Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Some Umpires Suck
Bob Davidson is one of them. I listened to last night's defeat at the hands of the "Devil" Rays and Ueck and Provis were saying that Bob Davidson's call that Tony Plush hadn't tried hard enough to get out of the way of a pitched ball and therefore wouldn't be granted first, was a bad call. I just watched a video of it (Google it -- My guess is uploads will be taken down) and they are totally right, but I think I see the two reasons why Davidson made the call.
1. Plush enthusiastically immediately tossed the bat and ran to first base. It was a 1-0 game at the time and he was leading off with a chance to get his team a run. In fact, it should have, as Jeff "LeRoy" Niemann painted the corners so much the rest of the inning the Brewers got three more baserunners but no runs due to this bad call.
2. It was Tony Plush who got hit. If it had been Derek Jeter or A-Rod, he would most likely have been wincing right into the camera for 15 minutes, pounding the ground, nobly waving off the trainer to stay in the game and then would gingerly make his way to first. Tony Plush doesn't act that way unless he has a broken arm. (So maybe reason 2 and reason 1 are the same.)
Also, Plush has a mouth. Right after he struck out to end his at-bat, though, he walked to the dugout. And Bob Davidson followed him. That's right. He left his post to basically do the "You gonna say something? Did you say something? You wanna say something? Come on... say something... come on... give me one reason..." It's pathetic. It's bullying. He was waving his big, blue authority around. Batting coach Dale Sveum said something. He's tossed. Roenicke came out... one of the most congenial people in the world. He's tossed. Bob Davidson was obviously looking for trouble. And who better to start with than an emotional African-American player who has a bit of a reputation? I think that's why the whole thing started.
Being an umpire does not seem like a nice job. Neither does being any kind of authority figure. I think that's why often it's bullying types who are drawn to it. I was listening to a radio story this morning about video of cops pulling back the eyelids of peaceful protesters who were blocking logging operations or something and applying pepper spray directly to the inner lids of the protesters. Bob Davidson picking on Nyjer Morgan isn't the same thing... but there's something there.
ps. It's hilarious to read the AP wire story about this that goes on about the "incensed" Nyjer Morgan who "needed to be restrained" blah blah blah "angry black player" blah blah blah. The AP story also just takes Davidson's line that he "leaned into the pitch". OK I'll put this up here... It's a high inside fastball he turned away from. Davidson also said it "brushed his uniform" or something.
Bob Davidson is one of them. I listened to last night's defeat at the hands of the "Devil" Rays and Ueck and Provis were saying that Bob Davidson's call that Tony Plush hadn't tried hard enough to get out of the way of a pitched ball and therefore wouldn't be granted first, was a bad call. I just watched a video of it (Google it -- My guess is uploads will be taken down) and they are totally right, but I think I see the two reasons why Davidson made the call.
1. Plush enthusiastically immediately tossed the bat and ran to first base. It was a 1-0 game at the time and he was leading off with a chance to get his team a run. In fact, it should have, as Jeff "LeRoy" Niemann painted the corners so much the rest of the inning the Brewers got three more baserunners but no runs due to this bad call.
2. It was Tony Plush who got hit. If it had been Derek Jeter or A-Rod, he would most likely have been wincing right into the camera for 15 minutes, pounding the ground, nobly waving off the trainer to stay in the game and then would gingerly make his way to first. Tony Plush doesn't act that way unless he has a broken arm. (So maybe reason 2 and reason 1 are the same.)
Also, Plush has a mouth. Right after he struck out to end his at-bat, though, he walked to the dugout. And Bob Davidson followed him. That's right. He left his post to basically do the "You gonna say something? Did you say something? You wanna say something? Come on... say something... come on... give me one reason..." It's pathetic. It's bullying. He was waving his big, blue authority around. Batting coach Dale Sveum said something. He's tossed. Roenicke came out... one of the most congenial people in the world. He's tossed. Bob Davidson was obviously looking for trouble. And who better to start with than an emotional African-American player who has a bit of a reputation? I think that's why the whole thing started.
Being an umpire does not seem like a nice job. Neither does being any kind of authority figure. I think that's why often it's bullying types who are drawn to it. I was listening to a radio story this morning about video of cops pulling back the eyelids of peaceful protesters who were blocking logging operations or something and applying pepper spray directly to the inner lids of the protesters. Bob Davidson picking on Nyjer Morgan isn't the same thing... but there's something there.
ps. It's hilarious to read the AP wire story about this that goes on about the "incensed" Nyjer Morgan who "needed to be restrained" blah blah blah "angry black player" blah blah blah. The AP story also just takes Davidson's line that he "leaned into the pitch". OK I'll put this up here... It's a high inside fastball he turned away from. Davidson also said it "brushed his uniform" or something.
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