[greymule]

I'm afraid it is a "show" today. Too bad the game of baseball itself can't bring enough fans in.

Why not have nude bat girls and get another couple of thousand "fans" in the park? Having the police look the other way on pot smoking would undoubtedly boost attendance, too.

The Phillie Phanatic goes through an act where he tries to sneak up behind the umpire or make fun of him somehow, but the umpire inevitably notices the Phanatic and chases him away. At least the umpire is going through the act that he is in charge and won't tolerate silliness. That's different from putting on a hula hoop.

To me, the umpire is an official of the league. He's like a judge in a courtroom. He should not involve himself in silly antics. I believe that such behavior tears down the necessary "fence" between officials and players. It's a form of familiarity, and we know what that breeds.