Ben Dreith - OK it's personal, I admit it.
[FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica]Sugar Bear's Rougning Call (1976)[/FONT]
[FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica]Late in the game, with New England leading 21-17, Raider quarterback Ken Stabler heaved a desperation pass that fell incomplete. It appeared that the Patriots had pulled off one of the greatest upsets in playoff history. Unfortunately for the Patriots, in stepped referee Ben Dreith.[/FONT]
[FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica]Dreith flagged Pats' defensive lineman Ray "Sugar Bear" Hamilton with a bogus roughing the passer call (Hamilton clearly tipped the ball in flight after Stabler threw it making any touching of Stabler legaL, like a tipped punt of place kick). Stabler took advantage of the second chance and eventually scored the winning touchdown in a 24-21 Oakland victory. The league never allowed Dreith to work a Pats game again (14 more years in the league).[/FONT]
The Raiders went 16-1 that year winning the Super Bowl by a 32-14 score over The Vikings. The Only game the Raiders lost (I was there at the game) Game Four..
wil.
PS:The Pats were clearly the better team.
[FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica]Sugar Bear's Rougning Call (1976)[/FONT]
[FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica]Late in the game, with New England leading 21-17, Raider quarterback Ken Stabler heaved a desperation pass that fell incomplete. It appeared that the Patriots had pulled off one of the greatest upsets in playoff history. Unfortunately for the Patriots, in stepped referee Ben Dreith.[/FONT]
[FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica]Dreith flagged Pats' defensive lineman Ray "Sugar Bear" Hamilton with a bogus roughing the passer call (Hamilton clearly tipped the ball in flight after Stabler threw it making any touching of Stabler legaL, like a tipped punt of place kick). Stabler took advantage of the second chance and eventually scored the winning touchdown in a 24-21 Oakland victory. The league never allowed Dreith to work a Pats game again (14 more years in the league).[/FONT]
The Raiders went 16-1 that year winning the Super Bowl by a 32-14 score over The Vikings. The Only game the Raiders lost (I was there at the game) Game Four..
wil.
PS:The Pats were clearly the better team.
Non personal worst call ever - 1985 World Series.
Denkinger calls Orta safe..
In arguably the most controversial call in World Series history, Don Denkinger calls the Royals' Jorge Orta safe at first base in the ninth inning of Game 6 of the 1985 Series against the Cardinals. TV replays show that St. Louis pitcher Todd Worrell had clearly beaten Orta to the bag, but Denkinger's call sets the stage for a two-run Royals rally in a critical 2-1 victory. Kansas City goes on to win the Series in seven games.
This is the call Viejo Dinosaur is talking about in Post #3.
wil.
Denkinger calls Orta safe..
In arguably the most controversial call in World Series history, Don Denkinger calls the Royals' Jorge Orta safe at first base in the ninth inning of Game 6 of the 1985 Series against the Cardinals. TV replays show that St. Louis pitcher Todd Worrell had clearly beaten Orta to the bag, but Denkinger's call sets the stage for a two-run Royals rally in a critical 2-1 victory. Kansas City goes on to win the Series in seven games.
This is the call Viejo Dinosaur is talking about in Post #3.
wil.
My favorite bad call of all time -- Bret Hull and The Buffalo Sabres...heh heh heh...
Brett Hull's skate in the crease
Going by the rulebook in 1999, this Brett Hull goal on Dominik Hasek shouldn't have counted.
In a play that will live in Buffalo infamy, Brett Hull gives the Stars the Stanley Cup when he beats Dominik Hasek for the series-clinching goal in the third overtime of Game 6 of the 1999 finals. Of course, every Sabres fan in the universe has been screaming ever since about how Hull's skate was in the crease before the puck, but the refs fail to make the call or ask for a replay. Before the next season, the NHL will change the "skate-in-the-crease" rule in reaction to the play.
Brett Hull's skate in the crease
Going by the rulebook in 1999, this Brett Hull goal on Dominik Hasek shouldn't have counted.
In a play that will live in Buffalo infamy, Brett Hull gives the Stars the Stanley Cup when he beats Dominik Hasek for the series-clinching goal in the third overtime of Game 6 of the 1999 finals. Of course, every Sabres fan in the universe has been screaming ever since about how Hull's skate was in the crease before the puck, but the refs fail to make the call or ask for a replay. Before the next season, the NHL will change the "skate-in-the-crease" rule in reaction to the play.
