Baseball Thread 3 - The Jody Reed Edition

Definitely a bump. Brilliant.

This is going to be 2004 all over again, with all the emo fun that went with it.

He also did the "yer outta here" signal at the umpire.

 

Actually, the replay showed the umpire moving in toward Z. I doubt he'll be suspended for that.

Now, the ball thrown into the outfield, the glove thrown across the field and the bashed-in Gatorade machine won't help his cause.

 

I could be wrong, but I don't think the league differentiates. The player shouldn't be out there arguing, so he's responsible for any contact, whether he initiates it or not.

 

If the umpire was LeBron James, there definitely would have been a foul called on Zambrano.

 

That would be a bullshit rule. Hope that's not the case, but I bet you're right.

He shouldn't have been out there arguing what looked like a good call, but I don't mind seeing the fire after the past week of bullshit.

 

You're right, but that's still bullshit when you consider how many of the cockbag umpires there are who like to bait players into confrontations. Yes, Angel Hernandez, I'm talking about you.

Not saying that's what happened in this case though since I didn't see it. He's going to get some time off anyway for tossing the ball into the outfield.

 

Not that I don't hate Angel Hernandez as much as anybody, but I side with the league. There's just no good reason to be arguing calls, especially for players and not managers.

 

There is always a good reason. A lot of MLB umpires are fucking idiots.

 

So in Monday's Indians game, one of the Indians pitchers threw something like 22 straight balls. Rays batters didn't swing for 22 straight pitches. ESPN showed every pitch, and goddamn, I don't know what game the ump was at, but no fewer than 5 of those 22 called balls were strikes. The guy was hitting corners. I agree that many of pitches were just off the plate, but there were too many that were right there: the same type of pitches Maddux would throw, biting one piece of black or another, and get a called strike.

I'll give the pitcher credit, though: He did lose his head and start barking at the ump. He's the type of pitcher I'd have on my team. He fought through the agony. I love that about pitchers.

 

Who was the plate umpire?

 

Not sure. I just saw the highlights yesterday and couldn't believe how many of those balls were strikes, or at least damn well good enough to be strikes.

 

B-R says, surprise, surprise:

Angel Hernandez.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CLE/CLE200905250.shtml