Maybe I'm wrong and you can clarify something for me.... here's just the two most awful calls of the game. Were the umps right? Wrong?

1st scenario: Kid A is stealing 3rd base. The 3rd baseman is blocking 3rd with his foot. Kid A slides into 3rd base causing pain to the 3rd baseman's toe. The 3rd baseban bobbles the ball, never lays a tag on Kid A. The umpire calls Kid A out. When the manager comes out to question the call, the umpire explains to the manager that he agrees that the 3rd baseman didn't tag the kid, but that "the 3rd baseman's foot isn't a part of the bag and since Kid A stepped on his toe, then Kid A is out." HUH? Let me just say that since it was the bottom of the last inning, the next pitch, the batter hits a screaming line drive that would have scored the winning run had Kid A not been called out.

2nd scenario: Team A is out in the field now (the team that Kid A is on). There is a runner on 2nd base. Game is tied. Two outs. The batter hits a line drive to left field. The left fielder throws it and hits the cut-off man. The cut-off man turns and throws the ball to the catcher. The throw is not on the money. The catcher has to move to his left in order to catch the ball. When the catcher catches the ball, he is standing in the baseline and the runner who was on 2nd base has rounded 3rd base and is trying to come home. The catcher lays the tag on the runner. The runner never touches home plate. The umpire calls the runner safe because he says the catcher was "obstructing home plate." Let me just say that at the bottom of the same inning when Team A was up to bat again, and the other team had a play at home, their catcher was standing in front of home plate and Team A's runner had to go into home plate around their catcher, and the umpire doesn't make the same call.

I know it's just a game. In the big scheme of life, it doesn't matter. It was just an awful way for a championship game to end -- with the game being given away to one team by the umpires. That's a hard lesson for the "losing" team to have to learn. Makes me wonder if the umps were in cahoots with the coaches on the other team.