Some fans have a mistaken opinion of the average umpire. He is human, all reports to the contrary. Every fellow who is successful is conscientious to almost a fault.

The public wouldn't like the perfect umpire in every game. It would kill off baseball's greatest alibi - 'We was robbed.'

The umpire said he went to his mouth. It was a bad call. It was a mistaken call. It's unfortunate that the game, in my opinion, turned on that. You don't know what's going to happen, but it takes it out of the players hands. He did not go to his mouth. He was sweating profusely on his face. He wiped his eyebrow (and came) across his nose and caught it on his face. It was a bad call, plain and simple.

On the outskirts of every agony sits some observant fellow who points.

To me, there is no more conscientious umpire in the Major Leagues than Jim Joyce. He gives you a hellacious effort every time.

That's what happened, notwithstanding any cell phone reports to the contrary,