I Love It When Everything Comes Together Like This
Sunday, June 24, 2007
(posted by OMDQ)
All apologies if this is viewed as beating a dead horse, but I was just reviewing today's ejections from around Major League Baseball and some of the connections were too good to pass up.
Remember earlier today (well, yesterday, I guess; I haven't been to bed yet, so it still feels like today) when I wrote about Bruce Bochy's ejection for arguing a close play at first base? Turns out that ol' Bruce has had his fair share of issues with first base umpires lately: that was the second time in three days he had been kicked out of a game by the ump in that position, and for the same reason. Incidentally, in both cases, replays showed that Bochy probably had a reason to argue.
The umpire who missed the call that led to Bochy's ejection on Wednesday was Brian Knight. Knight's name should sound familiar since he was the same guy who gave Terry Francona the thumb in San Diego on Saturday. If you're scoring at home, that makes three blown calls and two managers tossed in three days for Knight, who is only in the major leagues right now as a fill-in while Kerwin Danley is on vacation. I'm not sure he'll be getting a positive performance review for this effort.
Also, it seems worth noting that six people were ejected from games on Saturday: three were managers (including Bobby Cox, who tied John McGraw's major league record of 131 for his career) and three were catchers (highlighted by the Paul Lo Duca classic that was referenced earlier on this site).
This Has Not Been Brian Knight's Night
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Brian Knight, the third base umpire for tonight's Sox-Padres game, is not turning in his best work this evening.Several innings ago, he ruled that Manny Ramirez had made the catch on a sinking liner to left field. After a conference with the other men in blue (during which time the viewers at home got to see that it was clearly a trap), the call was overturned, bringing Terry Francona out of the dugout for the requisite argument.
And just now, in the sixth, Knight signalled foul ball on a Josh Bard shot down the left field line. Once again, San Diego's Bud Black argued; once again, the umpires discussed the matter amongst themselves; once again, the ruling on the field was changed (this time resulting in a two-run homerun for Bard and 5-0 deficit for the Sox); once again, it was the right call (replays clearly showed that it hit the foul pole); once again, Francona came out to argue.
This time, Francona was so eloquent and articulate in his plea for justice that he left Knight with no recourse but to eject him. By my unofficial count, that makes three managerial ejections today (Bruce Bochy, Bobby Cox, and Francona) and three player ejections (Paul Lo Duca, Brian McCann, and Yorvit Torrealba).
Tito's performance wasn't that great (2.6), but it wasn't helped by the unidentified flying object that came out of the stands just when he was getting good and fired up. The distraction clearly threw him off his game, although we weren't likely to see a hat toss or other demonstration of anger in any event.
Hey Bruce - THIS Is How You Act When You've Been Ejected
(posted by OMDQ)
For the most part, my highly subjective Mikulik-Wellman Scale (still in beta) is intended to measure the amazingness of managerial ejections, simply because they are usually the ones that run the best chance of elevating to classic status in a matter of moments.
There are times, however, when a player goes off so impressively that it just can't be ignored. Saturday evening, Mets-A's, Paul Lo Duca - definitely one of those times.
During his sixth inning at-bat against Oakland ace Joe Blanton, Lo Duca took exception to a strike call by home plate umpire Marvin Hudson that ran the count to 0-2. Words were exchanged, gestures ("vehement" ones) were made, and the Mets catcher was eventually invited to leave the game a few innings early.
He didn't take it well.
After Lo Duca was tossed and continued to argue, Willie Randolph arrived on the scene to get his player the hell out of there before he did anything to get himself into bigger trouble. But Paul Lo Duca was full of rage and unhappiness on this particular day, and nothing would prevent him from saying his piece. He fought off Randolph and once again confronted Hudson, with cameras capturing an angry face that can't be fully described with the written word. Fortunately, we have this picture:
It's imperfect (if only his hand wasn't in the way) but I think you get the idea. Bulging eyes, eyebrows in a perfect "V", teeth bared - a perfect storm of rage.
Also pictured is first base umpire Ed Montague, who finally convinced Lo Duca that leaving the field might be a good idea. Still, Lo Duca felt he had more to contribute to the discussion. Before he finally exited the premises, the following items had found their way onto the field: Lo Duca's helmet, bat, elbow guard, shin guards, and chest protector. A for effort, in my book.
I only saw it once on Baseball Tonight, but Lo Duca's tirade scores well on the MWS for several reasons. One, the count - it takes a lot to get thrown out of a game in mid-count. Two, the angry face - it actually made me laugh out loud. Three, the littering of the field - originality can be hard, but throwing your catching equipment definitely passes the test. Final score? We're talking something in the 7.9 range - mighty impressive, possibly won't be topped this season.
Bruce Bochy Needs Help With His Anger (Or Lack Thereof)
Bruce Bochy was just ejected from the Giants-Yankees game for arguing a very close call at first base (replays were unclear as to whether Ray Durham was safe or not - it could've gone either way - although the uncertainty didn't stop FOX from showing the play 37,214 times, each time in slower motion). It was the second time he has been thrown out of a game this season.
