It's the SCABS fault, It's the SCABS fault

[your boss]

Steinbrenner rails about umpire
BY CHRISTIAN RED
New York Daily News

NEW YORK - Umpire Adam Dowdy may have called his last game behind the plate if George Steinbrenner gets his way.

After ejecting Joe Torre and Toronto skipper John Gibbons in the span of one inning Sunday, Dowdy incurred the wrath of The Boss as the Yankee owner left the Stadium following the Bombers' 4-1 victory.

"I think it's a crime that the league would assign a rookie umpire to a crucial series like this. It's just stupid," Steinbrenner roared. "I'm really P.O.'d at the league for sending those kinds of umpires - a rookie umpire in here to do this series. We're going to see them (Monday)."

In other words, Bud Selig can expect a visit from either The Boss himself or another Yankee official Monday. Dowdy has been called up to the majors before but is not a full-time big-league umpire.

"I have no comment," MLB spokesman Pat Courtney said when told about Steinbrenner's eruption. Courtney added that if Steinbrenner comes to the MLB offices on Monday, he would likely meet with vice president of umpiring Mike Port and Jimmie Lee Solomon, executive VP of baseball operations.

It is well-known that Steinbrenner regularly sends Yankee executives to baseball's Park Avenue offices to complain about umpiring. But Sunday's fireworks were too much for The Boss to stomach without commenting himself.

"He called terrible. Terrible. He was a rookie," Steinbrenner fumed. Asked if a veteran should have been behind the plate, The Boss quickly agreed: "That's right. They should. That's exactly right. You hit it right on the head."

Dowdy tossed Torre after Blue Jays DH Shea Hillenbrand whiffed to end the top of the fifth. Mike Mussina glared and jawed with Dowdy the whole way back to the dugout and then Torre expressed his opinion by holding up three fingers - as if to tell Dowdy he had missed on three crucial pitches during Lyle Overbay's and Hillenbrand's at-bats. Overbay walked to load the bases with two out before Hillenbrand whiffed for the third time, ending the Toronto threat. Gibbons was tossed a half-inning later for arguing balls and strikes.

[PeteBooth]

First off your title It's the Scabs Fault It's the scabs fault is not correct.

The fault is with Major league Baseball and the Professional Baseball Umpires Union.

If Major league baseball really cares about umpiring (which IMO they do not), then a Brand New Structure needs to be developed. If you want to attract the "Cream of the Crop" then you have to have a system where the Minor league Umpires do not get paid "Peanuts"

Here's an example; Why do you think it's very difficult to get into the IVY league Schools?

Answer : Yes you need the grades plus "extras" but more importantly, look at the starting salaries of the individuals who graduate from say Harvard compared to other schools.

In addition, the Major League Umpires Union should seek out the services of retired Officials ala Steve Palermo to become mentors. Too many of these supposedly "young guns" do not know how to handle the professional game. I have been watching baseball for a long time and yesterday's plate performance by Adam Young was simply horrible. For a Pro Umpire, his zone was the worst I've seen. It was inconsistent to say the least. Yes we had Eric Gregg but his zone was large for both sides.

Adam Young was also "lucky" in that Joe Torre is calm. Suppose you had Billy Martin on one side and Lou Pinella on the other now that would have been fire-works.

Perhaps just perhaps if major league baseball starts to take "hits" from the "Boss" plus the players union maybe something will be done. However, my gut tells me that yesterday's incident will become a thing of the past as time goes on.


Bottom Line a new Structure needs to take place if you want to attract the "best" as in the Harvard Example. There are probably many Umpires out there who could become good but because of financial constraints can't take the chance.

Pete Booth

[LMan]

Yeah, that incident never woulda happened with a professional behind the plate

[David B]

Originally Posted by LMan

Yeah, that incident never woulda happened with a professional behind the plate

Exactly, we never see manager getting tossed in MLB anymore.

And I can't remember the last time I saw a pitcher who has struggled all year complaining about a close pitch being not called a strike.

Thanks
David

[mattmets]

Originally Posted by your boss

"I think it's a crime that the league would assign a rookie umpire to a crucial series like this. It's just stupid," Steinbrenner roared. "I'm really P.O.'d at the league for sending those kinds of umpires - a rookie umpire in here to do this series. We're going to see them (Monday)."

A crucial series like this? It's APRIL 30 FOR CRISSAKES. This is the owner of a struggling team who is fighting for the back pages in NYC. Was Adam's zone terrible? Possibly. I didn't see the game, so I can't comment. But I've seen Adam work the plate three times, and every time he has had discussions with managers and has never tossed any of them.

[LMan]

How does a 'rookie' get MLB experience without working games? Let's get George some replacement umpires and see how he likes that!



....and......April 30........against the Blue Jays? Crucial?

I would think George ought to worry more about why the Devil Rays keep winning at Yankee Stadium....now THATS a 'crucial series'

[Thump]

Adam had a good game. The pitches were close, but they were correctly called. Ejections don't mean you had a bad game. Steinbrenner is a whiner.

[jwwashburn]

Originally Posted by Thump

Adam had a good game. The pitches were close, but they were correctly called. Ejections don't mean you had a bad game. Steinbrenner is a whiner.

I'll take your word for it, I did not see the game.

But, I dunno...you can really see pitches well from the dugout

Joe

[briancurtin]

yeah, big series right there. someone call the waaaambulance for steiny.
steinbrenner probably cries in games that the yankees win if a bad call goes against one of his pets.

also, what do "scabs" have to do with this story?

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by briancurtin

also, what do "scabs" have to do with this story?

Perhaps the author is covered with scabs and causes him to think irrationally.

[LakeErieUmp]

Well don't forget every rookie the YANKEES bring up hits 1.000 and has an era of 0.00

[orangeump]

dear moderator, can you please delete this thread as it is a slap in the face to Mr. Dowdy whom is NOT a scab at all.

He has many, many games at the Major League level and does NOT deserve to have his name associated with replacement umpires.

He has earned his way to Yankee Stadium and should NOT be called a scab.

Please take that into consideration; and for all of you (and I know there are some) that are going to come back and bash me, please feel free. I will NOT be responding to anything else in this thread. This includes all of you windbags out there who know every detail about every aspect of umpiring. I just respect the profession and the good, young umpires coming up and feel this is a total slap in the face of someone that has worked hard for years to get to this point and now has someone call him a scab, that is uncalled for.

[mcrowder]

Actually, I took the "scabs" title of this post to be sarcasm - along the lines of "the sky is falling!" Since there are so many around (here and elsewhere) blaming the fall of Western Civilization on Replacement Umpires...

Methinks someone needs to buy a funny bone,

[mcrowder]

Oh, and Orange - your threat to us that you will not respond is very worrisome. Where would the rest of us be without your THREE posts since August 2003?

[orangeump]

Originally Posted by mcrowder

Oh, and Orange - your threat to us that you will not respond is very worrisome. Where would the rest of us be without your THREE posts since August 2003?

I am breaking my code of silence already in order to say that I just deleted a majority of my posts, something around 30ish probably. I am not a post whore, nor do I delight in having my unlearned opinion heard on every single subject like many people on this board.

Thanks.