“Incorrect refereeing is part of baseball.”
It is a response that comes out as a regular comment when hearing the position of the referee committee right after the controversy related to the KBO League decision.
Compared to the past, it is also true that the KBO refereeing committee humbles itself and admits its mistakes. Follow-up discipline (even if it seems minor depending on the case) is often followed.
However, it is also true that fundamentally, the position of the Judgment Committee implies a deep-rooted internal bias that always surrounds my family that ‘miscarriage is possible’ and a firm will that ‘the Judgment Authority of the Judgment Committee must be protected’. This lack of communication is a representative reason for growing distrust and dissatisfaction.
That’s why it is said that the only flaw currently in the 2023 KBO League, where the baseball boom is returning after recovering the box office, is the referee’s decision. Even though the right and wrong in the judgment is much less than in the past, the process of absurd misjudgments and subsequent follow-up measures seem to be undermining trust in the referee committee.
It was the same in Gyeonggi-do on the 20th. The face-to-face match between Hanwha Eagles and LG Twins at Jamsil Stadium was followed by a tight one-on-one match with the stable pitching of Hanwha Lee Tae-yang and LG Adam Plutko.
However, a situation occurred at the end of the 9th inning. LG seemed to have a chance to finish with a hit by Shin Min-jae, the lead hitter. Pinch hitter Jung Joo-hyun attempted a fake bunt and slash, and Hanwha Battery pitched out while first base runner Shin Min-jae stopped stealing second base. If Hanwha Battery caught the runner, it was a very important moment because it was a decisive opportunity for LG, in a situation where it could cut off the opponent’s flow.
At that time, LG Jung Joo-hyun, who was in a hurry, threw a bat outside, and the bat hit Hanwha catcher Choi Jae-hoon. In the end, Choi Jae-hoon collapsed without even attempting to throw to second base. A situation where a defensive obstruction decision seemed likely.
However, center umpire Kwon Yeong-chul, first base umpire Jeon Il-soo, second base umpire Kim Byeong-joo, and third base umpire Yu Deok-hyung, who were in charge of the Jamsil game, gathered on the ground and, after a lengthy agreement, decided not to interfere with defense but to interfere with hitting. In the end, Jung Joo-hyun got the right to automatically reach base, and it became a safe 1st and 2nd base situation where LG became very advantageous. Hanwha coach Choi Won-ho strongly appealed to the referees, but the overturn was not made.
After the situation, the LG attack stopped scoring, but it was a fatal mistake that could have played a decisive role in the game. In the end, both teams finished the game in a 1-1 draw after 12 overtime matches, but it was a game that left a bitter aftertaste.
Eventually, after the game, KBO also acknowledged the mistake. The KBO said, “Through the 4th trial agreement, the decision was judged to be Choi Jae-hoon’s obstruction of the bat, but as a result of additional confirmation by the KBO referee committee, it should have been judged as a defensive obstruction rather than an obstruction of the bat.” We plan to take follow-up measures such as disciplinary action.”
The 4th trial consensus decision was the final decision and could not be overturned.
According to the results of MK Sports’ coverage, it was confirmed that opinions were divided even in the 4th referee. This is the result of not being able to see the screen from various angles properly. As a result, the 4th trial consensus decision should have been judged more carefully because it was ultimately an irreversible decision.
Even earlier, the KBO refereeing committee made a mistake in applying the dead ball situation incorrectly in the game between KT Wiz and Lotte Giants held at Sajik Stadium in Busan on the 7th of last month. The aftermath of the controversy was great because the runner on third base was not allowed to step on the home base, but the score was acknowledged.
The KBO admitted that referee Lee Young-jae made a mistake at the time, and imposed disciplinary actions such as an indefinite futures league demotion and a fine of 1 million won. However, on the 10th, after about a month, referee Lee Young-jae returned to the Busan Sajik Lotte-Doosan match. And on the same day, he was criticized again for displaying his authority in an inappropriate way while engaging in a war of nerves with Lotte’s captain Jeon Jun-woo.
In the Jamsil game on the 20th, where a misjudgment occurred after the agreement in the 4th referee, there was a scene in which an LG player, who could be said to have benefited from a misjudgment decision, had an argument with the referee at the end of the game.
Park Hae-min, who was dissatisfied with the strike zone decision, threw down his helmet and expressed his anger after stepping back with a straight hit. And as referee Kwon Yeong-cheol confronted Park Hae-min, a conflict broke out between the two sides.
As for the situation itself, Park Hae-min’s behavior of throwing a helmet and violently expressing anger was excessive, but from the LG players’ point of view, at the point where trust in the judgment had already collapsed, ‘Isn’t the referee who recognized the mistake gave a compensation decision to Hanwha?’ It was a scene that could have been done.안전놀이터
It is a moment that raises eyebrows, but as a result, it is also the original sin of the Judgment Committee that it has brought controversy with a series of unreasonable judgments.
Consistently with an authoritative attitude towards the players who were dissatisfied with their judgment in all the scenes of the two games where the clashes with the players occurred, it led to a bigger confrontation and subsequent controversy. The collapse of trust can eventually cause another controversy and, above all, take away the hearts of fans who are showing great interest in the KBO League now.
I don’t know if it’s unfair, but ‘villain (villain)’ seems to be the only one. It is never a good thing to have a repeat of a miscarriage pouring cold water on the long-awaited return, or to mention again those who should not have played the lead role. Isn’t it time to fully separate the false sense from part of baseball?