Although many MLB fans including myself constantly complain about umpires and their inconsistency, the truth is most games are not won or lost by poor officiating. However, there have been a handful of horrible calls that occurred in huge moments that almost certainly changed the outcome of historic moments. Today, we are going to count down the 10 worst umpire blunders in MLB history – calls that happened on a huge state in gigantic moments – calls that the umpire absolutely had to get right – but that somehow were completely blown
Reggie Jackson allows the ball to hit his hip to impede the double play.
#10. Mr. October Finds a Way
It was game 4 of the 1978 World Series between the Dodgers and Yankees. The Dodgers were looking good, up in the series 2-1 and leading the game itself 3-1 in the bottom of the 6th. However, the Yankees had a bit of a rally going with Thurman Munson on 2nd and Reggie Jackson at 1st. Lou Pinella hit a hot shot to shortstop where Bill Russell knocked it down then threw to second to start what looked like would be an inning ending double play.
Reggie Jackson, who was running from 1st to 2nd, stuck out his hip, interfering with the ball, knocking it off its trajectory to prevent the double play. Shockingly, umpire Frank Pulli did not call interference and Thurman Munson was allowed to score. From there, the Dodgers never recovered from the blown call and went on to lose the game and series.
George Brett is not happy.
#9. A Sticky Situation
No umpire blunder list would be complete without the classic pine tar incident. It was July 24th, 1983 and George Brett came to the plate with the Royals down by 1 in the top of the 9th inning with 2 outs and a runner on base. He smashed a home run, giving the Royals the lead – until he didn’t. Yankees manager Billy Martin complained to the umpires about the pine tar on Brett’s bat and, incredibly, Brett was called out because the pine tar was too high.
To make this call after the home run had been hit and take away a home run of that magnitude because of pine tar is insane and the American League did eventually overturn the call, saying that the intent of the rule has nothing to do with affecting a home run and that the call has to be made before the at bat anyway, not after. The rule is so that pine tar wouldn’t get on the baseball. The ending of the game was replayed, and the Royals won, meaning the call didn’t affect wins and losses but it is a historic blown call that did prevent managers from ever again trying to get a home run reversed on account of pine tar.
Phil Cuzzi had the best possible angle on this ball that he called foul.
#8. It’s Foul Cuzzi Said So.
It was October 9th, 2009, Game 2 of the American League Division Series. The Twins were holding their own against the Yankees, tied up in the 11th inning. A Twins victory would tie the series up, with Game 3 in Minnesota. Joe Mauer led off the bottom of the 11th and drove a line drive down the left field line. It ticked off Melky Cabrera’s glove and landed in fair territory. Melky was in fair territory when he tried to catch it. Joe Cuzzi was right there to make the call since this was the playoffs and umpires were also stationed on each outfield line. Incredibly, he blew the call.
The Twins were denied the winning run in scoring position to start the inning. Instead, Mauer singled but was stranded at third and then Mark Teixeira hit a game winning home run for the Yankees in the bottom of the 11th. The Yankees went on the win the ALDS and eventually the World Series.
#7 Yes! No! This Game is Tied
It was game 3 of the 1977 NLCS featuring the Dodgers and Phillies. The Phillies were up 5-4 in 9th, looking to take a 2-nothing lead in the series. However, the Dodgers had the tying run at third base with 2 outs. Davey Lopes hit a grounder to third, which bounced off Mike Schmidt towards shortstop Larry Bowa. Bowa made a phenomenal barehanded play to get the runner and 1st.. Or did he?
Bill Froemming took the game from the Phillies by calling the runner safe, and the Dodgers were able to win it on a base hit by Bill Russell. The Dodgers went on to win the series. Replay shows the runner was clearly out and the Phillies should have gone up 2-0 in the series.
#6 MLB Meets WWE
It was game 2 of what would turn out to be one of the greatest world series of all time – the 1991 Fall Classic between the Braves and Twins. In a one run game the Braves Ron Gant ripped a base hit and took a nice turn around first. Twins Pitcher Kevin Tapani made a quick throw over, but Gant made it back safely.
Then, it appeared that Hrbek illegally pulled Gant off the bag. Umpire Drew Coble, however, saw that Gant’s momentum took him past the bag. Did a professional 26-year-old athlete over run the bag and fall over or did Herbk help him off the bag while applying the tag. You make the decision. For me, this was a blown call that may have helped the Twins win this game by one run and go on to win the series in 7 games.
#5. Eric Gregg’s Wide Zone
On October 12th, 1997, the Marlins and Braves played Game 5 on the National League Championship Series and in this example, home plate umpire Eric Gregg didn’t blow one call, rather several as his strike zone was insanely wide throughout the night, especially in favor of Marlins pitcher Livan Hernandez. It wasn’t simply a matter of hitters needing to expand their zones – these pitches were at least a foot or more off the plate, not a few inches.
