MLB Fires Three Veteran Umpires For Bad Calls

(MYFOX NATIONAL) - Major League Baseball has fired three of seven umpire supervisors because of anger over blown calls during the 2009 postseason, USA Today reports.

“I was totally shocked," Marty Springstead, who began his umpiring career in 1960, told the newspaper .  “Fifty years, and I get a four-minute phone call to say goodbye? They didn't give us a lot of reasons.”

Also fired Jan. 12 were Rich Garcia and Jim McKean, who each have 40 or more years of umpiring experience. All three received the news by telephone, according to USA Today . Major League Baseball did not cite a specific reason for the firings.

“The change in supervisors is part of our ongoing effort to make our organization as strong as possible,” Rob Manfred, MLB executive vice president, told the newspaper. Garcia umpired in 12 postseasons during his 25-year big-league career.

“I'm sad about it, I'm going to miss it” he told USA Today . “It's certainly not what I wanted to happen. I can walk away proud of the work I've done.”

Veteran umpires Randy Marsh and Charlie Reliford retired and will take supervisor jobs, the newspaper reported.

Umpire supervisors recommend umpires for the postseason, serving as liaisons between the umpires and MLB. Supervisors do not make final selections.

Despite making blown calls during last year’s American League division and championship series, crew chief Tim McClelland and veteran umpires Phil Cuzzi and C.B. Bucknor retained their jobs, USA Today reported.

“Because of early retirement, there were some quality people like Randy Marsh who became available to us,” Manfred told ESPN.com . “When things go less than perfectly -- as they did in the postseason -- you're going to think about making changes. And part of it is just the natural turnover in an organization. It's no more complicated than that.”