This was the same guy????

Do you remember that call last year when the ball landed fair on a Mauer double in the ALDS against the Yankees, but the LF umpire called it foul?

Well, the same umpire was behind home plate for the Met game yesterday.

Did you see it?

Well,

First, K-Rod throws a strike that’s called a ball. He complains. Blanco complains.

Then, rather than just ejecting them both (which he should have), Cuzzi angrily flexed his muscles to show his frustration. He looked insane.

Then, there’s a ground ball to third, Wright lollygags the throw, and the runner slides home safely. By a lot. Cuzzi calls him out.

Then, the next batter hits a swinging bunt that bounces behind the plate, then rolls a foot into fair territory (a fair ball). Cuzzi gets this one right, but then the 3rd base ump over-rules him, calling the ball foul from 110’ feet away, when no one asked for help.

Put aside the question of whether a 3B ump CAN over-rule a home plate ump on that call (the plate umpire has the fair/foul calls all the way to the base). Put aside whether that ump SHOULD over-rule that call (did he really think he saw it better than the guy standing right there?

Since the ball never came anywhere near hitting the batter (it was like 2’ away from him, in the other batters box) and, I assume, the 3rd base ump is not actually blind, there is only one explanation. The 3B ump was doing a make-up call for the plate ump (Cuzzi).

This crew works together all year. Maybe the 3B ump has to do this for all the calls Cuzzi blows during the season.

Can you imagine the pressure? To get all the calls right AND provide make-up calls for when your partner blows one that costs a team the game?