Larry Barnetts no interference call on Ed Arbristers bunt in the1975 fall classic. (Red Sox v. Reds)
Arbristers bunt bounced high in front of the plate, catcher Fisk went to field it, Arbrister stood right under the ball so Fisk could not field it cleanly, clearly an interference call if ther ever was one, anyway, Fisk and Armbrister got tangled up, and caused Fisk to throw the ball away to center field trying to force Geronimo at second, Geronimo winds up at third, Red Sox walk Rose to set up a force, Joe Morgan proceeds to smack one over Freddy Lynns head in CF, and the rest as they say is history.
Arbristers bunt bounced high in front of the plate, catcher Fisk went to field it, Arbrister stood right under the ball so Fisk could not field it cleanly, clearly an interference call if ther ever was one, anyway, Fisk and Armbrister got tangled up, and caused Fisk to throw the ball away to center field trying to force Geronimo at second, Geronimo winds up at third, Red Sox walk Rose to set up a force, Joe Morgan proceeds to smack one over Freddy Lynns head in CF, and the rest as they say is history.
How about the last world series
In the top of the 5th, the Yankees had Jorge Posada on third and Robinson Cano on second with one out. Nick Swisher hit a grounder to Darren Oliver who threw home, getting Posada caught in a rundown. Mike Napoli chased Posada back to third and tagged both Posada and Cano out (Cano had headed towards third). For some unknown reason, the third base umpire called Posada out and Cano safe.
****Never seen anything like it when both runners are standing off 3rd base*** Not sure how one guy can be safe after all that.:think2:
hno:
In the top of the 5th, the Yankees had Jorge Posada on third and Robinson Cano on second with one out. Nick Swisher hit a grounder to Darren Oliver who threw home, getting Posada caught in a rundown. Mike Napoli chased Posada back to third and tagged both Posada and Cano out (Cano had headed towards third). For some unknown reason, the third base umpire called Posada out and Cano safe.
****Never seen anything like it when both runners are standing off 3rd base*** Not sure how one guy can be safe after all that.:think2:
hno:Thank you Wil...but I used that blown call to emphasize what a piece of garbage Gary Austin was for running out of Vegas with gambler's money and then reopening in Costa Rica...Gary gambled on the Cardinals huge and left town quickly and what I percieved to be a gold mine of mine....it isn't much money today, but back then it seemed like it...
In 1972, Pappas again won 17 games and lost only seven, half his loss total of 1971. He also posted a 2.77 earned run average, his best since his 2.60 in 1965, his last year in Baltimore. On September 2 of that year, at Wrigley Field, Pappas no-hit the San Diego Padres 8-0. He retired the first 26 batters and was one strike away from a perfect game with a 2–2 count on pinch-hitter Larry Stahl, but home-plate umpire Bruce Froemming called the next two pitches—both of which were close—balls. Pappas believed he had struck out Stahl, and even decades later in 2008, continued to begrudge Froemming.<SUP id=cite_ref-0 class=reference>[1]</SUP><SUP id=cite_ref-1 class=reference>[2]</SUP><SUP id=cite_ref-2 class=reference>[3]</SUP><SUP id=cite_ref-3 class=reference>[4]</SUP> Some 25 years later, a Chicago radio personality, during an interview with Pappas, got Froemming on the phone and the two argued on the air. Pappas also said in 2006 that he has seen video tape footage of that game on WGN and can see Froemming smirking immediately after the walk was issued; Froemming denied the charge. To date, Pappas has the dubious distinction of having the only perfect game bid broken up on a walk to the 27th batter he faced.
What Really Happened? An Interview with Major League Pitching Great Milt Pappas
This is only a portion that deals with the near perfect game from an interview of Milt Pappas by BA Sports. (A memorbilia collection company)
BA: On September 2, 1964 you nearly pitched a no-hitter, taking it into the eighth inning against Minnesota. Eight years later to the day, September 2, 1972 you pitched one of the greatest games in history. What happened in the ninth inning?
Pappas: I was pitching for the Cubs at Wrigley Field against the San Diego Padres. I retired the first 26 batters in the game and I needed one more for a perfect game. There had only been seven perfect games [in the 20th century] up to that time.
Larry Stahl was sent up to pinch-hit and I got two strikes on him immediately. Randy Hundley [the Cubs' catcher] called for a slider. Ball one. Slider. Ball two. Slider. Ball three. Slider. Ball four. Stahl walks and the perfect game is gone.
BA: Were any of the last four pitches strikes?
Pappas: Any one of the four could've been called a strike and the last two were definitely strikes. [Umpire Bruce] Froemming came out to the mound after Stahl walked and I called him every name that I knew in the English language. When I ran out of names in English I started calling him names in Greek.
BA: Weren't you afraid of getting kicked out of the game?
