[Thatballzlow]

Can anyone figure this one out and correct me if I'm wrong...the last National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues game to be forfeited over the umpires "perceived" lack of control (in other words...mishandled situation) occured in 1987, in the Florida State League. Former League President George McDonald, Jr., backed the umpires decision to forfeit the game after a series of ejections and a TWENTY minute long argument/vacating the field situation. (There was a forfeit in the EL in 99, but that was after the game when it was discovered there was an ineligible player in the game...didn't fax the league his transfer papers and then pinch ran)

To give you an idea of how serious a deal it is to forfeit a minor league game, I believe the International League fines the ball club that forfeits:

Home Team Forfeit: $20,000
Visiting Team Forfeit: $20,000 plus half the game receipts...something to that effect...I can't honestly tell you the visiting team situation.

Also, expect a hefty suspension from the league and from the team for costing the team as much money as Cron just did.

Ball/Strike, Safe/Out...It may not be as noticeable, but the brawl/warning/ejection is the one thing that separates the good umpires from the bad ones, and that INCLUDES the AMLU guys...It's just obvious that there are going to be more situations to come...how the leagues handle them will be the question