One of the most unique — and agonizing — things about Major League Baseball is that a strike zone could change based on which umpire is behind the plate. Consistency is the name of the game, so even if an umpire has a rather large strike zone, it can be agreeable if it’s consistent all game long. The problem that umpires run into is when the strike zone becomes larger throughout the game.
There comes a time in a lot of extra-inning MLB games when the home plate umpire wants to wrap things up and go home. Perhaps, they have a dinner reservation to make. And in the case of Phil Cuzzi, who butchered a critical sequence during Monday night’s Dodgers-Twins game, he looked like he had just about enough. Over the years, Cuzzi hasn’t exactly endeared himself to those in the world of Major League Baseball. And on Monday, both the home and away announcers had just about enough of Cuzzi’s strike zone.
In the 10th inning of Monday’s contest between two first-place teams, the Twins had jumped out to an 8-7 lead over the Dodgers, already scratching a run across with the bases loaded in the extra frame. Right fielder Alex Kirilloff stepped up to the plate with one out and immediately took a pitch — mind you, one that was in the other batter’s box — for a called strike.
The Twins broadcasters for Bally Sports North were already on Cuzzi’s case, mentioning that Kirilloff had something to say to the veteran umpire and “rightfully so.” After fouling off the next pitch, Kiriloff was quickly down 0-2. Cuzzi’s “erratic” strike zone hit another low, as he rang up Kirilloff on a pitch from Dodgers reliever Phil Bickford that missed the strike zone by more than a couple of feet.
“He never had a chance in that at-bat.”
“That’s not good.”
“In a key spot, you’ve got to be better than that. [Dodgers catcher Will Smith] had to reach across the plate.”
Dodgers announcers on the same sequence:
"Boy oh boy, Phil Cuzzi just made being a Major League hitter way harder than it already is."
"Both sides of the plate were an extra three inches. We shall take it. I mean, that's not even close."
"That's impossible for a hitter" pic.twitter.com/aL0oCQRZpG
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) May 16, 2023
It turns out that the Dodgers announcers on SportsNet LA felt the same way, even though the team they cover was benefitting from those misfires.
“Boy oh boy, Phil Cuzzi just made being a Major League hitter way harder than it already is.”
“Both sides of the plate were an extra three inches. We shall take it. I mean, that’s not even close.”
“That’s impossible for a hitter.”
Good on both team’s announcers for calling it as it is, rather than toeing the company line. Major League Baseball has a clear issue with its umpires and neither the Dodgers nor Twins announcers had a problem with calling a spade a spade.