Pappas: There's no way in hell that he was going to kick me out of the game. Not that game. Not if he wanted to get out of Wrigley Field alive. Everybody was too mad at him. The players, the fans -- everyone. So I went back to pitching and got the final out on a pop-up to second base to preserve the no-hitter.
BA: Then what happened?
Pappas: Believe it or not, the next day Froemming comes over to me and asks me to autograph a baseball for him. So I autographed it for him and then made a suggestion as where he might want to put it. He was incredulous. "You're not still angry at me, are you?" he asked.
"You have no idea what you did," I told him. "You blew it! You had a chance to call one of the few perfect games in the history of baseball and you blew it."
"Show me an umpire who ever called a game without making a mistake," he answered.
I couldn't believe he said that! He missed the point.
Then I ran into Larry Stahl. Stahl said that he wanted me to get the perfect game so after he got two strikes on him he decided not to swing anymore. "Why didn't you say something?! Why didn't you back out of the box and give me a wink or something?!" I asked him. I would've been happy to give him a fastball down the middle if I knew that he wasn't going to swing at it.
BA: Why do I feel that there's even more to this story?
Pappas: There is more to the story. I have the ninth inning of that game on tape. It's the only part that WGN recorded for some reason. I had some friends over the other night and they wanted to see the ninth inning. So I played it and I watched Froemming after I had my cussing match with him at the mound after Stahl walked. As he was walking back to the plate he had this big snicker on his face. His face said, "Ha, ha, got ya!"
BA: These are some of the best baseball stories I've ever heard. Can we make this a ten-hour interview so that I can hear them all?
Pappas: I've got most of them written down. I published a book a couple of years ago entitled "Out at Home" that tells the story of my baseball career.
Milt Pappas was no slouch as a major league pitcher for 17 years, posting 209 wins and a lifetime ERA of 3.40 while hurling for the Orioles, Reds, Braves and Cubs.
This is only a portion that deals with the near perfect game from an interview of Milt Pappas by BA Sports. (A memorbilia collection company)
BA: On September 2, 1964 you nearly pitched a no-hitter, taking it into the eighth inning against Minnesota. Eight years later to the day, September 2, 1972 you pitched one of the greatest games in history. What happened in the ninth inning?
Pappas: I was pitching for the Cubs at Wrigley Field against the San Diego Padres. I retired the first 26 batters in the game and I needed one more for a perfect game. There had only been seven perfect games [in the 20th century] up to that time.
Larry Stahl was sent up to pinch-hit and I got two strikes on him immediately. Randy Hundley [the Cubs' catcher] called for a slider. Ball one. Slider. Ball two. Slider. Ball three. Slider. Ball four. Stahl walks and the perfect game is gone.
BA: Were any of the last four pitches strikes?
Pappas: Any one of the four could've been called a strike and the last two were definitely strikes. [Umpire Bruce] Froemming came out to the mound after Stahl walked and I called him every name that I knew in the English language. When I ran out of names in English I started calling him names in Greek.
BA: Weren't you afraid of getting kicked out of the game?
Pappas: There's no way in hell that he was going to kick me out of the game. Not that game. Not if he wanted to get out of Wrigley Field alive. Everybody was too mad at him. The players, the fans -- everyone. So I went back to pitching and got the final out on a pop-up to second base to preserve the no-hitter.
BA: Then what happened?
Pappas: Believe it or not, the next day Froemming comes over to me and asks me to autograph a baseball for him. So I autographed it for him and then made a suggestion as where he might want to put it. He was incredulous. "You're not still angry at me, are you?" he asked.
"You have no idea what you did," I told him. "You blew it! You had a chance to call one of the few perfect games in the history of baseball and you blew it."
"Show me an umpire who ever called a game without making a mistake," he answered.
I couldn't believe he said that! He missed the point.
Then I ran into Larry Stahl. Stahl said that he wanted me to get the perfect game so after he got two strikes on him he decided not to swing anymore. "Why didn't you say something?! Why didn't you back out of the box and give me a wink or something?!" I asked him. I would've been happy to give him a fastball down the middle if I knew that he wasn't going to swing at it.
BA: Why do I feel that there's even more to this story?
Pappas: There is more to the story. I have the ninth inning of that game on tape. It's the only part that WGN recorded for some reason. I had some friends over the other night and they wanted to see the ninth inning. So I played it and I watched Froemming after I had my cussing match with him at the mound after Stahl walked. As he was walking back to the plate he had this big snicker on his face. His face said, "Ha, ha, got ya!"
BA: These are some of the best baseball stories I've ever heard. Can we make this a ten-hour interview so that I can hear them all?
