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Major League Baseball and its umpires are close to finalizing a new contract, according to baseball officials.

Management has been seeking to gain increased flexibility for postseason assignments as part of the agreement. It would allow umpires to work the World Series during consecutive seasons.

If all goes well, this would mark the second straight agreement between the sides reached without acrimony. Recent deals between baseball and its umpires have run for five years.

Much more, however, should be on the table. In the How To Improve MLB Umpiring posts on this site, a number of improvements — from mandatory retirement age to better oversight and training of umps on all pro levels — have been suggested to prevent some of the poor officiating during recent years.

Umpire Doug Harvey has been elected to the baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee. Manager Whitey Herzog also got the nod. Former players’ union head Marvin Miller, who was on a ballot for executives and officials, and who had a lot of support, fell two votes short.

The induction ceremony will be July 25. When told about Harvey’s election, Herzog jokingly said: “I don’t know why he should get in. Doug kicked me out of more games than any other umpire.”

Harvey umpired in the National League for 31 seasons before retiring during 1992. He worked five World Series and six All-Star games, and handled more than 4,600 games overall.

“Ten years into my career, my late father said to me that one day I would realize what I have achieved,” said Harvey. “When I woke up this morning and I received the call from Cooperstown, I realized for the first time exactly what that means. “I accept this election … on behalf of all umpires from the minor leagues to the major leagues and for those who umpire at every level.”

Harvey was distinguished by his shock of silver hair, and players often called him “God” in tribute to his work. He helped develop a new style to umpiring. Rather than make emphatic, instant calls, as was the norm when he began in 1962, he would take a split-second to get a snapshot of the play in his mind.

“He had the players’ respect. He had the pitchers’ respect—most of the time,” said Tommy Lasorda. “Sometime you see umpires and you say that guy’s not giving his best, he’s getting lackadaisical. Not him. He would listen to you and he would admit when he made a mistake. A lot of guys want you to come out so they can give you the heave-ho.”

The El Nuevo Herald is reporting that the latest baseball defector is 26-year veteran umpire Nelson Diaz. He arrived in Miami with his family on Sunday and reportedly made the decision to leave after Cuba did not allow him to travel to Japan so he could work during the 2009 World Baseball Classic.

Diaz is well-known in international baseball. He worked during the 2006 WBC and also during three different Olympics. He was the home plate umpire during the 1999 Baltimore-Cuba series and he helped restore order after anti-Castro protestors rushed the field at Camden Yards. His “attitude of impartiality” during the incident didn’t go over well with Cuban authorities and he was held back from the 2000 Olympics.

Unlike players, his defection does not mean he will be in the major leagues next year. Unfortunately, MLB has litter umpire turnover and the ump union would not like to welcome a colleague who they think didn’t “pay his dues” in the minor leagues.

But….and it’s a BIG BUT: he toiled in Castro’s Cuba. That is paying “dues.” Also, with a postseason filled with umpiring gaffes, if he is a good one, MLB should give him a look.

This award is done totally tongue-in-check since MLB umpires had so many problems this season and the criticism rained down on them.

Yes, there are MLB umpires who do a fabulous job. But when an umpire does his job well, you never hear his name. You only learn their names when they blow a call in a big way, and we had a number of those this season, especially in the post-season. Then, there are the handful of umpires who are out of shape, or don’t hustle, or don’t really look engaged in the games, or have a chip on the shoulder and are ready to escalate a disagreement so they can give a player, coach or manager the heave-ho.

So, our awards for best umpires this year goes to……drum roll, please……………………………………………………

………..those fabulous MLB umpire impersonators — Tim Williams and Joe Farrell.

I hope you saw their actions mimicking the calls and mannerisms of home plate umpires. Seen mostly as they sat behind home plate during Toronto Blue Jays home games, they also took their act on the road to Yankee Stadium and other parks. Yes, they were just having fun, and some of the real umpires actually enjoyed their antics. We cite them for their down to earth attitude and their ability to have fun. Maybe there are lessons here for some of the MLB umpires.

Congratulations Tim and Joe. Sorry, we don’t have a trophy for your display case, or a stipend for your bank account.

Major League Baseball’s general managers like instant replay the way it is. That means no additional plays that can be reviewed by replay other than the home run replays.

GMs failed to take a vote Tuesday on expanding instant replay. This was taken following a postseason filled with blown calls by umpires. If that doesn’t convince GM’s that something needs to be done (and that doesn’t necessarily mean more replays, but does mean better training and control over umpires), than nothing will.

“I know there are some who have talked off line about the expansion of instant replay,” said Jimmie Lee Solomon, executive vice president of baseball operations in the commissioner’s office. “Right now, the commissioner doesn’t see any reason to consider it.”

While there was discussion, Solomon said “it was all confined to the current instant replay system that we have.”

“I think it’s working great, and for the most part the umpires are getting the calls right when replay is used,” Los Angeles Angels GM Tony Reagins said. “Can we always tweak and get better? Absolutely. But I think were headed in the right direction. For the most part they’re getting calls right and not afraid to use instant replay. As long as things are moving in the right direction, I don’t see a need to change.”

Yes, the home run replay is working, but what about the rest of the blown calls?

The GMs also heard a report from umpiring vice president Mike Port on training, evaluation and structure.

“I think commissioner [Bud] Selig is going to look at the entire umpiring structure and he’s going to seek ways to enhance the entire structure,” said Solomon.

Let’s hope so and have some items in place by spring training 2010.

I decided to withhold commenting further on post-season umpiring decisions until the World Series ended.

