THE PASSION IS BACK

***WHY WAS THIS HIDDEN?***
Well, it wasn't really. When the big hullabaloo about whether or not to reverse the "out" call by Jim Joyce in the 'almost perfect' game, the appointment of Frank Robinson to an oversight position for Major League umpires was pushed into the background. Robinson has a reputation of being fair but outspoken. The hope here is that Frank will institute a return to the Sandy Alderson control of the umpires. Read what Buster Olney has to say about Alderson:
"A common refrain heard among club executives in recent seasons has been that the umpires' performance just hasn't been the same since Sandy Alderson left the Commissioner's Office. See, Alderson was regarded, in the world of executives, as something of a leg-breaker. If an umpire's strike zone was erratic or small, he would contact that umpire directly and let him know that he was being held accountable. If Alderson didn't like an exchange involving an umpire, he dealt with it forcefully and directly (which is why some umpires look back at the Alderson Era in the way that Englishmen might regard the Dark Ages)."
This is probably not good news for Joe West. Sure hope that singing career holds up, Joe.

***THE RETURN OF CARLOS BELTRAN***
..and the departure of Oliver Perez. Ollie has been put on the DL because of "Patella Tendonitis," which is the only way the Mets could resolve the problem of a pitcher who couldn't get anyone out and refused to go the minors to work on his problem. This 'ailment' sounded so phony, that MLB actually investigated it. This was lip service at it's finest, because the DL assignment was allowed, to no one's surprise.
Beltran, on the other hand, will either be returning soon or may have his treatment continue for a while longer, depending on, I guess, the time of day. Mike Lupica says he is not "hopping up and down on one leg, waiting for Carlos' return, because that could cause a serious case of , you know, Patella Tendonitis."

***...AND WHO WOULD KNOW BETTER?***
In a survey of 100 major league players (unnamed, of course) by ESPN, they picked the best and worst umpires in the league. The results were a little surprising:
THE BEST:
Jim Joyce and Tim McClelland. McClelland wasn't a surprise, it was a shock! How could an ump screw up so badly on national TV in a World Series, and still be #2? Oh, well.
THE WORST:
CB Bucknor and Joe West. Joe West has competition? The man who has set the standard for incompetence isn't even #1.
THE UMP WITH THE QUICKEST HOOK:
Joe West. In fact, he got so many votes, he might be #1 AND #2.
While they were at it, they asked the players whether they were in favor of instant replay on the bases (NO - 76%), replay on fair or foul calls (NO - 86%), and finally, should the 'imperfect game' decision be reversed (NO - 86%).
Speaking of the latter, the best argument I've heard about not reversing the call was this:
If Joyce had called the runner out and replays showed that he was safe, would there be a big call to take the perfect game away? Absolutely not.

***COLLEGE FOOTBALL QUIZ***
What is the worst record for a team that won the National Championship?

Answer: the 2004 USC Trojans at 0-14. That's right, 0-14 after the NCAA made them forfeit all their wins in 2004 for rules violations, BUT allowed them to keep their championship. As Vod has said, the Rules Committee does have a sense of humor. The coach at the time, Pete Carroll, used the "Sargent Schultz Defense," to wit, "I know nothing! Nothing!"

CP-