Cal League Melee
 

This sounds like it was a wild one:


http://www.jethawks.com/news/game-recaps/view/?id=248

It's no wonder. The Cal League schedule is drawn up by morons, and has been for years. For example: the High Desert Mavericks played the Inland Empire 66ers seven out of the first 12 games this season. They played the Bakersfield Blaze six out of the first nine games at the start of May. Seven consecutive games against the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes in June.

So many games against the same opponent in a short period of time leads to short tempers. And that leads to fights.

Plus, the league president, Joe Gagliardi, has no idea of what the schedule looks like. The 66ers played only 69 (instead of 70) games through June 18. The league changed the situation three times, before being told how to determine the first half winner between Inland and the Mavericks. Gagliardi admitted that he wasn't aware of the problem with the schedule.

Bob

I told you this would happen with replacement umpires...they have no clue how to prevent situations like this from happening. The real MiLB umpires no how to prevent stuff like this from happening.

(grin)

Oh my...where's Jiggy and SoCal1 now? Night, night!

Bull puckey. I was present at a Mavericks' game a few years ago, when a fight erupted. I forget who the visitors were, but it was the same situation. The teams had played multiple games against each other in a short time. And, there were "real" Cal League umps on the field.

And how do you explain all the fights in MLB, with "regular" MLB umps on the field.

Bob

Bob,

I believe I detected a note of irony in the tone of WWTB's comments.

JM

Lets see. The umpires got the call right. Benches cleared. They ejected a few players from both team. The game then continued without another problem.

wWTB, what did they do wrong? Did one of the teams forfeit because the umpires lost control? Sounds to me like they handled this well. Nowhere in this article did the writer say the umpires lost control.

Nice stretch here. No one said that fights would be avoided. We always just said that they would be handled better.

I may not agree with everything you say WWTB. But we have a similar background and even you must admit you were a little off base to say that things like this wouldn't happen with real umpires on the field. Statements like that are just trying to bring back the amlu/scab arguments. Your sarcasm is inapplicable and immature.

Actually, Ben, WTTB is making reference to others, who, during the TOR (time of replacements) made the exact comment that "these fights wouldn't happen if the MiLB umpires were on the field." It is they who were off base at the time.

I think WTTB sees a difference between "trying to bring back the amlu/scab arguments" and zinging a few who were a bit overzealous in their complaints of the replacements. You may not.

I do agree with you that it's time for those on both sides of that issue to move on, but it's just not happening. As a counter to WTTB and others, remember that the AMLU still has a page, available to members only, that lists the replacement umpires and their locations along with a few insults. It would appear that neither side is ready to reconcile.

Pity.

Mr. Arnold,
 

I hope you recover quickly from that humor bypass surgery.:D




Doug

I just got in from an afternoon grind with a couple teams that forgot how to pitch. I needed a drink and a laugh...thankfully I can find both easily.

As a couple members have stated already, my post was to be taken as a sarcastic homage. Those of us who have witnessed the unfurling of the AMLU venom flag for the past ten months know what my words meant. I believe specific names were even cited, so I'm not sure how you could have concluded that it was directed towards you.

It is ironic that a few misguided members thought that 'real' professional umpires know how to settle potential flare ups before they happen. They proferred that warnings would be issued from the league to the crew, the chief would reinforce league policy and issue a warning at the plate meeting. Because they see so many of these teams and know the tensions, they are the only ones who can prevent things like this from occuring. Right! I found it laughable then and when I needed one again, the board did not disappoint.

But let's be clear about the "sides": we're talking about a few MiLB umpires who have a chip on their shoulder for being wrong about how much leverage they had, and for making a bad choice in deciding to strike (bad because they failed to get paid, they failed to get any significant concessions, they failed to get public opinion on their side, and they failed to position themselves well for next time).

The "other side" seems to be a bunch of replacement umpires and others who are piling on, either out of Schadenfreude or mere spitefulness, and adding insult to injury. Although they might be right that some of the AMLU guys who post here could use a little deflating, the point has been made, remade, and made again. It seems to me that it's now merely provocative, and if the AMLU guys don't respond they seem to be the bigger men.

This carping among umpires strikes me as the squabbling of little, beaten men. If there's a systematic problem in MiLB it has to do with how the money gets spread around baseball: there's an unbelievable quantity of money at the top, and drips and dribbles everywhere else. Anyone who is genuinely concerned about how umpiring happens in baseball ought to be thinking a little more about this issue and a little less about whether the replacements or the AMLU are better at preventing brawls on the diamond.

That was articulate, well thought and provocative...unfortunately it was also a tad misguided. The AMLU supporters that spouted the "professionals would handle it better" mantra are embarassed by what is happening now. Further, the AMLU site still has a SCAB page for members to view. It identifies and insults the replacements. When they abandon this endeavor, some of us will do the same. This is not a school yard "he started it" routine, rather it is a call for the ones who began the mess to end it like professionals. Until then, if the stories bore or irritate you, find another hobby.