Who Is The Worst Umpire In Major League Baseball?

We all know that umpires can be a source of frustration for players, managers and fans alike. But who is the worst umpire in Major League Baseball? We took a look at the data to find out.

Umpires in Major League Baseball

In Major League Baseball, the umpires are the people who make the decisions on the field. They are the ones who decide whether a pitch is a ball or a strike, whether a batter is safe or out, and whether a play is fair or foul. Umpires also keep track of the score and the count, and they signal to the players and the fans when there is a change in the inning.

Umpires in the American League

In baseball, the umpire is the person charged with officiating the game, including beginning and ending the game, enforcing the rules of the game and making any necessary calls (such as awarding first base to a batter who has been hit by a pitch). There are typically four umpires in professional baseball, one at each base. The word “umpire” comes from the Old French nonper, meaning “not even”, which is indicative of how even-handed an umpire was intended to be.

In Major League Baseball (MLB), the head umpire is referred to as “crew chief”, while in other levels of play they are simply referred to as “umpires”. Umpires are typically graded on their calls, with A representing the best and F representing the worst. An umpire’s decision can only be overruled by either another umpire or a manager, with the latter having to request a challenge within 30 seconds of the original call. If a manager challenges an ump’s call, and it is overturned, he does not lose his challenge for that game.

Umpires in the National League

The National League, founded in 1876, is the older of the two leagues. It consists of 15 teams organized into three divisions: the East Division, the Central Division, and the West Division. Each divisional winner, as well as two wild card teams with the best record among non-winners, makes it to the playoffs. The divisional winners are seeded one through three based on their regular season records, with the worst record facing the best record in a best-of-five series in what is called the Wild Card Game. The winners of each divisional playoff series then face off against each other in the best-of-seven National League Championship Series (NLCS). The winner of that series advances to the World Series to face off against the American League champion.

The umpires who work Major League Baseball’s National League are under contract by Major League Baseball Umpires LLC (MLBUL), a professional umpiring company jointly owned and operated by Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association. MLBUL umpires also work spring training games and instruction league games; however, those umpires are not considered Major League umpires as they do not wear a patch on their uniform indicating MLBUL membership and are not eligible for postseason assignments.

The Worst Umpires in Major League Baseball

There are some umpires in Major League Baseball that have earned a reputation for being bad at their job. Some fans and players believe that these umpires make bad calls on a regular basis and that they are biased against certain teams. Let’s take a look at some of the worst umpires in Major League Baseball.

The worst umpires in the American League

There are several umpires in Major League Baseball who are considered to be the worst in the business. Some of these umpires have been with the league for many years, while others are relative newcomers. Here is a list of some of the worst umpires in the American League:

– Laz Diaz
Laz Diaz has been an umpire in Major League Baseball since 1999. He has worked several high-profile games, including the World Series and All-Star Game. Diaz is known for being slow to make decisions, often taking several minutes to render a verdict on close plays. He also has a habit of mixing up the names of players, which can be confusing for fans and broadcasters.

– Paul Emmel
Paul Emmel is another long-serving umpire who has been with Major League Baseball since 2000. Emmel is considered to be one of the worst umpires in the league due to his inconsistent strike calls and propensity for making bad calls on close plays. He was once suspended for four games after bumping into a coach during an argument.

– Bill Miller
Bill Miller has been an umpire in Major League Baseball since 1986. He is considered to be one of the worst umpires in the league due to his confrontational attitude and lack of decisiveness on close calls. Miller has been involved in several high-profile incidents, including an altercation with former New York Yankees manager Lou Piniella.

The worst umpires in the National League

There are many ways to judge the quality of an umpire, but one simple metric is to compare their called strikes to the league average. By this measure, the worst umpires in the National League over the past three years have been:

1. Lance Barksdale
2. Tim Timmons
3. Gabe Morales
4. Jerry Meals
5. Phil Cuzzi