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Before I relentless rag on Gabe Morales and the worst call I've ever seen since Jim Joyce and Armando Gallaraga's perfect game, I want to take the time to appreciate the series that was the San Francisco Giants vs. the Los Angeles Dodgers. A series like this should be, hopefully, eventually, reserved for either the league championship series, or the World Series, but I digress.
In an era where the most insignificant and stupid calls can be reviewed, around all four of the major US sports, the most reviewable and easily dissectible of calls is unable to be looked at by the officials coordinating America's pastime.
To put it plainly, the San Francisco Giants, the ultimate underdog entering this season, were robbed. According to FiveThirtyEight, the Giants were predicted to be the 9th worst team in the MLB entering the season. With an unproven manager, a relatively old and washed roster (save a few budding individuals), and the assumption that the organization was a few years away from being able to compete, the Giants defied all odds and ended up having the best regular season record in the Major Leagues.
Enter Gabe Morales; the man who ended the Giants season. Morales entered the MLB as an umpire in 2014, and at this point, is a seasoned veteran. After much research, that included the sleuthing of several pages involving Morales's past statistics as an umpire, yielded nothing that would make me believe he was unqualified for the job. The only conclusion I could come to is that, much to my chagrin, robotic umpires are necessary if Major League Baseball is going to survive.
Questioning of umpires has increased in 2021 (see @PitchingNinja on twitter) and the effectiveness they actually have on Major League Baseball games. While, to our assumption, a majority of calls are made correctly, it always seems to be the most crucial of calls that end up being the most controversial.
To put it frankly, I am upset. The San Francisco Giants, especially Wilmer Flores, did not deserve any sort of injustice. The Cinderella team of the 2021 team had their dream season stolen from them, and it is up to the MLB to adapt to the times and incorporate a more fair way of delegating outcomes.
Before this piece ends, I would be remiss to mention my love for Wilmer Flores. While this moment was taken from him, many more important situations lay ahead of the stud baseball player. My favorite player from the mid 2010s continues to prove himself as a valuable asset on any MLB team, and will always make me proud. The man who changed baseball history by shedding tears will never be forgotten. Salute.