Pleased to see that no major incidents involving umpires developed during the New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies series. (BTW - congratulations Yanks on #27.)

The umps discussed and then went to the replay to determine if Alex Rodriguez’ shot to right field was a home run. That was the ball that struck the camera. The umps ruled correctly that it was a home run.

The only other matters to discuss were some ball-strike calls. Some of the umps behind the plate were off on some calls. That can be corrected if MLB runs a clinic during spring training that reorients umpires with the rule book strike zone.

Now that baseball has ended for this season, I will be continuing my series of “How To Improve MLB Umpiring” in the weeks ahead.

Your comments on this and other postings always are welcome.

Bottom of the seventh inning, runners on first and second and one out in World Series Game #2.

Johnny Damon of the New York Yankees hits a sinking liner to first. The first base umpire rules it a clean catch and Jorge Posada, who was on first and running to second, is tagged at second for an inning-ending double play.

But it wasn’t a double play. Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard knew he didn’t catch the ball cleanly and that is why he threw to second to get the force. But the first base umpire ruled that Howard caught the ball on the line. Instead of inning over, it should have been one out and the bases loaded.

How can an umpire who is behind the first baseman and off to an angle clearly make that call? What was the home plate umpire looking at? He probably had the best view.

Granted it all happened in a split second and possibly faster than the naked eye could process. The umps did the right thing and had a meeting on the field while the teams changed places. Based on what they saw, they allowed the call to stand.

But this call changed the outcome of the inning. It could have changed the outcome of the game. If it did, it could have changed the outcome of the series.

To prevent this, MLB has to confer with the electronic umpire. This was a key situation to rely on video replay.

A.J Burnett’s bid for his first World Series win could have been squashed by the call in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Last night, during World Series Game #1, the umpires actually collaborated on the ball hit by Robinson Cano with Hideki Matsui on first base. Jimmy Rollings tried to trap the ball to get the double play, but actually caught it just off the ground and threw to first, where Matsui was tagged as he was left in no-man’s land.

The play seemed confusing at first, but quickly it was clear to those watching on television that it was a double play. The umps were smart and talked it over before coming to a decision. It was the right decision - a double play.

If umpires continue to work together, more calls will be made correctly without the need for replay.

Major League Baseball is sticking with experienced umpires for the World Series.

Longtime crew chiefs Joe West, Dana DeMuth and Gerry Davis, along with Brian Gorman, Jeff Nelson and Mike Everitt will handle the games, according to several people with knowledge of the decision. The official announcement has not been made by MLB.

During 24 of the last 25 World Series, the six-man crew has included at least one umpire working the event for the first time. MLB rewards newer umpires with the plum assignment and also includes umps with WS experience.

CB Bucknor was in line to work the World Series for the first time this year. But he missed two calls in Game 1 of the division series between the Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Angels, reportedly damaging his selection chances.

Phil Cuzzi’s foul call on a drive by Minnesota Twins catcher Joe Mauer that was fair by a foot, Jerry Meals’ error on a ball that bounced off Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Chase Utley’s leg, Dale Scott’s miss on a pickoff and Tim McClelland’s call on a tag play have escalated discussion about using replay by sports journalists and sports talk radio nationwide. Fans have been incensed.

Using only veteran umpires, however, is no guarantee that they will make the correct calls. Reportedly, the umpires union is against expanding replay beyond difficult home run calls. You would think, though, that umps would want the replay backup on certain difficult calls to either prove that they were right in the first place on these calls or, at worst, reverse a decision to get the call right. After all, none of the umps have egos or arrogance to want one of their decisions to affect the outcome of a game.

West, DeMuth and Davis each have worked three World Series and have been major league umpires for more than 25 years. Gorman, Nelson and Everitt all have called one World Series, and have been on the big league staff for at least 11 years.

World Series umpires are chosen from the pool of 24 umpires who work in the first round, with those two dozen picked on merit. Umpires who work the league championships aren’t available, because umps don’t work in consecutive rounds of the postseason.

I had to comment again on the umpiring embarrassment from Game #4 of the American League Championship Series.

After reviewing more angles of the Jorge Posada/Robinson Cano double play at third base that was not called a double play, I concentrated on umpire Tim McClelland rather than the players. McClelland was a bystander. He did not move with the play to see what occurred. He did not try to get an angle or avoid having his sight blocked by players.

He said after the game that he thought Cano was standing with his foot on the base. If he had moved to try to see from another angle, he might have noticed that Cano was not close to the base. After the play was called, he could have asked other umpires if they saw anything that he did not see. The left field umpire was behind him and may have had a better angle. Or the home plate umpire may have had an angle looking down toward third.

As the crew chief, he should have asked for an umpire conference. Why didn’t he do this? If another umpire saw that Cano’s foot was not on the bag, it could have reversed a bad call and embarrassment for McClelland and MLB. It would have been reversed without replay but would have been stamped the right call backed by the replays.

So, in addition for for his terrible call, McClelland also is faulted for laziness by not becoming engaged in the play and, as crew chief, for not calling an umpire huddle.

On the Nick Swisher tag up play an inning earlier, he also failed to move to obtain a proper eye angle to see the catch and watch Swisher leaving the base. New York sports talk radio was abuzz on Thursday with comments that McClelland could have been covering for the earlier call that inning at second with umpire Dale Scott incorrectly called Swisher safe on a pick-off tag.

McClelland has more than 25 years as an MLB umpire and has a long history as a good umpire. However, he should not be considered for the World Series crew. MLB has to step up and reward umpires who do the job on the field.