Players like Jones—whether opposing fans like them or not—who are calm and collected most of the time don't fly off the handle unless something really ticks them off. Jones took exception to the called strike three he took earlier in the game that was several inches low. When Jones saw Hohn walk in his direction and seemingly engage a pitcher on an argument over a thigh-high fastball that caught the middle of the plate, he lost it.
As a Braves fan, I can't ever remember seeing Chipper that angry.
He had a right to be. If you watch closely enough, you can decipher two words Jones directed at Bill Hohn before hitting coach Terry Pendleton pulled him towards the dugout—two words I can't write in this article.
Players don't have too much of a problem with wide versus tight strike zones unless it appears to be inconsistent.
Calling a knuckleball that's six inches below the knees a strike, but two fastballs (one from O'Flaherty and one in the ninth from Papelbon) that were clearly strikes is anything but consistent.
What should happen is the umpires release a statement outlining the missed strikes, the poor judgement of the home plate umpire. As a result of this, no fines or suspensions will be levied on the players involved. The ump then gets some sort of reprimand, whether it be a game suspension or fine.
Would the game have turned out differently had those correct calls been made? Perhaps.
Jones' first inning strikeout came with two on and no one out, right before Brian McCann doubled in both runners that Jones left stranded.
The pitch to Drew should have been the second out of the inning, and maybe Kottaras would have been stranded on instead of scoring and giving the Red Sox a 5-4 lead.
The pitch in the ninth gets overlooked as it wound up not mattering. Jonathan Papelbon threw a pitch in about the same exact spot as O'Flaherty with a 2-1 count on Nate McLouth.
The pitch was called a ball, sending the count to 3-1 instead of 2-2, McLouth fouled off the next pitch before walking on a full count. No runs scored that inning as McLouth got stranded at third when Matt Diaz struck out with the bases loaded.
Like I said earlier, if McLouth scored and Drew was called out because of the inconsistent strike zone, I would expect the Boston fans to be screaming for Bill Hohn's head, too.
I write this knowing that the stubbornness of the head honchos at MLB and the Umpires Association will never admit they screwed up or make changes to address blown calls that seemingly cost one team a game.
The only solace I can take out of this ump's colossal screwups is that at least this wasn't the NBA where a dozen missed calls each night is about the average.
Maybe someday, Major League Baseball will wake up to the idea and get the hint that the NFL did. If your umpires screw something up - admit it.
It won't happen tomorrow and won't happen while bumbling Bud Selig is commissioner. Maybe someday in my lifetime—if I'm lucky.
(AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
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