“I’m so damn mad I can’t even see right now,” Braves third baseman Chipper Jones said. “I know I swung at a couple of pitches that were a foot outside. I asked Eric if they were strikes, and he said yes. I couldn’t help but chuckle.
Fred McGriff, who took a curveball a foot and a half off the plate to end the game, said. “You couldn’t even hit some of those pitches.”
Livan Hernandez struck out 15 batters that day and he wasn’t even a strikeout pitcher. His next highest total in a game in his 17 career is 11 and he averaged 5.6 per 9 in his career. The Marlins won this game 2-1 and went on to win the series.
#4 Desperate Times Call For Desperate Measures
For this blown call, we go all the way back to 1975 with the Reds taking on the Red Sox in the World Series. It was the 10th inning and the Reds Cesar Gerenimo led off the inning with a single. Ed Armbrister pinch hit with the objective of laying down a sac bunt. However, his bunt was weak and only bounced a few inches in front of the plate, giving catcher Carlton Fisk a chance to gun down the lead runner at 2nd. Armbrister decided not to run to 1st, instead hanging out near the plate, impeding Fisk’s throw to 2nd. Fisk had to maneuver around Armbrister and ended up making an errant throw,– and instead of making the obvious call of interference, the umpire allowed the runners to advance to 2nd and 3rd. Joe Morgan singled in the winning run and the Reds won the game and eventually the series.
#3 The Assist of the Game – Jeffrey Maier
In Game 1 of the 1996 ALCS, the Baltimore Orioles were looking to take down the Yankees in New York. They were hanging on to 1 run lead in the bottom of the 8th inning with nobody on base. That’s when Derek Jeter hit a deep fly ball to right field. Tony Tarasco was camped underneath it ready to make the catch when a fan reached out and took the ball right from him.
What is most unbelievable about this blown call is that it was the playoffs and there was a right field umpire who had a clear view of 12-year old Jeffrey Maier’s glove reaching down onto the field and literally taking the ball directly from Tarasco’s glove. The extra umpires are there because these games are so vital that in a case such as this, the umpires are there to make the correct call. Instead, the call was blown, the Yankees tied the game and went on to win it along with the series.
#2. Almost Perfect
Armando Galarraga
Even though this next call didn’t change who won the World Series and didn’t even happen in the playoffs, it did take a once-in a lifetime moment away from a pitcher who would never get another chance like this again. Armando Galarraga was pitching for the Detroit Tigers on June 2nd, 2010. He had spent much of the season in Triple A and was trying to prove he belonged in the majors. On this day, his stuff was working. Galarraga threw 8 2/3rds perfect innings and needed one more out to become immortal – he had a chance to do something that had only happened 20 times before through nearly 150 years of baseball history – he was about to throw a perfect game. Then, it actually happened and he got to make the final out himself when he tagged first base ahead of the runner… but Jim Joyce called him safe.
How Jim Joyce blew this call, with a perfect angle and view and an understanding how big the situation was, I’ll never undersand. He was regretful afterwards and both Galaragga and Joyce handled the situation with immense class. I can’t say i would’ve been as professional as Galarraga was. This call clearly and without a doubt took away a perfect game – a one brilliant moment – away from an otherwise average career.
Don Dekinger Blows It
#1. Don Denkinger Blows It
If there was one call in baseball history that almost certainly cost a team a world series trophy, this was it. It was Game 6 of 1985 world series in Kansas City between the Royals and Cardinals. The Cards were up by a run and 3 outs away from the ring with nobody on and nobody out in the 9ht inning. Jorge Orta hit a routine groundball to first baseman Jack Clark for what appeared to be the first out of the inning.. until umpire Don Denkinger shockingly called the runner safe.
The Cardinals had made the out by a full step and somehow, in the 9th inning of the world series, the umpire blew this call. The Cardinals were affected and without a doubt, couldn’t get their minds passed the blown call. They were visibly frustrated, started to make mistakes and ended up losing the game. The next day, they still didn’t seem over it as the Royals beat up on St. Louis 11-0, taking home the world series championship. Although the Cardinals can be blamed for not keeping their cool after this blown call, it still has to be #1 as it happened on the biggest stage in 9th inning and was not even a close play.
There you have ti for the 10 worst umpire blunders in history. There have been many many more that didn’t make this list; feel free to add more in that comments section down below. Fellow Giants fans, I didn’t forget the Wilmer Flores check swing to end the 2021 season Nor the Rob Drake fiasco to end the 2020 season, but trying to be non-biased, I didn’t quite think they belonged in a 10 worst of all-time list.