There was actually a Sunday Night Baseball game a couple weeks ago where Joe Mauer got hit by a pitch, but it was ruled that it hit his bat. Gardenhire came out to argue, and the home plate umpire reversed the call.

Mauer went to first base, the bases were loaded, then Morneau hit a grand slam.

I’ve seen umps persuaded to call a conference with the other umps, which has resulted in a reversal. I’ve never seen a ball/strike or balk call reversed.

In many cases, they know they’re not going to get the ump to change their minds, but they’re hoping it will factor in to the next calls that they make, particularly when it comes to balls and strikes.

I’ve seen the umpires reverse a balk call at what was then SBC Park. I don’t remember the exact game.

I don’t doubt that plays involving MULTIPLE umpires get reversed, because I think the ump making the original call is probably far more likely to listen to the other umpires (they are slightly more impartial after all…).

The thing that pisses me off (unless it’s Bum getting tossed) is when they get thrown for arguing balls and strikes, which seems to me the most common. And it seems like (with the possible exception of the UC Irvine game) umpires just don’t go back on what they said. So I don’t see the point in arguing other than to let the fans know you think it was a shitty call and you’re willing to fight for them. Arguing because you get all hot and bothered is just stupid; emotional people rarely make good arguments, they just piss people off with their excessive intensity. And pissed umpires lead to players getting thrown out.

I would like to see more umpires actually listening to managers though, because sometimes it was obviously a blown call, and frequently in an important situation, and the manager handles it well and doesn’t get overexcited, but the umpire still brushes him off. You’d think he would go, “Fine, I’ll talk to the first and third base guys” because they can probably give some sort of opinion."

And they really need to extend instant replay use. I know they don’t want to be stopping the game all the time, so they could institute a challenge system, but IR can be put to much better use in getting it right. And that’s all that matters (unless it goes against the G-men).

1) arguing a call is definitely about getting the next halfsie call swung your teams way, not about the argued call which won’t swing no matter what

2) arguing a call to the point of ejection is definitely about firing up a moribund team and thereby getting them to post higher BABIPs and lower DIPSes and all the other shit that managers apparently have influence over

I was impressed. There’s some managers who are better at this than others.

I am watching the CHI-A and LAA ALCS (game 5) this morning on MLB Network.
 Chone Figgins was batting, and Adam Kennedy was on first. Scoscia called a hit and run and Chone hit the ball down the RF line and the a fan reached over the fence and grabbed the ball. Initially, The umpire called it a GR-Double. Then Scoscia came out argued which forced the umpires to get together and they ruled it was fan interference and allowed Kennedy to score.

It looked like the umpires were going to stay with the initial call, but when Scoscia came out to argue (or at least ask the umpires to talk to one another about what they all saw) the umpires changed the initial call.
So there you go.