Pappas: I've got most of them written down. I published a book a couple of years ago entitled "Out at Home" that tells the story of my baseball career.
Milt Pappas was no slouch as a major league pitcher for 17 years, posting 209 wins and a lifetime ERA of 3.40 while hurling for the Orioles, Reds, Braves and Cubs.
Speaking of Bruce Froemming, he played a key role in what Phillie Fans call Black Friday.
Durring the 1977 NLCS The Dodgers and Phillies were tied up 1-1 going into game 3 on Friday Oct. 7th at The Vet. Game 3 went down in Philadelphia baseball annals as "Black Friday."
The Dodgers opened the scoring in the second off Larry Christenson when Dusty Baker doubled home Steve Garvey from first on a close play at the plate. The Phillies tried to claim Garvey never touched home plate, but to no avail. Steve Yeager followed with a single to score Baker to make it 2–0.
In the bottom of the second, with two outs and Richie Hebner on second and Bob Boone on first, Dodger starter Burt Hooton began to dispute ball/strike calls issued by home plate umpire Bob Engel. Hooton's attitude and delay of the game aroused the displeasure of Philadelphia's infamous "boobird" fans, who took out their wrath upon their team's opponent. As the volume of the boos escalated to a deafening level, Hooton uncharacteristically lost control of both his pitches and his composure, issuing walks to Ted Sizemore, Christenson (forcing in Hebner), Bake McBride (forcing in Boone), and Larry Bowa (forcing in Sizemore), thus giving the Phillies a 3–2 lead. Dodger manager Tommy Lasorda then pulled Hooton in favor of Rick Rhoden, who induced Mike Schmidt into popping up to end the threat.
While Rhoden and Doug Rau were busy shutting down the Phils, the Dodgers tied the game in the fourth on an RBI single by Baker. The score stayed tied at 3–3 until the bottom of the eighth, setting up a wild finish.
Hebner led off the eighth with a double. Garry Maddox singled home Hebner and went all the way to third as Reggie Smith's throw home to try to nail Hebner went wild. Maddox then scored when Bob Boone grounded to Ron Cey at third and Cey threw wildly at home in an attempt to throw out Maddox. With a 5–3 lead entering the ninth and ace reliever Gene Garber on the mound, the Phillies looked to be sitting pretty.
Garber retired the first two hitters, but then pinch-hitter Vic Davalillo shocked the Phillies infield by laying down an 0–2 drag bunt and beating it out. Lasorda then sent another pinch hitter, Manny Mota, to hit for pitcher Lance Rautzhan. Mota sent a deep drive to left that Greg Luzinski trapped against the wall. Ted Sizemore then mishandled Luzinski's peg attempt at second to try to nail Mota, scoring Davalillo and sending Mota to third. Phillie manager Danny Ozark came under fire later from the media for not having Jerry Martin, a faster outfielder, in left field at that point. Martin, many felt, would have reached Mota's liner easier than the bigger, slower Luzinski.
Davey Lopes followed by hitting a blistering grounder to third that took a wicked hop and struck Mike Schmidt in the left knee. Larry Bowa retrieved the carom out of the air, fired to first, and appeared to have retired Lopes, but Lopes was called safe. TV replays showed that Bowa's throw beat Lopes. Meanwhile, Mota scored to tie the game at 5–5.
Garber, in an attempt to pick off Lopes at first, threw wildly past Hebner, sending Lopes to second. Bill Russell then singled to center to score Lopes with the go-ahead run. Mike Garman retired the side in the ninth for the Dodgers, who narrowly escaped defeat.
The umpires that day:
Umpires: HP - Harry Wendelstedt, 1B - Bruce Froemming, 2B - Dutch Rennert, 3B - Paul Runge, LF - Paul Pryor, RF - Bob Engel
The Phillies would not recover after a controversial finish of game 3 as the Dodgers would clinch the pennant in a game that was delayed two hours by rain after the first inning.
Many to this day say the game should never have been played. Guess who was the home plate ump for game 4? Naturally it was Fromming as the 1st base ump always follows the rotation to home plate for the next game in an umpires rotation.
Tommy John beat Steve Carlton 4-1.
wil.
Durring the 1977 NLCS The Dodgers and Phillies were tied up 1-1 going into game 3 on Friday Oct. 7th at The Vet. Game 3 went down in Philadelphia baseball annals as "Black Friday."
The Dodgers opened the scoring in the second off Larry Christenson when Dusty Baker doubled home Steve Garvey from first on a close play at the plate. The Phillies tried to claim Garvey never touched home plate, but to no avail. Steve Yeager followed with a single to score Baker to make it 2–0.
