Bruce to call #5,000
 

A postive story about Bruce in USAToday and how he will be calling his 5,000th MLB game tonight.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseb...roemming_x.htm

I thought it was a very nice ceremony before the Tigers/Red Sox game honoring Bruce Froemming on his 5,000th MLB game. Johnny Pesky brought him the Sox batting order, and he got a nice hand from the crowd. Bruce got to address the crowd briefly, and then said "Play ball!"

And right on cue, got nailed in the collar bone/mask by the eighth pitch of the game!:)

He always gets hit when he is behind the plate during red sox games. two years ago getting one off the wrist,breaking it,and still umping.

It was a great honor for Bruce.

Is this where they used to teach them to stand? I hope that link works-it is a play at the plate from game #5000.


I love how Bruce got right in his face almost before he started arguing.

Joe

He was actually in great position to see the play, but it looks like if the ball beats you, you're out. It seems to look like the runner got his foot in.

I was wrong, it doesn't seem that the runner was safe, there is no doubt that he was safe. Pudge looks surprised that he was called out.

It is not possible to see from that video if Javy Lopez ever even touched the plate. I am not saying that Bruce kicked the call.

I was just commenting on the positioning...I think that they teach them to be behind the plate now, don't they?

Joe

I appeared in live action that he got his foot in before the tag, but from a different angle and in slow motion it sure looks like he was blocked off and came up short. Even the usually-eager-to-jump-on-ump broadcasters said it looked like Bruce got it right after all.

The 1BLX and 3BLX positioning is relatively new. When Bruce learned to umpire, the proponents of these new-fangled ideas were either not born yet or cuddlin' a Cabbage Patch. He just gets in the best position to see the play.

Froemming = 5,000 major league games umpired.

Steve and Joe combined = zero, zilch, zip, nada, the null set MLB games umpired.

See the contrast?:)

The video is a little blurry and the size of a baseball card. How in the world can you say he blew the call?

It was just a little comment I made way back up there about him being different. I twern't sayin he wuz wrong.

And, I DO love how he started jawing at Javy "not a steroid user" Lopez (43 Homers in 2003)

If Bruce would have been 3rd baseline extended he would have never seen the tag or the plate, Pudge would have blocked him out.

I am not a big Bruce fan, I think (my opinion) that Bruce is in the bottom 10% of the league and should have been let go when all the union stuff went down years ago. He kept his job because he is friends with Bud Selig. He is taking up a spot that should have gone to a AAA guys long ago.

Who, Bob Davidson? Balkin' Bob couldn't carry Bruce's jock, but he keeps reappearing for some reason. I don't get the attraction.

SD Steve,

I would include Bob in the bottom 10%! Totally agree that Davidson didn't warrant a rehire to the majors!