Jim Palmer’s calm criticism of bad umpiring deserves praise

Team broadcasters are always going to err on the side of homerism, which is fine.

(For another example, please enjoy watching John Sterling excitedly calling a walk-off win for the Yankees.)

Jim Palmer is a legend, of course, having played his entire career for the Baltimore Orioles and now serving as a longtime broadcaster. During Saturday night’s home contest against the Detroit Tigers, Palmer stepped in to discuss a hot topic: umpiring. Specifically, bad umpiring, which he felt was on display when Vic Carapazza ejected Ramon Urias after calling Urias out on strikes.

Here’s how Palmer saw it, and described it:

Jim Palmer slams home plate umpire Vic Carapazza for his calls and conduct.

"Just turn around. Go umpire. They didn't come to see you umpire, Vic. It's a bush league call right there. No reason to do that. You really kind of embarrass your profession when you do that." pic.twitter.com/xGEbmLEtKl

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) April 23, 2023

This sequence drew a ton of reaction around Twitter, which makes sense! It’s an incident that features two longstanding debates: whether MLB should use technology to eliminate (or at least drastically reduce) errors calling balls and strikes, and how umpires get too involved in arguments and too quick to eject players.

Palmer, to his credit, doesn’t resort to yelling, and doesn’t feel the need to distort reality to support his stance. He calmly walks viewers through the sequence of events as they unfolded, noting where the tension was building, why, and how Carapazza should have handled it differently.

Sure, he finishes with a pretty heavy, pointed criticism, the line about how Carapazza was embarrassing his profession through his actions. But as a neutral observer (well, in terms of the teams involved, though I’m not neutral in that I also think umpires tend to think they’re more important to the proceedings than they actually are), Palmer’s points seem very justified.

Good analysis provides context and content to viewers that helps them understand the action on a level deeper than they would be able to by simply watching or listening to the action. Palmer certainly cleared that bar on Saturday night.