Umpire calls a perfect game in the World Series, a breakdown 

That segment when you discussed Hoberg aligning himself with the catcher should be part of every umpires annual training.

It’s honestly insane that it’s even possible to be this accurate considering on every close pitch the catcher is basically trying to lie to you and say t has to be tiring bending down and keeping focus just like a player for a full nine innings with less of a break than anyone else on the field

What a superstar! It's so easy to shit on bad umpires but when you see one who's doing his job well, no one notices. This guy deserves all the praise he gets and I hope he gets more

Jomboy low-key making us watch every pitch of the game without us realizing it 🤣

I have to say, it is pretty refreshing to hear someone heavily into the sports scene calling out an individual ump for perfection. All too often we focus only on the blown calls. And your analysis on what enables him to make good calls is fantastic for anyone considering becoming an ump. Why anyone would put themselves through that for little or no appreciation befuddles me, but I worked a lifetime with little or no appreciation (other than remuneration) so I should not be critical.

Can we get this man a raise or something! Played baseball for 12 years and this was fantastic to watch, especially during the world series.

Keep glorifying umpires doing a good job🗣️

The Estimated Umpire Strike Zone (EUZ) generates the consistency rating that Jomboy mentioned a few times through the video. It consideres all the pitches that the umpire called strikes and tries to draw the strike zone based on those calls. The program trying to draw this zone doesn't know what the strike zone actually looks like though, so for really well called games it can get funky. If no pitchers in a game pitch high and away then the EUZ will have a big hole high and away because it believes that a pitch there wouldn't have gotten called for a strike simply because there were no strikes thrown in that spot. The consistency rating really doesn't matter for very well called games, since it's based on the EUZ, which struggles to properly rate well called games. When Jomboy mentions any of the pitches that "go against the way he called the rest of the game" he's referring to pitches in the EUZ that were called balls and pitches outside of the EUZ called strikes. Usually this can cause troubles since the EUZ will leave holes in the strike zone if not a lot of pitches are thrown to that spot, and it will extend the strike zone if a lot of pitches are thrown to that spot.

The amount of effort Jomboy puts into editing and commentating on these videos even though he's so successful is amazing. Also great job blue!

What makes this even more impressive is that he did so against two of the very best framing catchers in the game

This guy needs to start a lot of games

jimmy editing his face into other faces will never stop being nightmare fuel, and I love it

Your analysis is incredible. I've never seen anything like it. Here's how that's important to me: it's brought me back to baseball after I defected due to the 1994-1995 strike. Sure, I've watched this game that I have truly loved since I was a kid. Mostly World Series and playoffs. But, since I found your approach using this media, I find my love reinvigorated. I'm even looking at baseball cards again. I don't know what to say, other than, "thank you." I mean it. You are of baseball. Like Harry Caray. That may be goofy, but that goofball loved the sport as much as anyone ever. You know, like you seem to.

I'm a Phillies fan and watched every inning of the World Series. I also umpire at the HS level, so I appreciate good umpiring. This was an absolute gem of a game called by Hoberg. This excellence was elevated even more, when you think of how atrociously the rest of the games were called. It was bad for both sides, so I doubt it would've made any difference in the big picture. However, you have to expect, in the World Series, that every game should be called the way that this umpire did. This was not only the best called WS game, but may have been the best called game all season, period. I hate to say it and I'd hate to see it, but the other umpires in this series were a very good argument for robo-umps. We need many more Hobergs and way less Angels.

The amount of work that went into this breakdown is incredible.

This is a top 20 most impressive baseball feat. Like I mean that absolutely seriously, considering how hard it is to umpire.

My mom has a friend who is best buds with Pat so he sent me some of his gear and we are still in touch. It was awesome to see him have such a great performance

was hoping this would get recognized, what a game for Hoberg, part of a good list of newer umpires in the league. not all umpires are as bad as Angel, guys!

This channel is just unparalleled for teaching the game. It's entertaining too but I really love it when I learn something. Excellent work.

Mannnnnn thank you for the lesson. This game is sooo beautiful for exactly this reason… imho… if you let it… it will teach you and expand your awareness of the art and science of the game. Watching this segment simply reminded me of my truth and testimony as a former player and as a lifelong fan-lover of this game. I love the way it unveils new understandings and deeper appreciation for this craft and those who practice it. Jomboy thank you for your dedication as caretaker of the game. This baseball lover is grateful for “Living Game guides like you. Tipping my cap to today’s #BaseballBrilliance #BaseballGriot #BaseballMonk #JomboyGems

I gotta say, Jomboy's really made me appreciate baseball more with how in-depth he goes with his analysis.

