Tim Welke Blown Call: Rockies Get Break When Jerry Hairston Incorrectly Called Out (VIDEO)

Dodgers' Jerry Hairston is called out at first despite Rockies' Todd Helton significantly missing the base.

With the glaring exception of Albert Pujols, Major League Baseball is back in full swing. We've seen walk-off home runs, rookie sensations and stellar pitching performances. And, it certainly wouldn't be baseball season if there hadn't been an absolutely horrible call by an umpire.

Umpire Tim Welke has us covered there.

During the Rockies' 8-5 win over the Dodgers at Coors Field on Wednesday night, Welke ruled Dodgers third baseman Jerry Hairston out at first after hitting a grounder to Chris Nelson, who made a diving stop to make the play. The problem? Rockies first baseman Todd Helton was clearly one step away from the bag, not even close to keeping his foot on the base when he received the throw from Nelson.

Welke's call ended the top of the sixth inning, stunning the crowd and even leaving Helton visibly surprised as he jogged toward the dugout.

Welke can add this to his resume of missed calls. At the very least, he's probably plenty used to the criticism by now. Likewise, MLB is used to the calls for instant replay that crop up whenever were forced to watch such an egregious mistake.

CORRECTION: The headline of an earlier version of this story incorrectly described the play.

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Comments

[Zorrodaman]

03:30 PM on 05/06/2012

He's got one job to do and couldn't do it. I'll take his salary to blow calls.

[CarolinaDem]

09:06 AM on 05/04/2012

Ever umpired? The first baseman was stretching to reach the throw, but he was extening his body directly toward the umpire. His back foot was shielded from view as he fielded the throw. It's somewhat unusual for a first baseman to stretch off the bag toward center field. Normally however when the play is going to be close, the stretch is the clue, and the umpire focuses upon the runner's feet at the bag while he listens for the catch. This time it was obvious the catch sounded while the runner's feet were in the air, and the ump could not see the baseman's foot dragging behind, off the base.
The problem here is not the ump, but the rule which forbids another umpire from correcting him. The homeplate umpire had a perfect view.

[lisaman]

11:53 AM on 05/04/2012

The rule may state that another ump can not correct him but if he feels his view was obstructed, he can ask for that help.

[IndependentAndProud]

03:08 PM on 05/04/2012

Thank you!

[IndependentAndProud]

03:09 PM on 05/04/2012

I assumed you've umpired. At what level? When you get to the majors you're supposed to be fairly good at your job.

[CarolinaDem]

09:01 PM on 05/04/2012

I'm too fat for Legion Ball, man, I was just trying to point out how he blew it: shoulda asked for help when he heard the reactions. He was totally major league about pretending there was nothing wrong. I couldn't do that.

[Gilbert Albright]

08:26 AM on 05/04/2012

The problem is that MLB take no immediate action when such obvious blown calls are made. Hey when you and I make an obvious mistake at work, the supervisor comes to us and lets us know it will not be tolerated or calls us into the office to chew us out. The intent being to keep us on our toes.

But MLB doesn't confront any of these umpires over their sloppy work. They just say our hands are tied and blame it on the Umpires Union. Yet MLB fines and diciplines players who have a Union too.

[Riley Pacheco]

08:22 AM on 05/04/2012

Does huffpo have the expressed, written consent of MLB?

[gumbo1049]

08:17 AM on 05/04/2012

The answer INSTANT REPLAY

[Mystic01]

08:01 AM on 05/04/2012

How many calls has Welke blown? every time I hear about him he's botched another.

[slobberdawg49]

07:22 AM on 05/04/2012

The biggest problem was with his positioning. He was at such a bad angle to see if the foot came off the bag. I've always heard umpires explain that on a play at first, they watch the foot hit the base, and listen for the ball to hit the mitt. This is because they are usually behind the first baseman. Yet there he was, 12 feet off the line, looking in toward Helton. The worst angle to see if he held the bag, or even if the runner himself touches first. Bad positioning + bad hustle = bad call.

[LeftRight]

08:46 AM on 05/04/2012

True, and that's why we need instant replay.

[butchcliff]

07:09 AM on 05/04/2012

No matter the umpires' refusal, instant replay is needed more in baseball.

[gold7246]

06:37 AM on 05/04/2012

The Ump must have been checking out some blond chic in the stands.

[rhodesmatswift]

06:24 AM on 05/04/2012

Too funny. HP's coverage of umpire's missed call ends with their own correction of a missed headline.

[LeftRight]

08:46 AM on 05/04/2012

Ah but you see that means that they FIXED their mistake!

[rhodesmatswift]

09:24 AM on 05/04/2012

I responded to a similar comment in another post. Thanks.

[kapalabhati]

06:22 AM on 05/04/2012

If you ask our daughter, she'd say the worst call this season was the goal she had called back yesterday. Offsides her @%%!

[hetrose]

05:10 AM on 05/04/2012

Doesn't this just scream for a new instant replay rule? The Dodgers should have been able to throw a flag or something on the stinker of a call!

[BeyondTheBull]

04:44 AM on 05/04/2012

Wow .. an awful call ... sure hope nothing like this happens in a 'no hitter' ...

[PTAOfficerforObama]

06:32 AM on 05/04/2012

yeah that would never happen...

[fuzzynormal]

02:47 AM on 05/05/2012

Or a perfect game *cough* Jim Joyce *cough*

[374662]

04:34 AM on 05/04/2012

Worst EVER? Probably not but certainly up there on the list.

[TommyMcCarthy]

03:45 AM on 05/04/2012

Pretty much had it with these "Videos"....that have a duration of 45 seconds.....

So loaded down with advertising... that, by the time you close out all the "options"

Buy this, see also that....... the video is over......

Actively looking for another venue now
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