Umpire calls pitches, gets caught 16 years later.
So we all saw that story about the umpire that called the RJ game for Dave Valle. Deadspin has a great write-up here.
Some background info (from SI):
So dominant was Johnson that before a game in 1993, the home plate umpire told Mariners catcher Dave Valle, "They don't even need you with Randy pitching."
"What are you talking about?" replied Valle, who would not name the ump.
"He's so good they don't need you. Let me call the pitches tonight."
"I let him call every pitch." recalls Valle, to whom the umpire whispered pitches under his breath.
An overpowering Johnson went the distance in a Mariners victory.
That put the list of potential umps at (Per Deadspin):
Jim McKean, vs. Boston, April 21 (Johnson's line: 4 hits, 0 ER, 8 strikeouts)
Tim Welke, vs. Cleveland, April 26 (7 hits, 3 ER, 7 strikeouts)
Dale Scott, at Oakland, May 16 (1 hit, 0 ER, 14 strikeouts)
Ken Kaiser, at Toronto, Aug. 20 (3 hits, 1 ER, 11 strikeouts)
Joe Brinkman, vs. Milwaukee, Sept. 5 (5 hits, 2 ER, 13 strikeouts)
Ed Hickox, vs. Texas, Sept. 21 (3 hits, 0 ER, 11 strikeouts)
Drew Coble, at Minnesota, Oct. 1 (9 hits, 2 ER, 7 strikeouts)
Today Valle was on the MLB channel on XM, and Kevin Kennedy got him to open up a little. Dave proclaimed that the umpire had called for about two innings, then they went on to a 4-1, 3 Hit, CG victory.
That means that we can now positively claim (as much as going by one man's statements can) that it was Ken Kaiser that called that game. I wonder if anyone will ask him for a comment?
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7 comments
Comments
That way nobody will believe it.
It's hard to convince people to let you eat them if you're an asshole. - Thingray
by Faux on Jun 5, 2009 12:45 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
That, and a faction of people here seem to like him.
Besides, I already sent it off to Geoff, so I’m about to kill that line anyways.
It's hard to convince people to let you eat them if you're an asshole. - Thingray
by Faux on Jun 5, 2009 12:46 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Is he going to break the news to his premium subscribers?
by Graham on Jun 5, 2009 12:50 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
You have an extra "s" on the end of that word, I don't think it's supposed to be there.
It's hard to convince people to let you eat them if you're an asshole. - Thingray
by Faux on Jun 5, 2009 12:53 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs

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