The 1996 AL Championship Series - Baltimore Orioles vs. New York Yankees

[DonRocks]

You can say anything you want, but the umpire calling the "Jeffrey Maier" play cost the Orioles this series. I'm not saying I blame the kid for catching the ball (what kid wouldn't?), but I absolutely blame the PATHETIC umpire for not calling Derek Jeter O-U-T ... OUT! due to obvious fan interference. I defy anyone, anywhere, to tell me that Tony Tarasco wasn't lined up, and didn't have a bead on the ball that was dropping into his mitt for a long, albeit routine, fly-out. That was the 8th inning, and the Orioles only needed to get through one more, and they would have gone up 1-0 at Yankee Stadium.

The Orioles won game 2, and (in theory, of course) would have gone back to Memorial Stadium up 2-0, and only needing to win 1 of 3 games to advance to the World Series.

This was the final season before inter-league play began (in 1997), and was a huge, benchmark moment in the history of the Baltimore Orioles. This one, blown call changed everything, and was absolute B.S.

No hard feelings against Jeffrey Maier, who did exactly as I would have done, but the game was decided by dishonest umpire Rich Garcia, who was *right there* during the play, and who was later shown to have had proven associations - resulting in official sanctions - with bookmakers and drug dealers - this criminal changed the outcome of the World Series! 

You want to talk about Pete Rose? Rich Garcia caused more damage to the game than Rose ever could have ever possibly done.

If anyone wants to know Garcia's current home address, along with the names and addresses of his descendants, please write me. Okay, okay, I'm kidding (but write me anyway, just to say hello).

Jun 13, 2012 - "Five Worst Umpiring Calls in History" by David Schoenfield on espn.com <--- This call was #1 on the list!

This was an all-time bad call that may have quite literally changed the history of baseball in many ways. If anyone can come up with a worse call, with greater implications for the sport of baseball, that wasn't demonstrated to be fraudulent or illegal, please say so here.

 <--- Watch for this in the video below. Tony Tarasco wasn't straining or reaching; he was just standing there, waiting for the ball to drop into his mitt. This isn't any sort of "close call" - it's a complete farce. I guess we'll never now how much money Rich Garcia made from this immoral, criminal act.