Poor Calls, Poor Vision

The Curse of the Bambino means nothing. Despite the deja vu that accompanied the agony of one more missed opportunity for glory, Red Sox fans might actually have somewhere other than Babe Ruth on which to lay at least a portion of the burden of blame this year. From beginning to end, the 1999 post-season has been a showcase for the fallibility of many of the sport's officials, with umpires reaching a new pinnacle of incompetence during the Sox-Yankees series.

Unfortunately for Boston, none of the really horrendous calls were made in their favor. And with the Yankees victorious in capturing the American League pennant and now the World Series, further inquiry into the quality of those umpires who made the worst judgments seems a moot point.

No one wants to hear the losers complain and moan that they didn't win because the officiating was so "unfair"--that kind of whining is more akin to Little League than to a professional sport.

But this week, the outcry of Sox fans achieved a modicum of validity from a rather unlikely source. Dr. Carmen Puliafito, who chairs the ophthalmology department at Tufts University School of Medicine, was so upset by blown calls during the American League Championships that he offered to perform free eye surgery on any Major League umpires who qualify. His reasoning? Dr. Puliafito postulates that many of the umpires are, in fact, secretly nearsighted.

That's the only explanation, he says, for the string of horrible calls. Whether anyone will actually take Puliafito up on his offer--which includes free eye examinations, prescription lenses and laser eye surgery at the New England Eye Center clinic--remains to be seen.

Human error is one thing, but we baseball fans would rest more easily if everyone judging the plays on the field had 20/20 vision. When Sox fans go to a championship game, it's pretty safe to assume that they want the opportunity to revel in the heroic efforts of their beloved Pedro and celebrate the awe-inspiring catches of Nomar. Like all true fans, they're looking for baseball at it's best--or worst, when the inevitable spotty fielding occurs--and they don't want the experience marred by the "what ifs" that arise from nebulous calls.

Some of us may have been too broken-hearted to watch the World Series this year, but far be it from us to begrudge the Yankees and Braves fans a well-officiated tournament.