PHNX Arizona Diamondbacks Podcast - REACTION: Are Umpires RUINING MLB? Time For Technology to Take Over

Episode Date: September 10, 2025

📬 Arizona sports in your inbox! https://gophnx.com/newsletterOn this episode of D-backs After Dark, the Bad Mouth Boys break down Doug Eddings’ disastrous performance behind the plate in the Diamondbacks’ loss to the Giants. How does one umpire’s bad day impact the entire game? And with repeated missed calls, is it finally time to bring in modern technology and rethink how we call balls and strikes once and for all? Tune in for heated takes and explicit language. Viewer discretion is advised.An ALLCITY Network ProductionSUBSCRIBE to our YouTube: https://bit.ly/phnx_youtubeALL THINGS PHNX: http://linktr.ee/phnxsportsMERCH https://store.allcitynetwork.com/collections/phnx-lockerALLCITY Network, Inc. aka PHNX and PHNX Sports is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by the City of PhoenixPHNX Events: Get your tickets to PHNX events and takeovers here: https://gophnx.com/events/ALLCITY — including us here at PHNX — is teaming up with Big Brothers Big Sisters of America for an exciting three-year partnership. To learn more, visit https://www.bbbs.org/allcity/APS:  Find instant rebates, discounts and special offers on smart thermostats, energy-efficient appliances and more at https://marketplace.aps.com/default/heating-cooling/smart-thermostatsBranded Bills: Use code BBPHNX at https://www.brandedbills.com/ for 15% off your first order!Zen Leaf: Visit our friends at Zen Leaf (http://zen-leaf.store/phnx) for 50% off using promo code ZENPHNXSpencer’s Appliances: Visit Spencerstv.com and use code PHNX5 for 5% off appliances OR use code PHNX10 for 10% off TVs, audio and mattressesChicken N’ Pickle: Family friendly fun awaits! Visit chickennpickle.com to plan your visit today!Phoenix Raceway: Tickets, hospitality and upgrades are still available for the NASCAR Championship Series October 31st through November 2nd! Visit the link HERE to get yours now!Visit Mountain America Credit Union to learn more about their MyStyle Checking Accounts!bet365: https://www.bet365.com/hub/en-us/app-hero-banner-1?utm_source=affiliate&utm_campaign=usapp&utm_medium=affiliate&affiliate=365_03485317 Use the code PHNX365 to sign up, deposit $10 and bet $5 to get $150 in bonus bets!Disclaimer: Must be 21+ and physically located in AZ.  If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-NEXT-STEP, text NEXTSTEP to 53342 or visit https://problemgambling.az.gov/Branded Bills: Use code BBPHNX at https://www.brandedbills.com/ for 20% off your first order!Gametime: Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code PHNX for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply.Shady Rays: Head to https://shadyrays.com and use code: PHNX for 35% off polarized sunglasses. Try for yourself the shades rated 5 stars by over 300,000 people.Circle K: Join Inner Circle for free by downloading the Circle K app today! Head to https://www.circlek.com/store-locator to find Circle Ks near you!Monarch Money: Use Monarch Money to get control of your overall finances with 50% off your first year at https://www.monarchmoney.com/phnxAll Pro Shade Concepts: Call 623-204-1476 or visit https://allproshadeconcepts.com/ now to schedule your free estimate!When you shop through links in the description, we may earn affiliate commissions. Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Doug Eddings, what in the actual fuck? As many of you may have seen, we saw some of the most egregious calls that we have seen all season long and the Diamondbacks lost to the Giants when Doug Eddings was back behind home plate calling balls and strikes in this game. Now, this isn't the only game particularly

that the Diamondbacks have had problems with a goddamn umpire being a nuisance. Nor is it just only the Diamondbacks related, right? We just had a weird situation with the Yankees series where the goddamn ref was or umpire was dictating the game and changing things but

holy shit Damon the amount of just bad calls we saw from Doug Eddings that was like one part of it but it's like this culture of the umpire as a job where even though you're wrong

even though you're having a bad fucking night behind the plate you're still allowed to go out there take your mask off, mad dog Robbie Ray and try to instigate some sort of fucking back and forth

where you can toss them from the game and literally dictate in some way the outcome of the game. And this is like when I see this and I see just this one example of bad umpiring,

I am immediately like give me robot umps tomorrow. The ABS system cannot come fast enough next year and I don't even want the ABS system. I just want them to go the fuck away. It's just a problem with baseball and I am convinced baseball would be better off with them not back there calling balls and strikes. You still need a home plate umpire. There still needs to be somebody standing there for when a guy comes in the score and, and, you know, whatever.

