MLB Acknowledges Umpire's Mistake
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Following the blown call that resulted in the Pirates 4-3 loss to the Atlanta Braves in the 19th inning early Wednesday morning, Joe Torre, MLB executive vice president, released a statement on behalf of the league.
In it, he says the umpire, Jerry Meals, acknowledged that he made the wrong call after the game.
"I have spoken with Jerry, who is a hard-working, respected umpire, and no one feels worse than him. We know that this is not a product of a lack of effort."
Torre goes on to say, though, that mistakes like this one are part of the game.
"However, most in the game recognize that the human element always will be part of baseball and instant replay can never replace all judgment calls by umpires," he said in the statement. "Obviously, a play like this is going to spark a lot of conversation, and we will continue to consider all viewpoints in our ongoing discussions regarding officiating in baseball."
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