Tim Welke Demonstrated Why "The Human Element" Is A Pathetic Joke

Tim Welke's the embodiment of the "human element" defense of baseball's reliance on live umpiring and reluctance to use replay except in specific situations. Indeed, it was that phrase he used in his letter to complaining about the use of his picture in their "Kill The Ump" issue.

Today Tim Welke demonstrated why the Human Element is bullshit, by blowing a call that was obvious to anyone watching in the stadium—indeed, it should have been obvious to the other three umpires, but due to the esoteric rules regarding overruling decisions, they each had to stay quiet.

This is from the top of the sixth in today's Dodgers-Rockies game, in which Jerry Hairston grounds to third, only to have the throw pull Todd Helton so far off the bag that he was officially playing second, not first, base. Welke, of course, called Hairston out. Let's get a full use of replay challenges sooner than later, okay, MLB? [Prime Ticket]

See our "Better Know An Umpire" entry on Tim Welke here.