Mockery of the Game???

[Bainer]

We had a situation a year-or-so ago that was handled similarly.
In the late innings of a game with a time curfew, the manager brought in a recently called up pitcher.
He and the catcher could not get on the same page and kept getting crossed up. The catcher must have gone out to talk to him four or five times to straighten things out. It was clear that they weren't intentionally delaying the game, but they were nonetheless.
The offensive team was frustrated, but not really vocal, as they were benefitting from the mixups.
The plate umpire took it upon himself to make a bit of a scene the next time the catcher tried to go out- leading the catcher out to the mound and ordering that he and the pitcher get their acts together and their signals straight NOW.
All this accomplished was blowing the situation out of proportion and drawing attention to it it could have been resolved in a better way.


Bainer.