I just found your channel, and love it! I was never a baseball person, but you’re channel has helped me appreciate and understand baseball more. I do realize that you’re more than a baseball channel, but literally because of your work I’ve been able to connect with some friends and family I’ve never been able to before . Love you’re baseball content, and thanks for giving me some sort of argument 😊

Glad you’re hyping this up. I even tried to find the guy on social media so I could thank him. This is huge for our game

congrats to that man for giving other umps a good name, people dont understand how hard it is to call games at professional speed

As a Phillies fan I watched most of the WS, and I was extremely impressed with every home plate umpire. Nothing egregious, in my eyes, the whole series. They got some really close calls correct without hesitation. Kudos to the umps who worked this series.

MLB needs more of this. We all know about and hear about the bad umps, but these ump performances need to be just as known.

shoutout to this umpire for doing his absolute best to ensure the right call is made. more umps need to learn from him!

There you go again Jomboy. Bringing another level of enjoyment to watching the game of baseball. Your scorecard on great breakdowns is 98%... nearly legend status. Keep it up.

This is the first time I have heard of an umpire having a perfect game. I have seen my dad umpire at the High School level for a few years here in Minnesota before becoming my baseball coach, but I never really paid attention to how he operated, but I do know that he never had a player or coach argue balls and strikes. I have seen them argue safe or out calls however.

I mean --- insane analysis here. Found that only 54 pitches actually matter and furthermore the breakdown on the very minute differences on those. Absolutely incredible work to make this piece.

I’m a Phillies fan, when I was watching this game I found that I wasn’t frustrated in the slightest despite them losing, I didn’t understand why until someone pointed out how good he was. It is truly amazing how frustrating the umpires make the game when your team can’t hit.

I was talking to my buddy before the WS started and I was still fresh off the memory of Pat calling a NEAR perfect game with Rockies v Phillies and I was like, “What if the first perfect ump game was in a WS?” It was SO AWESOME seeing it in real time. Hoberg needs a jersey so I can buy one!

This might actually be the most impressive thing to happen all season. With all the different batters and pitchers and balls thrown, to not miss a single call, not one!, is simply incredible.

Also worth considering he did this with maldanado and Realmuto catching, maldy is a damn good framer and was actively trying to pull some calls in his favor in the shadow zone JT as well

It’s so fun to watch someone who excels at what they do. So satisfying and just great to see someone doing their thing really well.

I love that he’s glorifying a good umpire instead of getting mad at a bad one

This game was crazy. Ump did an awesome job. You love to see baseball just being played with no excuses. Edit: Stop the political war in the replies please 😂

This is the kind of game that makes you really realize why Angel doesn't get playoff games. No ump BS, everything called right, a true perfect game from an ump and it's sad we need to put a spotlight on it because it's so rare.

I like it when any professional is serious about their sport and their job, excellent job by Pat and a huge appreciation JomBoy For the great statistical report, both of you deserve medals

I remember watching this game and by the 4th inning I kept thinking this guy hadn’t missed a single call. Glad to see him getting recognition

This is something im sure doesn't get talked about enough. Way to give props where they are due. Always nice to see a positive breakdown

Man, I have never watched an entire baseball match in my life, but boy do I enjoy hearing this man talk about this sport!

Great job. Like you said, batters just want consistency. Throw in calling the pitches correctly and you have a special umpire. Give that man a raise.

This is my favorite video from this channel! Calling games like this is a craft….a high stakes, make up your mind in half a second, all eyes and ears on you craft. I’m sure it’s not the first perfect game by an umpire, but this man needs to be glorified as a hero for this one!

Love your videos. Just a note, all umpires are trained to set up inside and never outside the catcher's head. He did a great job finding a look at the plate.

The umpire comparison was fantastic. I never realized they had different techniques to call pitches.

Great analysis! Keep in mind even though half of the pitches are swung at, umps still must make a decision on them. Therefore umping home plate is the most mentally taxing day of their week. As much as I'd love to see only the best ones there every day, I wouldn't want them getting burnt out either.