In the bottom of the second, with two outs and Richie Hebner on second and Bob Boone on first, Dodger starter Burt Hooton began to dispute ball/strike calls issued by home plate umpire Bob Engel. Hooton's attitude and delay of the game aroused the displeasure of Philadelphia's infamous "boobird" fans, who took out their wrath upon their team's opponent. As the volume of the boos escalated to a deafening level, Hooton uncharacteristically lost control of both his pitches and his composure, issuing walks to Ted Sizemore, Christenson (forcing in Hebner), Bake McBride (forcing in Boone), and Larry Bowa (forcing in Sizemore), thus giving the Phillies a 3–2 lead. Dodger manager Tommy Lasorda then pulled Hooton in favor of Rick Rhoden, who induced Mike Schmidt into popping up to end the threat.
While Rhoden and Doug Rau were busy shutting down the Phils, the Dodgers tied the game in the fourth on an RBI single by Baker. The score stayed tied at 3–3 until the bottom of the eighth, setting up a wild finish.
Hebner led off the eighth with a double. Garry Maddox singled home Hebner and went all the way to third as Reggie Smith's throw home to try to nail Hebner went wild. Maddox then scored when Bob Boone grounded to Ron Cey at third and Cey threw wildly at home in an attempt to throw out Maddox. With a 5–3 lead entering the ninth and ace reliever Gene Garber on the mound, the Phillies looked to be sitting pretty.
Garber retired the first two hitters, but then pinch-hitter Vic Davalillo shocked the Phillies infield by laying down an 0–2 drag bunt and beating it out. Lasorda then sent another pinch hitter, Manny Mota, to hit for pitcher Lance Rautzhan. Mota sent a deep drive to left that Greg Luzinski trapped against the wall. Ted Sizemore then mishandled Luzinski's peg attempt at second to try to nail Mota, scoring Davalillo and sending Mota to third. Phillie manager Danny Ozark came under fire later from the media for not having Jerry Martin, a faster outfielder, in left field at that point. Martin, many felt, would have reached Mota's liner easier than the bigger, slower Luzinski.
Davey Lopes followed by hitting a blistering grounder to third that took a wicked hop and struck Mike Schmidt in the left knee. Larry Bowa retrieved the carom out of the air, fired to first, and appeared to have retired Lopes, but Lopes was called safe. TV replays showed that Bowa's throw beat Lopes. Meanwhile, Mota scored to tie the game at 5–5.
Garber, in an attempt to pick off Lopes at first, threw wildly past Hebner, sending Lopes to second. Bill Russell then singled to center to score Lopes with the go-ahead run. Mike Garman retired the side in the ninth for the Dodgers, who narrowly escaped defeat.
The umpires that day:
Umpires: HP - Harry Wendelstedt, 1B - Bruce Froemming, 2B - Dutch Rennert, 3B - Paul Runge, LF - Paul Pryor, RF - Bob Engel
The Phillies would not recover after a controversial finish of game 3 as the Dodgers would clinch the pennant in a game that was delayed two hours by rain after the first inning.
Many to this day say the game should never have been played. Guess who was the home plate ump for game 4? Naturally it was Fromming as the 1st base ump always follows the rotation to home plate for the next game in an umpires rotation.
Tommy John beat Steve Carlton 4-1.
wil.
Brett Hull's skate in the crease
Going by the rulebook in 1999, this Brett Hull goal on Dominik Hasek shouldn't have counted.
In a play that will live in Buffalo infamy, Brett Hull gives the Stars the Stanley Cup when he beats Dominik Hasek for the series-clinching goal in the third overtime of Game 6 of the 1999 finals. Of course, every Sabres fan in the universe has been screaming ever since about how Hull's skate was in the crease before the puck, but the refs fail to make the call or ask for a replay. Before the next season, the NHL will change the "skate-in-the-crease" rule in reaction to the play.
+1 = that was the biggest bullshit call non-call ever.
I'm still upset at that call.
2002 Lakers/Kings game 6th playoffs - The whole fourth quarter,
too many bad calls to name them all, though Kobe
throwing his elbow into Mike Bibby's face right in front of the
ref makes one think twice about Donaghy's allegations that
the fix was in.
<object height="344" width="425">
<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/wVfZ-CU-bx0&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></object>
<object height="344" width="425">
<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/k7thPDNNEvQ&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></object>
too many bad calls to name them all, though Kobe
throwing his elbow into Mike Bibby's face right in front of the
ref makes one think twice about Donaghy's allegations that
the fix was in.
<object height="344" width="425">
<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/wVfZ-CU-bx0&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></object>
<object height="344" width="425">
<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/k7thPDNNEvQ&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></object>
