So, on the topic of Edwin Encarnacion being thrown out last night for absolutely no reason.
It perplexes me how the umpires are held in such higher regards above players, and that they are, in fact, abusing their power.
This was also put on my mind with the recent spat with Carlos Beltran, Jerry Manuel, and umpire Brian Runge.
Beltran was upset with two called strikes that he watched fall over the plate, and he was dissatisfied with the calls.
So Beltran, a player who usually keeps these kinds of things to himself, keeps antagonizing Runge as he goes to sweep the plate off.
Manuel, noticing the calls, comes out of the dugout to discus the calls, and this too is a problem to me. Manuel shouldn't have been out there. It clearly states that you aren't allowed to argue balls and strikes. Manuel was in the dugout; I remain solidly sure that Runge had a better call.
But taking nothing away, Runge continues to take the argument on and spares only a few moments before turning and bumping Manuel as he throws him out.
This really upset me. I mean, if ANY player at all, MLB, NFL, NBA, touches an official, he is automatically thrown out, suspended, heavily fined, and not to mention, looked down upon.
So what gives these umpires the right to go out and touch a manager?
They too should have to deal with the whole situation and process players go through when they touch an umpire.
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Now, Runge was punished, but to me it was just a slap on the wrist. He had a one-game suspension and was fined $5,000.
This is nothing but pocket change, and a one-game suspension is nothing compared to the one or two-week suspensions players face by even grazing an umpire.
Not to mention the $25,000-$50,000 fine they experience.
This has been a problem developing for some time. Not the "umpire touching a player," as much as it is the "umpire's taking advantage of situations."
Example: Last night, the Pittsburgh Pirates take on the Cincinnati Reds. Ryan Doumit is sent to third on a double to deep center by Adam LaRoche.
The relay comes into Brandon Phillips, who sends it to Encarnacion, and he promptly tags Doumit out by what appears to be a step or two.
But umpire Chad Fairchild rules him safe.
Encarnacion jumps up to defend his case and to tell him he was out by a step.
What does Fairchild do?
He immediately throws Encarnacion out without hesitation.
I can understand getting frightened by having a player jump up right in your face, but he still deserves a chance to explain his case, especially since he was out!
Umpires automatically have the upper hand in any battle, and deservedly so, but still they at least have to give you a chance to explain yourself.
Just because they see you come to them, they don't have the right to automatically throw you out.
This is becoming a huge problem, as it seems every night we have a manager being ejected.
This isn't good folks. We shouldn't have a manager a night being tossed.
A major factor as to why this is happening is the fact that the umpires, not the managers, are the ones beginning to prompt the arguments.
So a manager comes out to check and make sure that the umpire is up-to-date and understands what's going on.
The umpire sees him and automatically has the mindset that he's going to throw him out.
That shouldn't be the first course of action for umpires.
This tells me that it has been put in their heads, and they understand they have authority, and that they should be the ones who use it for good, not to begin arguments.
We often forget that umpires are supposed to be the most cool, calm, and collected guys on the field.
The one's who are supposed to keep their cool, but instead, they manipulate the system and benefit themselves, while keeping a solid reputation.
This, to me, seems like a spreading problem, and we seriously need to take a look into this, especially with the Tim Donaghy scandal in the NBA.
To stop this growing and overlooked problem, we may need to do a little deeper investigating, but the problem is still here, and will remain here until someone decides to step up and take a stand against it.
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4 months ago
Yep its getting ridiculous how officials get away with things. I wrote an article about the Runge/Beltran/Manuel incident. Runge ended up getting suspended for 1 game
from 4 months ago
Yea I noted that in there.
It just angers me so much that they can do something like this and it gets completely looked over, but a player touches an umpire and its an automatic ejection, and the cops are out on the field carrying him off.
All this does is just further stabilize the fact that the MLB has a double standard with its Refs and Players.
4 months ago
Isn't it common knowledge that officials won't ever change their minds no matter how good an argument there is against a call?
When a manager steps out of the dugout he must know that it's not about changing some call. Fulfilling a duty to his team and the fans, maybe? Don't the fans just adore a manager who will get in the umps face and be tossed in epic fashion? Gets a nice little spot on sportscenter, doesn't it?
My point is, the manager's just putting on a show, he knows he's getting tossed, otherwise he wouldn't have left the dugout. The only MLB "standard" that has anything to do with it involves TV ratings and attendance and all the good stuff that goes along with that.
from 4 months ago
I see what your saying, but thats still not right. The game is being completely thrown off course and pretty much being ruled by media much like all sports.
I mean this is supposed to be out "National Past Time." Should we not care to go and represent this with as much dignity and respect as we can?
I know the media rules the world, im completely aware of that, but it still doesn't take away from the fact that whats going on is wrong, and still isn't completely the managers fault.
Granite some managers, when they make the trot out there are looking to start a confrontation, like Bobby Cox for example. Being a Braves fan i've had the honor of watching him being thrown out of plenty of games.
But it got the point where when he came out we knew he was ejected. Now there were times where he had good distinct reasoning, his up and in your face presentation causes Umps to toss him at the toss of a hat.
They are falling into the stereotypical easy cop-out. He deserves to get out because he takes the trot out here; That is the mindset they have.
I see how you say the managers ask for it, and I see what your saying, but in the long run it still doesn't make it right.
from 4 months ago
I would strongly disagree with this thesis.
Managers do not go out and argue with umpires so they can entertain the crowd and get on sportscenter. That's nonsense.
Managers know they aren't going to make an ump change a call, but they go out and argue to support their players and earn the respect of their team.
If a player is arguing with a blue, or got robbed of a home run, or something of that nature, and he doesn't see his coach come out of the dugout and support him, there is going to be no respect for that manager in the clubhouse or anywhere. Managers do it for their team, not for Stuart Scott.
from 4 months ago
Yes, Managers do go out and fight for the respect of their players, but its done in the moment to try and pump their team up.
There are also times managers go out and are shot down at the snap of a finger, so should that be right too?
A double standard? Thats the problem, they do not honor one system. They jump all over the place and make these decesions because they get angry and don't want to hear it?
As I noted above Umpires are supposed to be the most calm people on the field. Not the one's who instigate the arguements.
Though Umpires do come looking for it sometimes, they still deserve a chance to defend themselves.
4 months ago
@Gage
I don't quite understand what you just said, but my comment was in response to Jim. It's ignorant to say that Managers only go out of the dugout to argue calls just to put on a show. It's ignorant to say it's all about TV ratings, and attendance, and money. That's wrong. It's simply a coach fulfilling his responsibility as the leader of his players and team.
The only exception to this is guys like Pinella and Cox, coaches who who anger issues and relieve their stress, i.e. take out their anger, through screaming at an ump. But still, it has nothing to do with, "putting on a show."
Also, managers do not go onto the field to argue, "knowing they're getting tossed." Most of the time, managers don't get tossed. They stay in the game. So I don't know where that comment comes from.
But concerning the discussion that gage is trying to ignite, I don't think there's a double standard. The rulers of baseball simply try to keep the umpires as the field generals. The MLB wants the blue to be in control. That's why they defend them and don't come down hard on them for the occasional unjustified ejection or coach bump. Sometimes I think Baseball is wrong, but you have to understand why they do it. They don't want coaches to feel like they can argue all the time. They also don't want coaches to expand or stall games with lengthy manager to umpire discussions.
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