Great take and analysis! jomboy is the greatest Umpires union rep they'd never have and yet they won't make any of these changes because quite frankly they probably want to be replaced by machines because the job of calling balls and strikes accurately at the major league level is damn near impossible.

This is one of my favorite breakdowns ever. I really hope that JonBoy does more good umping breakdowns.

My older brother has umpired in the Olympics and the WBC. He was taught to try to have his eyeline set at the top of each hitters strike zone so anything eyeline or above is an easy ball call.

Great break down in this video, love the detail in the video and giving credit to umpires because this has been the worst year for them

Love seeing people doing work at the best of their ability. Well done.

Breaking it down like you do makes his performance that much more impressive! Good job, blue!

Back in the day, pitchers like Glavine and Maddux would slowly increase the strike zone, little by little. It was wonderful to witness. They basically performed a magic trick on the umps

Great to see an excellent Umpire rewarded by getting to call World Series game. And great analysis by Jomboy on his perfect game. 💪

Mad respect for another great breakdown and Super Mad Respect for Blue's movement, vision, and dedication to his craft.

This is one of my favorite break downs! Keep em coming!!!

props for highlighting this. baseball players who hit the ball 3 out of 10 times are considered successiful, yet umps who bllow one call out of a 100 are often slammed by the media. Without good umps, there is no sports

I looooooove how in depth this breakdown is, please keep doing these in the off-season

The sheer difference in effort between the three umpire shown in set up is staggering. I never really considered to look at how the umpire slots in before but fuck me I'll be doing it from now on. These are the best types of breakdowns because I really get to learn something about the game thanks jomboy!

What an incredible performance need to give credit when credit is due

You’ve helped me gain true appreciation for baseball. Started watching you a couple years ago at 27. Never disappointed.

I umpired about 6 years for high school age school and travel leagues and one of the first things I was taught and consistently heard among colleagues was to not let the batter or catcher influence your calls on balls and strikes. It was stressed that the job is to call based on the zone you envisioned regardless of whatever dance went on around it. I assume that is the case for Hoberg as well since he's an outstanding professional. With that said, allowing myself to be the armchair umpire for a moment, it does kill me to see him rest his hand on his thigh as that ball comes in. Foul balls happen and they strike umps often, it's only a matter of time before he takes a strike to the hand and nobody enjoys a broken finger. When I was learning the ropes I was always instructed to rest my hands behind my thighs and let my legs do the work of supporting my crouch. While it's a minor nitpick, I think it is indeed better form to do this and it serves as better protection for yourself behind the plate. It's not going to affect the game in any major way but it's worth it to yourself to protect your body.

your analyst of the breakdown was perfect. you're getting very good at this, and I appreciate the hard work. thanks man

Umpire competence should be celebrated more than we get outraged at incompetence. Good on you for shining light on these issues.

I always thought it looked uncomfortable to umpire, but Hoberg is doing hundreds of quick squats a game to get that performance! I imagine that is part of the reason they rotate; it seems much more physically and mentally demanding.

He did the same in a game against mariners and our local radio hosts were praising him. He is amazing.

It's not just the players looking for a perfect performance out there! Props to Hoberg on being laser focused during that game, especially since it was a WS game

Jomboy I don’t even like baseball but you sir make it interesting in this breakdown. Keep it up. Also AMAZING transition into your sponsor lmao

Love the grind. Keep doing your thing Jimmy.

A uniquely insightful analysis and assessment. 👍 Hopefully, it finds its way into some network broadcasts.

This is unbelievable. We need more videos praising good umps. We need to know about the Anti-Angel Hernandez's

Man that is so tough. I've ump'd behind the plate and it's not easy at all. You have to be positioned well and have good eyes that don't blink when the pitch comes. And have a lot of trust.

Hey Jimmy...you've done a good job getting into the rules and how they are interrupted. I suggest you take it to the next level and go to one of the pro umpire 2 week schools. I'm positive that it will open you up to a whole new perspective on how and why umpires position themselves.

It blows my mind how smart and detailed this video is. Not a breakdown of a brawl or something more "easy" (not that any of their work is easy, but I think you know what I mean). Instead, they produce the smartest breakdown of pitching and baseball that's finely intricate. Jomboy is just the best.

