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.