In a blue period after these calls

Missing calls is part of the human element of the job, but what I fear most is that the plethora of bad calls will lead to more instant replay. Thankfully, commissioner Bud Selig is resisting this with every fiber of his being. However even those of us who don’t want more replay have to be wavering just a tad after watching last night’s blown calls in a 10-1 ALCS Game 4 Yankees win over the Angels.

What bothers me the most is with six umpires on the field, why aren’t there more conferences? Why doesn’t an umpire who might have seen a play differently say, ‘Let’s talk about this so we can get it right’ ?

In the fifth inning, on a tapper by New York’s Nick Swisher to Darren Oliver, the lefty reliever threw home and had Jorge Posada caught between third and home. Posada headed back toward third while Robinson Cano was heading toward that bag from second base. Catcher Mike Napoli tagged Cano before he stepped on third and then reached over and tagged Posada. Both were clearly out. But third base ump Tim McClelland ruled that Cano had reached third base.

McClelland is the crew chief, so maybe the other umps didn’t feel comfortable questioning his call. But that’s not the environment that should exist in the American League Championship Series. It should be that one of the men in blue says to McClelland, “Hey Tim, think you missed the tag on Cano before the tag on Posada.’’

After only Posada was ruled out, and the crowd reacted with outrage, as might have been expected with the Yankees leading, 5-0, McClelland and second base umpire Dale Scott had a chat. Too late.

But that wasn’t the only bad one last night.

In the fourth inning, Angels lefty Scott Kazmir had a pickoff play on with shortstop Erick Aybar. Kazmir wheeled and threw to second, where Swisher appeared to be picked off. Scott called him safe.

Later in the inning, as if a makeup call, Swisher tagged from third base on Johnny Damon’s sacrifice fly, or what we thought was a sacrifice fly. The Angels appealed and McClelland called Swisher out for leaving too soon. Replays showed Swisher had waited long enough, although it was close. They also showed McClelland watching Torii Hunter make the catch and not so much Swisher leaving the base. Hunter made a heads-up play by claiming to McClelland that Swisher had left too soon. McClelland bought it.

“I saw him through my peripheral vision. I saw him leave it seemed right before I caught the ball,’’ Hunter said with a wink.

A remorseful McClelland took full blame for the botched calls.

“After looking at replays, I’m not sure I believe the replay of the first one,’’ he said. “I said in my heart I thought he left too soon. But the replay showed he didn’t. We go in and watch replays regularly after games, even during the regular season. That’s part of our procedure.

“Then the second one it showed Cano was off the bag when he was tagged. I did not see that, for whatever reason. So obviously there were two missed calls. I’m just out there trying to do my job and do it the best I can.’’

In just about every one of these postseason series there have been botched calls.

It started with the one-game playoff between Detroit and Minnesota when Brandon Inge was hit on the jersey by a pitch in the 12th inning with the bases loaded, what could have been the go-ahead run for the Tigers. Instead, the Twins eventually scored and won the game and advanced to the postseason.

In the Yankees-Twins ALDS there was Phil Cuzzi’s botched call of Joe Mauer’s fly ball down the left-field line that bounced fair but he said was foul. It clearly should have been a double. There have been many others, including several on slides into the bases when the runner was out and should have been safe and vice versa. There also have been questionable ball and strike calls.

While I understand there are several veteran umpires who aren’t calling the games because they are injured, the 36 umps who were chosen to participate in the postseason are still major league umpires. Many have postseason experience.

Mistakes even out over the regular season, but these guys have brought their worst performances for the playoffs when they need to have their best.

Is there too much pressure on the umps, who are constantly ranked, rated, graded, and dissected? Probably so. But this is the occupation they’ve chosen.

The league now employs former umpires as supervisors and former Angels and Red Sox general manager Mike Port is in charge of the umps. It’s a big department and there’s a lot of emphasis on getting things done right.

The first thing that must go is the outfield umpires. If you don’t use them in the regular season why put umpires in positions they’re not used to for the postseason?

Again, there need to be more huddles. For a while I saw umpires actually doing this and now it’s a rarity.

And if there has to be more instant replay, I like Red Sox manager Terry Francona’s idea of having one extra ump in the press box to rule on close calls. He can watch the replay and make a ruling. Or Yankees skipper Joe Girardi’s idea of having a red flag a manager can throw out once a game to have a certain call reviewed.

It’s a shame these suggestions even have to be thrown out there. Since baseball began umpires have made the calls, good or bad.

But in this day and age, with so much technology creeping into everything and so many camera angles able to catch every play on the field, it’s getting to the point where those of us who have held on to the let-the-umps-make-the-calls tradition are starting to wonder.

“No,’’ said Hunter, when asked about expanded replay. “This has been going on for how long? Why would we change anything?

“The human element is good, trust me.’’

My sentiment exactly. But I’m wavering, Torii. I’m wavering.

Nick Cafardo can be reached at cafardo@globe.com.