzi don’t get put in a position where their call can decide a game.

Tags: alds, minnesota twins, missed call, new york yankees, phil cuzzi, umpire