My favorite thing about Jomboy is his fairness. He'll bust the Umps balls but he'll give them credit as well. Great break down as always

Love the depth of this breakdown, well done. Good on calling out the old man umps, lol

What a badass. Keep giving umps like this the more important games MLB!

Great breakdown. I have to tell you where he sets up is a tiny reason why he's dam good behind the plate. As a matter of fact the reason he had a couple of issues with low pitches is a result of being too close to the catcher in other words looking over the catcher. What happens is the ball will disappear because you cant look through the catcher. and on low pitches it could cause a call to be inconsistent There is a lot more that goes into being good behind the plate. I would say that his timing calling the pitch is why he's really good. In other words he doesn't make a decision until the ball is all the way in the mitt. So he probably doesn't get fooled on pitches very much. Also, in this game both catchers used the Tony Pena position behind the plate which gives you a great view of the zone. I wonder if there is a way to find out how often he is hit with foul tips. ,But, yea he was obviously nails back there.

Just from seeing his stance and the bad umps’ stance, seems like not having to use your hands against your legs to keep you up and knees bent matters a lot. Good knees/core and good back.

Damn fine breakdown of the nuances of doing a difficult job to perfection. I only wish I could match your skills with my own perfect breakdown of your perfect breakdown.

This kinda stuff gets me real fired up about watching baseball. If they can get more guys like this that really respect their craft, it would be great for the game.

For the WS yeah you want the best HP umpire like Hoberg behind the dish as much as possible, but even for a younger ump he needs to rotate with at least one or two other guys. Part of what makes him great is the movement to the center of the zone as you pointed out and he's going to tire after a while. Teach all newer umps to do this, and if the older guys can't then they don't call balls and strikes anymore.

I'm glad that you pointed out the mechanics. Maybe a lesson can be learned by all new umpires.

Great video. More videos in general highlighting umpire excellence. From everyone. Great stuff JomBoy.

Would love to see you do a breakdown like this with an umpire or even better the next umpiree that throws a perfect game.!

Saw the title and HAD to click on it! Plate umpires have such a tough job, and it is so nice to see the good ones getting time behind the plate they deserve and the recognition for their hard work that they deserve. The job is hard enough normally, but it's even more impressive to do this well in a world series game of all things. It does not get more important than this.

Didn’t even realize how much it takes for these umps to get it right and also how much variation there is between good and bad. It’s not just luck or anything, it’s an art,

Agree 100%, especially in the playoffs, the premium ball/strikes ump should be behind the plate every game. In the middle of the summer when it is 100 degrees in most stadiums, I get rotating them through so they don't die of exhaustion, but the playoffs are rarely an issue heat wise.

usually we’re making fun of how bad the calls are but this time it’s a bit more wholesome

This is great! People always talk about bad umpires but there are lots of amazing ones that do a great job!

I like how you didn’t just shout this guy out for such a great game, but you explained WHY he did well and why others did not

I love this breakdown. I’ve always said that when an ump does bad everyone notices and when he does well nobody notices. This ump was amazing in this game and he deserves tons of credit.

for the mlb world i hope he stays this good whole life its impossible but i got mad respect for him for calling a perfect game cause some umps are so bad i started thinking its easier to have a perfect game as a pitcher than a perfect game as a ump XD mad respect to this man right here

The issue with being in that area is that you are far more likely to take fall balls off the mask. Still, strong consistency in his calls. For Gibson, his position is good (and contrary to Jomboy, the angled fixed view is better for calling outside pitches. However, he is too angled, and his back foot should be far closer to the catcher. Bucknor is in the scissors stance. That's pretty much the issue.

Great job, Blue. We won't need robots if we can get more officials like you.

I think you suggested in another video having specialized home plate umps I love that idea and put this ump as #1 on the list.

The fact that he is getting into position on every pitch is extremely impressive. That has to be very hard on the knees and legs to do that all night. Goes to show this is a young mans game. Umps included. They should can these old guys and get newer, younger, guys, and teach them this method and pay them better. EVERYONE can respect this. They may hoot and holler during the game. They always will they are competing. But after everyone will see the consistency and over time the respect will come and people will start to hoot and holler less.

Man deserves a bonus….I’m talking about Jomboy of course, for working so hard and going so in depth just for the love of the game. Very admirable

This was probably one of best breakdowns I’ve seen and definitely my fav!