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!

I watched part of the game last night.

I don't know this Bruce guy personally, so I have nothing against "him", but...

Now that he has reached his milestone, he needs to go bye-bye.

He is in no shape to be working as an official in any sport other than Arm Wrestling.

He is basically calling pitches standing up, because he can't get down. Good thing he is short.

I'm sorry, but there are too many good umpires trying to work their way up that have respect for themselves, the game, and the job. If umpiring weren't a "Tenure" position, we would have a lot better umpires in the MLB.

And just for the record, I feel the same for people in positions of protecting public safety (Police, Fire, EMT, etc.), or where physical conditioning is a requirement of the job you are doing.

Oh, and don't get me started on the theory of "Tenure" !

Actually the theory of tenure is fairly solid. The implementation of it, however, leaves a lot to be desired.

Do you mean because there is no accountability once someone receives tenure?

And to Nick: I was looking and Bruce hasnt received a postseason assignment since the 2003 NLDS. Coincidence?

I must disagree with you Nick.

Bruce Froemming has always been quick on his feet, as are many overweight people. Maybe the perception is that he is fat and out of shape, but he can still motor around the ballfield just fine. I've seen him on rotations, and he may not be as fast as he once was, when he routinely challenged and beat skinny guys in match races, but he can still get to all of his positions. He hustles when he needs to hustle, and doesn't when he doesn't need to hustle.

Yes, he is short. Short people don't have to get down lower. His head height ends up the same as the tall people working the GD stance. He has been working the scissors for years, and has no need to get any lower because he's already there. He doesn't stand like that because he "can't get down." He can get down, and boogie too! I wish sometimes that I was short like he is, because it looks so darn comfortable and effortless, which is also one of the benefits of the much ballyhooed Gerry Davis ™ © ® stance, as well.

If you don't think a man with Bruce Froemming's integrity and accomplishments has respect for the game, the job, or himself, then you're right...you don't know him at all.

Just something I noticed while watching the ceremony at Fenway for Bruce, 31-year vet Ed Montague (or a dead ringer for him) was there behind Bruce the whole time. Also, during the meeting at home plate, it seemed like Brian Runge and Paul Emmel stood back, while Bruce and Mike Winters held the conference. I only mention this because one of the articles I read noted that Bruce and Mike have worked almost 900 games together.

Congrats to Bruce, and hopefully we'll see one last playoff appearance for Bruce before he retires.

Properly administered,that wouldn't be the case. Unfortunately, many administrators would rather "go along" than stand up for what is right.

Oh, God, please, no.

Why not? Please elaborate.

I would rather remember Bruce as he umpired at game #4000 than as he does at game #5000. I don't believe he is as sharp, as good, or as mobile as he was. It's kind of like watching Willy Mays after he hung around after being traded from the Giants to the Mets.


Bruce was a great umpire, but as Willy, I think he has hung around a year or two too long.

Scary thing about that positioning is if he calls the runner safe, and Pudge wants to throw somewhere to try to get another out, ole Bruce is right in the way.

At the same time, he probably couldn't have seen the play from anywhere else then where he was standing. Pudge had the plate strattled with his knees on the dirt, no where else to see what was going on then where Bruce was.

Let's not just give him a playoff series because he has been around for 5000 games. He should earn it on his performance, not a life time achievement award!

I have to disagree with you on his size. He is getting paid over $350,000 to umpire, is it too much to ask that he and all other umpires be in shape. The NBA and NFL put restrictions on their officials size, why not MLB! If he was 20 years old and going to umpire school he wouldn't even make it to the minors.

If Angel Hernandez can get a World Series assignment why can't Bruce work a Division Series?

Really can't argue with you on this one!!!

Didn't your mother ever tell you that two wrongs don't make it right?

nice call
 

My son is a huge Red Sox fan and he thought he was out.

I agree with him. If the ball beats you that badly, you're going to be out
every time.

Bruce might be getting old, but he's still hanging in there with all of the young guys and he still has a lot of respect from the players.

Thanks
David

Nope.

And I still don't think Bruce is that bad of an umpire, even for his age and supposed weight and out of shape problems.

Supposed weight and out of shape problems...do you have a TV set?

So much respect that they once again rated him in the bottom ten of MLB umpires.

Source: SI Players Survey

{nelson} ha HA! {/nelson}

According to the 2003 survey, most of the "bad ratings" came from players with 2 years or less in the bigs.

And that is relevant to the 2006 survey how?

They also rated Joe West in both the top AND bottom 10. How much credence do you realyl lend to that poll?

A lot from the players perspective. Remember, I posted in reponse to a claim that Bruce had the respect of the players. Hopefully we don't need to present a lesson in statistics. Given the number of responses from the population surveyed, the results should be reliable indicators of player attitudes. This was, afterall, an attitudinal study, not a research of fact.

The listing of Joe in both top and bottom ten bears out the claim by some players that Joe is the kind of ump you love or hate...no middle ground.

Garth,

Remember, the bottom 10 of them is better than the top 10 of any of us. Or so I've been told.:)

Where are the comments?
 

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/appho...241&sportId=10
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/appho...223&sportId=10
Usually I wait for others to post a statement about something this important. I am still waiting. I promise not to write a 2-3 page disertation about Bruce reaching a career milestone. I was hoping some of you would start a new thread or write some kind words or relate some personal first hand info about Bruce.
http://search.espn.go.com/keyword/se...ng&page=images

How did he celebrate
 

the night after the big game?

Notes: Plate umpire Bruce Froemming was hit by pitches three times. The first one hit his shoulder and the second one hit Biggio before bouncing off the top of his right hand in the fifth inning. The game was stopped for a couple of minutes after the second one while an Astros trainer wrapped a bandage around his hand. The third one came in the fifth, when a pitch by Oswalt hit him in the left arm. The game was stopped again for a bit while trainers attended to him before he returned to the game.
Associated Press
Posted: 22 hours ago
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/6699610

Notes: First base umpire Bruce Froemming was honored on Monday for passing umpire Bill Klem for most consecutive years of service for an active major league umpire with 37. He was presented a plaque between the fifth and sixth innings.
Associated Press
Posted: 1 day ago
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/6695264

At least the news coverage made it into the bottom notes of the game coverage.

Possible answers: 1 dose of midol, 2 ejections of Biggio and a catcher, 3 doses of alleve, or 4 bags of ice