True, but each Ump has his own strike zone. Technically, all strike zones are the same, but in reality each is taylored around an individual Ump. It's usually not a very big deal, sometimes it is, but most of the time blaming an Ump for a loss is a cop out. The Red Sox didn't get defeated by poor umpiring, they got beat by a team that was hot at the right time, a team that was just plain better at the time.