You can have your little ump show and your power trip when you're calling outs and stuff. I don't care, but the balls and strikes thing is just driving me nuts. Derek, let me just start this thing off and say how fucking good it feels to hear you cuss to be able to just let it fucking fly. This is debacks after dark. Welcome to the debacks after dark. Welcome in.

We get fucking hot right away around here. Get comfortable. Get comfortable. Yeah. Get yourself maybe like a little beverage. Yeah, nice little nightcap. Got himself a little. Yeah. Start yourself in old fashion.

Yeah, how about it? But let me just start this off. You know, this show, we're going to start trying to pump out a lot more of these deepbacks after dark. reaction style shows, Derek, to like the live events that are happening. But, you know, the, I think in this circumstance, a lot of the time it's going to be me up here screaming, yelling. Yes, it's me this time, though.

I'm obviously, I'm Damon Dogg. You're going to have me on the leash holding me back. Damon don't, you know, you know, keep it to Otani in prison. That's as far as we're going to go. But in this circumstance, I think I'm going to be that guy here. I want to play devil's advocate for a second, Derek. Is there any element of you that likes sitting up here and doing this after a night like what Doug Eddings did tonight and being like, man, fuck these guys? Well, yes.

Everyone loves to have a villain that they can throw shit at and say, that's the fucking problem. He's the evil man. Doug Eddings. You're right. But the problem here is that this particular call had too much of an impact on the game. And again, the whole Diamondback stuff, we covered that on the show. watch that. We're not going to cover whether Zach Gowlin, you know, shit the bed there and should have been mentally stronger after giving up that walk, right? Two things can be true. Two things can be true.

But that call had a huge impact. And then, of course, just for the idea that one run doesn't score, this ends up being a five three loss. You never know if it's a four three loss. If they ever even get that fourth run, you don't know the alternate timeline that plays out if Doug Eddings doesn't make that terrible call. My problem is, is that too many people still want the huge, you know, the huge, human element in the game of baseball. And I am okay because the human element is still going to be there and it's going to be vast. But what I feel like is especially on a night where an umpire is having a bad night,

you are seeing time and time again, them obviously having a lot of shit thrown their way because you have two dugouts telling them that they're bad at their job and that they're having an awful fucking night. 20 to 50,000 fans as well. Yeah, all screaming that. Yeah, right. Tell them what a bum you are, right?

But you're going to compound it now by going and looking for a fight, looking at the dugout, being like, what did you say? You watch what you say. Looking at Robbie Ray, hey, what do you say? Taking off your mask. Like, that's, that's bullshit because not only are you impacting the game. Remember when Grishin Walker got ejected for clapping? For clapping in the dugout. And you know how hyper aware you have to be of what's going on to, I mean, and it was a sarcastic, passive aggressive clap.

But are we not allowed to do sarcastic? Passive aggressive. I forgot exactly why it happened, but the second that it happened, he looked at Christian Walker to see what his reaction was going to be because he wanted a reaction so that he could make the show about him. And I think that's exactly what you're talking about tonight. Like a guy who clearly like not only are you making mistakes, but you want all the eyes on you. And like you're almost like trying to like deflect it by like making the game about something else. Right. Right. Exactly. But my problem here is that this human element.

it's becoming too much of the game. I know it's always been a part of the game, but when you're starting to see other sports, specifically football, gravitate in a number of ways where the referees are taken more and more out of deciding the game. And even when they are, there's a system put in the place to make sure you can double check their call

and make sure they got the right call, right? It feels like the NFL got it right. Another thing it feels like the NFL got it right with is their new system that they've instituted of their first down where they can check with cameras in the stadiums exactly where the ball was. They have new

technology. It's supposed to be far more accurate than the chain gang, which is an outdated and antiquated system, much like having a man stand behind home plate and uses human eyes to call balls and strikes. When we have a goddamn radar system, that tells you where

the fuck the ball went and if it crossed the plate. An old fucking man, by the way. An old fucking man that's going to start shit with you when you tell him his eyes are bad and he's making bad calls, right? This isn't a guy who's got 20-20 vision necessarily, maybe with contact. Like, the umpire ego is so

big and they protect their job of calling balls and strikes so much that even though we have this perfect system in place, we're only allowed to use it for reviewing calls and that still hasn't even been instituted in baseball. I'm just sick of this shit. I'm sick of umpires

having an impact on the game. That should not be a thing that has an impact on the game. I do, I said it on the show, but I feel like we're moving into a world where based on sports, gambling, based on fantasy, based on all this stuff, we just want the

call to be right. We want it to be right. We want it to be fair. We're okay with losing. As long as if we lost, we should have lost. We didn't lose because our goddamn starting pitcher got tossed from the game because the fucking umpire was having a bad night and he started shit with him. And then when he told him

he was a fucking bum, he kicked him out of the game. in the third inning and we had to scramble to get our bullpen up and going. You know, that's the shit that I don't want to see. Imagine you had the under and the Giants Diamondbacks game tonight on Tuesday, September 9th here. And, you know,

you lost it by a run. And the, the run that walked should have been a strikeout looking. And instead of winning your bet, you lose. And I think that there's an element to that that I actually, as a gambling man, you know, Derek.

