Bad Calls Even Out... And Why The Weak Denver Media Doesn't Help Local Teams

This is less about Colorado and more about a follow-up to our post from last month about the horrendous Jeff Nelson call that absolutely cost the Colorado Rockies a victory (http://openeyecolorado.blogspot.com/2010/06/worst-call-in-history-and-how-it-could.html).

First, let's discuss the adage that we've all heard in sports. "Bad calls even themselves out." Well, I guess the Rockies are approaching even, in a sense, because a team the Rockies are battling for a playoff spot just got cheated out of a victory.

Here's the situation. In a tie game in the bottom of the 9th inning in San Francisco yesterday afternoon, the Giants appear to score the game-winning run, as seen here:















Unfortunately, umpire Phil Cuzzi didn't see it that way, made the "out" call, and the inning continued when the game should have ended with a 1-run Giants victory over the Mets. Of course, the Giants fail to score in the 9th, the Mets score in the top of the 10th, and the Giants fail to score in the bottom of the 10th. Sure, the Giants had chances to win after Cuzzi's bad call, but had Cuzzi made the RIGHT call, the game would have ended with a Giants victory.

What does this have to do with the Denver media, you ask?

Well, the discussion about "discipline" for Phil Cuzzi has already begun, trumpeted initially by dogged NY Daily News blogger Andy Martino here: http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/mets/2010/07/mlb-likely-to-speak-to-phil-cu.html New York Mets catcher Henry Blanco's comments also didn't hurt, and they are also discussed in Martino's excellent blog. And remember, it was Martino's hometown team that was HELPED by Phil Cuzzi's inability to tell safe from out !!!

Why didn't this happen here, when Jeff Nelson cost the Rockies a victory with a disastrous call? Why didn't Troy Renck, an excellent reporter but not one to make waves like Andy Martino, trash Jeff Nelson for his obviously wrong call that cost the Rockies a game in April? Why didn't Tracy Ringolsby hammer home the blown call that definitively cost the Rockies a game during his interminable segments on Fox Sports Rocky Mountain until Major League Baseball was forced to respond, even if only with a rumor of discipline for Nelson?

I challenge you, Denver media... DEFEND YOUR TEAMS WHEN THEY ARE WRONGED!

And here's a prediction:

Due to Phil Cuzzi's obvious inability as an umpire (remember his HORRENDOUS call in last year's ALDS in New York http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/blog/big_league_stew/post/After-Phil-Cuzzi-s-blown-call-MLB-needs-to-put-;_ylt=AhE63pNQEHGSNZGqpx_IWNurO4d4?urn=mlb,195187 that resulted in Cuzzi being removed from the 2009 World Series umpiring crew), we will never see Mr Cuzzi work a merit-based game again. Cuzzi will never work an All-Star game; he will never work a post-season game; and it wouldn't be surprising if he's found another line of work by Opening Day 2011.

Yet nothing about Jeff Nelson polishing his resume... and his call cost the Rockies just like Cuzzi's cost the Giants.