Devil Rays prospect throws bat at plate umpire

[Kaliix]

Associated Press

PAWTUCKET, R.I. -- Durham Bulls outfielder Delmon Young threw a bat into the chest of the home plate umpire after being called out on strikes in the first inning of Wednesday night's game at Pawtucket.

Young argued with the umpire after taking a third strike on a 1-and-2 pitch. The umpire ejected Young, who then threw his bat and hit the umpire in the chest.

Replacement umpires have been working all minor league games this season because the regular umpires are on strike. Bill Wanless, a spokesman for the Pawtucket Red Sox, said minor league teams are not releasing the names of umpires while the regulars are on strike.

Young, 20, is the younger brother of Detroit Tigers outfielder Dmitri Young. He was voted the Tampa Bay Devil Rays' minor league player of the year last season and the 2005 minor league player of the year by Baseball America.

The Devils Rays selected Young with the first overall pick in the 2003 amateur draft.

I wonder if Young would have done that if the regular umpires were calling the game...?

[tmp44]

Should we place the over-under on how long he'll be suspended for at 50?

Edit: 300 posts....does that get me a pair of fishnets, or an autographed picture of the well-endowed squirrel?

[bobbybanaduck]

i'll put $5,000 on the under.

[briancurtin]

the under hasnt been set though. im setting the under at 0 days, and ill take my $5,000.

[briancurtin]

Originally Posted by Kaliix

I wonder if Young would have done that if the regular umpires were calling the game...?

i wasnt there and i dont profess to have knowledge of what went on in the previous games, but i would guess that he wouldnt do that if the regulars were in. hes probably frustrated with the calls that have been made thus far and couldnt take it. that doesnt negate what he did, and it might not even be true.

[JIGGY]

What it should be and what it will be are two very different things. That is outrageous! I won't speculate as to whether or not this would have happened with a real MiLB umpire, but think about this: The umpires will not be heard at all on this issue because they are scabs. At least an AMLU guy would have the union to back them in providing pressure on the league to deal out a more severe penalty and send a message.

[moorg]

As much as I want to see the professionals back on the field (it couldn't come fast enough for me), this guy is an umpire. I hope we do not use his physical abuse to further the cause. Throw the book at Young. He threw at bat at all of us.

[bobbybanaduck]

Originally Posted by briancurtin

the under hasnt been set though. im setting the under at 0 days, and ill take my $5,000.

don't gamble much, do ya?

[briancurtin]

nope, but i thought an under had to be set before you put your money down? it was also a bit of a joke since the o/u wouldnt be 0.

[Sal Giaco]

While I don't wish that to happen to any umpire, there is a small part of me that says "you wanted to work AAA baseball, welcome to PRO ball". I'll leave it at that

[SAump]

Did he spend the night in JAIL and how will other ballplayers feel with him around? I wouldn't put my money on YES or SAFE.

I wonder if the local DA is running for re-election any time soon.

I don't think I would hang this on the STRIKE issue. Young shouldn't be an AMLU poster boy. .

[JIGGY]

Originally Posted by moorg

As much as I want to see the professionals back on the field (it couldn't come fast enough for me), this guy is an umpire. I hope we do not use his physical abuse to further the cause. Throw the book at Young. He threw at bat at all of us.

I agree!

I am just saying I think if this happened to an AMLU guy, the union would raise hell and make sure they threw the book at him. It is actually sad that no one will likely stand up for this scab umpire in this situation. (one of many reasons it doesn't pay to be a scab.)

[LakeErieUmp]

Don't forget, Orlando Brown of the Cleveland Browns pushed a referee to the ground and got basically nothing for it.
I don't buy the idea he only did it because it was a replacement ump. Blue is blue. Otherwise what happens at Triple-A...does he get to throw a ball at a Triple-A umpire because he's not a major league umpire?
Once upon a time umpires (and basketball officials and football referees) were untouchable. Once upon a time Robbie Alomar is suspended for life for spitting on John Hershbeck.
Once upon a time.

[briancurtin]

Originally Posted by LakeErieUmp

Don't forget, Orlando Brown of the Cleveland Browns pushed a referee to the ground and got basically nothing for it.
I don't buy the idea he only did it because it was a replacement ump. Blue is blue. Otherwise what happens at Triple-A...does he get to throw a ball at a Triple-A umpire because he's not a major league umpire?
Once upon a time umpires (and basketball officials and football referees) were untouchable. Once upon a time Robbie Alomar is suspended for life for spitting on John Hershbeck.
Once upon a time.

i dont think he threw the bat at the umpire just because he was a replacement and he thought he could get away, i think he threw the bat because the replacement umpires havent been up to the high quality that he has seen before. he is probably frustrated that their calls have gone against him or have been inconsistent. he probably got rung up on a questionable pitch that has gone both ways all throughout the season so far and had enough.

im not saying hes right in what he did, but i had a feeling that players would be blowing up on these replacements sometime.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by briancurtin

i dont think he threw the bat at the umpire just because he was a replacement and he thought he could get away, i think he threw the bat because the replacement umpires havent been up to the high quality that he has seen before. he is probably frustrated that their calls have gone against him or have been inconsistent. he probably got rung up on a questionable pitch that has gone both ways all throughout the season so far and had enough.

im not saying hes right in what he did, but i had a feeling that players would be blowing up on these replacements sometime.

Peter Gammons on ESPN said Young has a history of these types of blowups and they spent ZERO seconds on the fact that this was a replacement umpire.

The AMLU doesn't want to hang their hats on this one. Oh, I see they blocked public access to their "Scab Gallery."