Wake up you guys!

[kylejt]

Tim Timmons goes ape**** in a game, and brings the number to two stupid things that MLB umpires have done to us this week, and you guys are still slapping each other about foultips and timing plays signals.

First we have foul balls turning fair, and now we have firstbase umpires going after BR's. Nice job Tim, and way to back it up with blown call, just for fun. Yikes! Open mouth, and insert the Honigs hightop.

Come on now! Watch Sports Center! Move it along!

[SanDiegoSteve]

Sorry, Kyle. I'm in the hospital, and the TV's here don't get ESPN.

Timmons blew up a while back, didn't he? He's another I'm not overly impressed with.

Some of my favorites:

Laz Diaz, Ted Barrett, Dan Iasognna, Ed Rapuano, Jeff Kellogg, Tom Hallion, Mark Hirschbeck, Ron Barnes.

Least favorites:

Bob Davidson, Chris Gucionne, Ed Hickox, Kerwin Danly, Ed Montague.

Still, overall they are all damn good umpires, I just like some more than others.

[aceholleran]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

Sorry, Kyle. I'm in the hospital, and the TV's here don't get ESPN.

Laz Diaz, Ted Barrett, Dan Iasognna, Ed Rapuano, Jeff Kellogg, Tom Hallion, Mark Hirschbeck, Ron Barnes.

a) feel better, heal well, friend.

b) yes, I'm chest-puffing. The Hirshbecks Dan I. and Ed Rap. are all from CT--a small state. John H. and Dan are from neighboring towns, Bridgeport (my hometown) and Stratford. Ed is from New Haven some 20 miles away. I've worked many games with is dad, and one with Eddie.

I know Greg Kosc came from Stratford as well, and I'm pretty sure Terry Tata was from Cheshire.

Not bad for us li'l Nutmeggers.

Ace

[MidMadness]

I was embarrassed by Tim Timmons behavior last night. Acted like a complete jerk, sticking his nose where it didn't belong, and then....can't even get the call at first right!! To busy focusing on the wrong things. Holy****...That was horrible.

[BBall_Junkie]

As a basketball official, I am not going to comment on whether it was or was not horrible on Timmons part b/c I don't know.

I was at the game last night in the third row behind the Astros dugout (first base line) when the mayhem broke out. As a sports fan and an official, like many of you I find myself watching the officiating a lot b/c you can always pickup game management techniques in every contest. So I was a little surprised, as was the rest of the crowd, when there was a VERY heated argument on the first play of the game on a very routine ground out. I watched very closely from that point on and was surprised that Clark was not tossed.

I was not surprised when Cirillo got dumped after impaling his helmut into the ground. (I don't care who you are, how much you make, if you are mad at yourself, or how wrong the call was... that is never acceptable)Nor was I surprised when Yost got dumped for coming out to argue for the second time in the inning. I was surprised that he was called out, b/c I thought he made beat the throw (I am an Astros fan btw).

According to the Milwaukee paper, link below, Timmons "started" the fireworks by instigating the fracas with Clark. It also said that the replay clearly showed that it was a blown call and was and "it wasn't even close". Keep in mind this is the rag of the team whose best player and manager were tossed so may be a bit biased. The Houston Chronicle makes no mention of what the argument was about only that it occured and that Yost and Cirillo were tossed.

I do find it interesting that in Baseball the umps and players/coaches get into heated arguments back and forth. This is never true in basketball. It is alway one way, until we hear enough and then we "T" and Toss!

I look forward to reading the thoughts of the baseball umpire crowd on this particular situation.

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=489804

[Tim C]

Tim Timmons, The Master of the Ankle High Strike, "seems" to have reverted to what umpires "used" to be -- if he really did bark at Brady Clark for stepping out at the plate then he entered himself into another umpires domain. (Not unheard of since we saw Angel Hernendez toss Mariono Duncan long distance this year.)

Most of all it is just August (The Dog Days) when everyone is tired.

I only watched a few highlights -- I read the attched article -- and know that there will never be an annonced fine or suspension for the umpire so the issue is probably moot (or mute to some of our posters).

Regards,

[mattmets]

Originally Posted by aceholleran

a) feel better, heal well, friend.

b) yes, I'm chest-puffing. The Hirshbecks Dan I. and Ed Rap. are all from CT--a small state. John H. and Dan are from neighboring towns, Bridgeport (my hometown) and Stratford. Ed is from New Haven some 20 miles away. I've worked many games with is dad, and one with Eddie.