That's why I, I appeal to your core. I can appeal. That appeals to me a little bit where I'm like, like, you know what? Like, that would, that would really fucking suck. And so I, I totally hear that. And I think, I think, yeah, if you can minimize the impact as much as possible, it's clearly a good old boys club. And I think that, yeah, the NFL has done some good things. Right. But the NFL also, when it comes to, like, challenging calls has, like an issue with their, their refs getting

egotistical and being like, we're not changing the call when it, like, clearly is like the wrong call or whatever. That is where MLB has it right by throwing it to an impartial third party. Yeah, exactly. So they do some things right. They do something's wrong, but definitely seems like it's an antiquated, outdated system here that, you know, like, if you're with the times, it certainly isn't a 70-year-old man calling balls and strikes by a millimeter off. Here's the thing, though, you played baseball. And at the end of the day, would you as a baseball player prefer to have that person back there and that human element in there, especially with your mouth? I know this is going to shock some people, but I would definitely show up the umpire a little bit when there was a call I disagreed with. But would you work? Would you work them too?

I mean, would you do things that perhaps made calls go in your favor and stuff too? Like, I mean, that's the human element that I think people that play the game are talking about is that like you can have an umpire up there who like part of the like strategy could be like, hey, you know Aaron Boone's going to go off on him. So like, let's be extra nice. And then when like Aaron Boone inevitably is like furious with him and screaming at him from the other dugout, he'll start giving us some calls.

Like is that human element something that as a player you're looking for or like, I think as a catcher for sure that you're told as a catcher to work the umpires. Sure. Yeah. I think absolutely there's an element of that going on at all times in every game where, you know, and that's why I think it's, it's especially meaningful to me when a catcher is shaking his head at a call that an up makes against him because that guy has to then go talk to that same umpire later that inning

and it's like did you just hurt yourself if there's a borderline call because now of a sudden he's pissed at Jose Herrera yeah because you just shook your head and like disrespected his call in his opinion right but yeah like that's a thing that shouldn't happen necessarily that's and that's it that's the thing about it is just because uh someone's muttering under their breath or whatever the case may be i like you're going to go out there and start crap with them like don't get me wrong there are times where they fucking completely deserve it right they deserve to be screamed at they deserve all of the

criticism and sometimes even though they deserve it people still go too far which is another part of the game right like another part of the game is literally coming up to the umpire and telling him that he's you know fucking blind and an idiot and kicking dirt on that's what i was saying off the top where I'm like there's kind of a part that's like fun about being like we're all going of shit talk the umpire like what a loser and I think I would miss an element of that there are things that I also would enjoy about you know getting kind of transitioning the umpires out of the game but there's something to that that is inherently fun that's inherently part of baseball yeah right especially baseball more than maybe any other sport basketball refs are are I don't know I those

Those are- Don't even give me fucking start on Scott Foster. They're diabolical. I will, I'll do a whole hour of debacks after dark about Scott Foster. I'm sorry, like, it's a little bit more objective. And like, you know when a guy's wrong, but he's clearly getting egotistical about it. In the NBA, like, a ref will, like straight up just be calling something that is just not what's going on on the floor. And you're like, cool, man. So I'm glad we determined this one, what the league called in before.

A hundred percent. Like Doug Eddings tonight at least was terrible calling both. pictures, right? Yeah. He screwed up both pictures. It wasn't Tony brothers going out there. It'd be in like, somehow the clippers shot 42 free throws and the sun shot eight. And you're like, what?

You are really trying to fucking piss me off tonight with some of these comparisons. You're using. Good job. Well, man. That's what we do on D-Backs after dark. That's right. That's what we do. Well, we thank you guys for stopping by.

We appreciate you. Of course, you know where we are. I'm a cap underscore caveman with a K. He's a Damon dog with a DAW. but we all live at PHNX PHNX underscore D-Bax. Thank you guys so much for your time. Don't forget to check out future installments of D-Backs after dark.

We will make sure to keep bringing you all of the curse words. And until then, have a great night and remember kids. Baseball is fun, but it's way more fun when you can say the word fuck. Fuck, yeah.