Devil Rays prospect throws bat at plate umpire

[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."

[FlyerAve]

Young was totally out-of-line. Any suspension is too light of penalty.

At the same time, I have NO sympathy for the SCAB umpire! The umpire should be repremanded for becoming a replacement umpire.

[LakeErieUmp]

My "point" is that the official is deserving of respect by the player. John Hershbeck was not a scab, was he?
Jeff Triplette (the referee Brown pushed down) has been an NFL official since 1996. Is he a scab?
This is not the first time a player has abused an official. And it does not magically begin at the level of professional players. The respect of officials must begin at the first day of organized play, whether Little League, or Pop Warner, or travel hockey, or AAU basketball. Blue - or stripes - or whatever the heck soccer refs are wearing this year - must be hands-off.

[bobbybanaduck]

I sincerely hope that Young is allowed to give his side of the story in the media. While I do not and never would condone his actions, I am fully expecting to find out that the umpire said something that got the bat thrown at him. I reiterate, I DO NOT AGREE with Young's actions, but bats don't get thrown at you for no reason.

The guy that worked the plate, while remaining anonymous to most of the world, is not anonymous to me. I know him, have worked with him, and saw first hand his "handling" of a situation. I have very little doubt that Young's actions, as awful as they were, were in reaction to this guy popping off. Does that make it OK? No. Did it shed a little light on the situation when I found out who worked the gane? You're damn right it did.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by bobbybanaduck

I sincerely hope that Young is allowed to give his side of the story in the media. While I do not and never would condone his actions, I am fully expecting to find out that the umpire said something that got the bat thrown at him. I reiterate, I DO NOT AGREE with Young's actions, but bats don't get thrown at you for no reason.

The guy that worked the plate, while remaining anonymous to most of the world, is not anonymous to me. I know him, have worked with him, and saw first hand his "handling" of a situation. I have very little doubt that Young's actions, as awful as they were, were in reaction to this guy popping off. Does that make it OK? No. Did it shed a little light on the situation when I found out who worked the gane? You're damn right it did.

I just can't remember the last time I clocked a player with my mask when he popped off at me.

[JIGGY]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

I just can't remember the last time I clocked a player with my mask when he popped off at me.

Maybe this opens the door. Next time a batter questions strike three, kick him in the nuts and tell him to go sit down.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by JIGGY

Maybe this opens the door. Next time a batter questions strike three, kick him in the nuts and tell him to go sit down.

Don't think it hasn't crossed my mind.

[WhatWuzThatBlue]

Originally Posted by bobbybanaduck

I sincerely hope that Young is allowed to give his side of the story in the media. While I do not and never would condone his actions, I am fully expecting to find out that the umpire said something that got the bat thrown at him. I reiterate, I DO NOT AGREE with Young's actions, but bats don't get thrown at you for no reason.

The guy that worked the plate, while remaining anonymous to most of the world, is not anonymous to me. I know him, have worked with him, and saw first hand his "handling" of a situation. I have very little doubt that Young's actions, as awful as they were, were in reaction to this guy popping off. Does that make it OK? No. Did it shed a little light on the situation when I found out who worked the gane? You're damn right it did.

I've enjoyed this thread, as much for the nostaligia as the drama. Lest I be cast as the protagonist, I'm quoting this piece but could have used others.

What difference does it make if the umpire said something to him? If the replacement umpire had said, "Sit down, you dumb (insert the racial epithet of your choice) - that was strike three." It doesn't permit this pinhead's actions.

Bruce Froemming wouldn't explain an eight inning balk against a Cub's pitcher the other day. When the pitcher inquired what he had done to cause the balk, Froemming (36 years) told him to "get back on the f***ing mound". Three players heard him say it and yet, the pitcher didn't launch the ball at Bruce's chest.

Don't excuse the actions of an idiot athlete with those of a replacement umpire. SInce the umpire's name has not been released, we do not know his resume. Would the player's actions be more defensible if he was a LL umpire of a former Minor League umpire called back to work? Once you step on the field wearing the uniform, you are afforded respect while being marked a target. It is a shame that Dmitri's little brother can't control himself and needs to throw things when he doesn't get his way.

BTW, the league said he is suspended indefinetly. The fact that he is a golden child will probably shift the penalty his way. Remember, the union complained of horse**** penalties and abuse when they were out there. Balls were thrown, bats flung and umpires pushed - all when the 'real' umpires were in charge. This dimwit didn't care who was out there and his agent will spin it that way.

[tmp44]

ESPN.com has video of the incident:

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2423307

[ToGreySt]

after seing this video, I would vote to lifetime ban his a$$. I had no idea it was this bad. can any of the pro-union people on this board honestly say that this guy got what he deserved? He got hit in the chest with a bat, that was thrown at him from over 20 feet away. If this happend on the street, young would be facing criminal charges.

lifetime ban, 1 strike and you're out

Joe

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by ToGreySt

after seing this video, I would vote to lifetime ban his a$$. I had no idea it was this bad. can any of the pro-union people on this board honestly say that this guy got what he deserved? He got hit in the chest with a bat, that was thrown at him from over 20 feet away. If this happend on the street, young would be facing criminal charges.

lifetime ban, 1 strike and you're out

Joe

I do not think anyone has said that a player does not deserve to be suspended. The fact that this incident happen to an umpire and the fact the reality this umpire might not have been properly trained in are two separate issues.

I also do not agree with a lifetime ban. I can see this player being suspended the entire season but that is not going to happen either. I think anywhere from 30-50 would not upset me. This is also not my decision.

Peace

[Rich]

Originally Posted by ToGreySt

after seing this video, I would vote to lifetime ban his a$$. I had no idea it was this bad. can any of the pro-union people on this board honestly say that this guy got what he deserved? He got hit in the chest with a bat, that was thrown at him from over 20 feet away. If this happend on the street, young would be facing criminal charges.

lifetime ban, 1 strike and you're out

Joe

My God. I hadn't seen the video until now and thought it was just a little flick of the bat. If that had hit him in the face, it could've knocked him out.

I mean, this quote from the article:

Originally Posted by Some moron rat out of touch with reality

"It wasn't violent, and I don't feel it was meant to hit him," he said.

I'd hate to see it if it WAS violent and it DID mean to hit him.

Oh, and this:

Originally Posted by What this guy's really like

In Double-A ball last year, Young was suspended for three games by the Southern League for bumping the chest of plate umpire Jeff Latter.

So either the AMLU guy is an idiot or Latter isn't "professionally trained" cause goodness knows that a "professionally trained" umpire would've handled this situation differently. Maybe the AMLU guy's just a professionally trained idiot.

And to me, it looked like a routine, everyday ejection.

[LakeErieUmp]

On that point I agree with you completely PWL. We agree far more than we disagree.