I know Greg Kosc came from Stratford as well, and I'm pretty sure Terry Tata was from Cheshire.

Not bad for us li'l Nutmeggers.

Ace

Terry Tata's sister used to live up the street from me, and I delivered her newspaper when I was 7. I also went to high school with Terry's grandson a whole 3 years ago.

All of this is random, I know, but like you said, for CT, to have quite a few big league guys is something to be proud of.


Tee, on your comment in regards to Timmons being "The Master of the Ankle High Strike", did you see any of the Mets-Rockies game last night? Marty Foster was just brutal, not only calling the low strike, but being terribly inconsistent with it. I know it was tough as a fan to watch that game just for the inconsistency Marty showed.

[mattmets]

Just got this little nugget from ESPN in regards to the Timmons play:

"As we all know, tie goes to the runner."

ESPN, once again proving their incompetence in everything sports.

[Sal Giaco]

I"ll take a stab at this but I can only speculate since I wasn't there...

The home plate umpire was Travis Reininger, a AAA/MLB call up. Brady Clark, the first batter of the game, took a 1-0 pitch for a called strike on the outside corner. Clark took exception to the call by walking away from the plate and taking a little extra time before getting back in the box. Tim Timmons, the first base umpire, thought that Clark was showing up the "rookie" Reininger by "silently" arguing what was, at that time, only the second pitch of the game.

So, after Clark grounded out to first base, Timmons stuck up for his partner by yelling at Clark. I think Timmons wanted to make sure Clark understood that he was not going to take advantage of his young partner behind the plate, especially on the second pitch of the ball game. Clark was not ejected because he really didn't do or say anything that would cause him to be ejected but Timmons wanted to let him know that his actions at the plate were not appreciated. A few batters later, Timmons missed a close play at first base and the fireworks ensued with a couple of ejections.

I think Timmons heart was in the right place in that he wanted to protect his young partner. Unfortuneatly, he went about it in the wrong way and it hurt him in the end. I think his emotions were running high after that exchange with Clark which may have caused him to lose his focus later in the inning. I applaud him for having Reininger's back but unfortunately, I think the way he went about it blew up on him.

A wise man once told me that when it comes to officiating, you're always just one play away from being the lead story on Sports Center.

Just my 2 cents

[RonRef]

Originally Posted by aceholleran

a) feel better, heal well, friend.

b) yes, I'm chest-puffing. The Hirshbecks Dan I. and Ed Rap. are all from CT--a small state. John H. and Dan are from neighboring towns, Bridgeport (my hometown) and Stratford. Ed is from New Haven some 20 miles away. I've worked many games with is dad, and one with Eddie.

I know Greg Kosc came from Stratford as well, and I'm pretty sure Terry Tata was from Cheshire.

Not bad for us li'l Nutmeggers.

Ace

Please don't brag about Greg Kosc!

[GarthB]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

Sorry, Kyle. I'm in the hospital, and the TV's here don't get ESPN.

Having been there, I wouldn't wish a hospital stay on my worst enemy...an you aren't even in the top 10.

Best wishes and get well.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Thanks, Garth. I just got the news that I'm getting sprung today. Apparently, the antibiotics are working, and surgery will be avoided for this Diverticulitis of the Descending Colon.. I was in a world of pain.. The pain is down from a 10 to around 4 or 5 (drugs are a wonderful thing).

Thanks Ace and all other well-wishers for the kind words. Thanks to my buddy Tim (bigUmp56) for the phone call last night.

Garth, it's good to know I'm not in your top 10 (yet).

[GarthB]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

Thanks, Garth. I just got the news that I'm getting sprung today. Apparently, the antibiotics are working, and surgery will be avoided for this Diverticulitis of the Descending Colon.. I was in a world of pain.. The pain is down from a 10 to around 4 or 5 (drugs are a wonderful thing).

I know the ten scale well. I had surgery in June to remove a kidney stone that was too large to pass and not positioned well for "blasting." My morephine drip was my best friend for three days.

[UmpJM]

Steve,

Bummer.

Best wishes for a full and speedy recovery.

JM

[SanDiegoSteve]

Thanks John.

I'm feeling much better than I did Monday night when it felt like a mule kicked me in the side and came back for seconds in the front!

Surgery avoided, and that was my main cocern.

I'm going to make some drastic changes in my diet, and I plan to get into better shape. I've been lazy for too long now, and it's going to kill me if I don't knock it off.