Orange County Register

OK, as Mark Saxon reported, Major League Baseball has changed its umpire lineup for the 2009 World Series.

Scioscia and McClelland, Game 4 (AP)

Instead of having any WS rookie umps (there have been as many as three recently), the crew that will work the November Classic will have previous WS experience.

None of the umpires in either League Championship Series was going to work, anyway. Umpires do not work consecutive postseason series.

And experience has absolutely  nothing to do with the weird and blown calls in this ALCS between the Angels and Yankees.

Tim McClelland has been a major-league umpire since 1983, and he has worked four World Series.

Dale Scott has been a major-league umpire since 1986, and he has worked three World Series.

And Jerry Layne, who couldn’t see the strike zone because of Mike Napoli, has been a major-league umpire since 1989, and has worked one World Series in his career.

The problem is not experience, it’s asking for and getting help. Someone in the crew had to see Napoli tag two Yankees off the bag the other day.

Replay would solve the problem, too, but why are there six sets of eyes on the field, not playing, unless they are going to help one another get the call right?

I am with Dennis Eckersley on the Fox Tracker not being an exact gauge of strike zones, and umpires can’t get help behind the plate.  They must establish a strike zone early and stick with it, which most veteran umpires already do anyway.

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