Bleed Cubbie Blue · Oct 8, 2018
Why is MLB still using 6 umpires in postseason games?
The photo at the top of this post is from the Cubs/Brewers tiebreaker game last Monday. Though Game 163 was not a postseason game, Major League Baseball decided it was of enough importance to assign a six-man umpiring crew, as they do for postseason games.
The six-man postseason umpiring crew has been used in MLB for more than 70 years, since 1947. It’s always been a bit of a puzzle to me as to why this is done. You are taking men who do one job (officiating at home plate or on the bases) for an entire season and asking them to do something they never do (make calls along the foul line or boundary calls).