JOHN HIRSHBECK: UNFIT TO UMPIRE?

First of all, though, we need to visit the career of umpire John Hirshbeck.....
While the result in the end probably would have been the same in a Yankee victory over the Toronto Blue Jays Friday Afternoon, one critical call could have been the difference in any other game...

Just like Strombopolous on "The Hour" I'm going to give you the run down:
- Hirshbeck has been a major league umpire since since 1984, a career that has spanned just over 25 major league seasons!
- Towards the end of his 16-year tenure as strictly an American League Umpire, it was only then that Hirshbeck would become the subject of controversy in a game between the Blue Jays and Orioles between himself and former Blue Jay standout Roberto Alomar:

Hirschbeck came to be widely known for an on-the field incident on September 27, 1996 in Toronto when Baltimore Oriole Roberto Alomar got into a heated, two-way argument with Hirschbeck over a called third strike that Alomar alleged was outside the strike zone.

This wasn't just any arugment, though.

"Hirschbeck then ejected Alomar from the game, and Alomar spit in Hirschbeck's face, claiming that the umpire had used a degrading ethnic slur against him. Lip readers contend that Hirschbeck called Alomar "a faggot" as Alomar was walking away.^[1] Alomar, and other players, claimed that Hirschbeck's personality had changed, and that he had been on the edge and extremely bitter since the death of his son from adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD), and learning that another son also had it. The day after the incident, after hearing Alomar's remarks, Hirschbeck charged into the Orioles' clubhouse and had to be restrained by a fellow umpire. Alomar was suspended for five games and required to donate $50,000 to ALD research. One week later, on October 5, Hirschbeck said he had forgiven Alomar for the incident." (Wikipedia)

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