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TORONTO -- Johnny Damon seems to wear a perpetual smile. Yet last night, he grew upset enough to earn an unusual ejection.

In the fifth inning of the Yankees' 7-6 victory over the Blue Jays, plate umpire Bill Miller tossed Damon from the on-deck circle, of all places. Damon was arguing Miller's ruling that Hideki Matsui, the Yankees' eighth hitter, went too far and struck out on a check swing.

Damon last was ejected on Aug. 30, 1997, with the Royals, when he charged St. Louis pitcher Mark Petkovsek.

As for last night, "It was just a little disagreement," Damon said. "I said what I saw. Unfortunately, things happened. He rung me."

Damon contended that Miller should have asked third-base umpire, Scott Barry, for help on the call. "That's a tough call to make," Damon said. "There's a third-base ump there for a reason."

Joe Torre said that he scolded Miller for not alerting the manager to Damon's objections. "You have to have some kind of warning," Torre said.

Miller, defending his decision, said, "Torre had made a comment in the dugout. I addressed him. Johnny picked up the argument. I told Johnny, 'Stop. Don't get into the business.' He persisted and was ejected."

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I've watched it three or four times on the video clip. Miller did not bait Johnny Damon. He told him to knock it off and Damon kept on. If someone is yapping at me from the on-deck circle, which hasn't happened lately, I am gonig to handle it. In Pro ball, you can better believe they are going to handle it. As for Torre, I like Joe but he needs to get a grip. As a manager, you should be able to see and hear everything that is going on in front of you. He could have yelled out to Johnny to shut up or run out there and pulled him into the dugout. Instead he wanted Miller to come to him and discuss the problem. That's just not going to happen.

Lawrence

A warning? That's funny!
 

A MLB manager asking about a warning - now that's just too funny!

Torre has been around long enough to know better especially when it comes to balls and strikes at that level.

Thanks
DAvid

Exactly my thoughts!

I am an Yankee fan and I like Damon as a ball player, but he absolutely deserved to get run.

He was not baited. He was told to stop twice and kept going. When the umpire asks him if he wants to get in his business, Johnny has to know that if he continues, he is going to get run.

And Torre talking about a warning is about the silliest thing I've ever heard him say. I guess if falls under the "trying to protect your player" category. But even in that light, is was considerably weak.

Ah, well, it's a long season...

I think we all need to remember that the MLB umpires are nearing the end of a long season just like the players, and they may have a little shorter fuse for this type of behavior. IMO: I am never angry about a Yankee ejection!!!

I admitted that I have never worked MLB, but I really beleive that it was not a good example of what to do at the H.S. level, still I would hope that officials at the MLB level would have exhibited better game management skills that what that video showed. I think baiting a player or coach at any level is poor game management.

MTD, Sr.

Mark, with all due respect, you need to listen again, or perhaps get better speakers.

Miller warned Damon TWICE, before asking him if he want in his "bizness". That's one warning more than many players get.

Damon was not baited. He was stupid.

I don't think anyone is saying that this is a good example of what to do at the HS level. It is the way it is handled at the big league level, and I would say that Torre was responsible for Damon getting run, because he should have told Damon to shut up after the first warning.

Your right, it was not a good example of how to do it at the H.S. level. He should have warned him twice to stop arguing and then just ejected him.

It isn't like he didn't acknowledge what Damon was saying and even gave a quick explanation of what he saw. If after the explanation, Damon continued to argue and then was told twice to stop, he was asking to be ejected.

But whatever happened, he certainly was not baited. Damon ran himself by continuing to press the issue.

That's what I think it was. There's knowing better and then there's what you tell the public through the press. A good manager isn't going to say in public what his player did was stupid. That's the media's job. :D

I talked to Damon after this incident. He told me that there was this hot babe, and... well, let's just say he welcomed an early exit that night...

Players and managers always want a warning. They are warned when I walk on the field. That is there warning and we will go from there.

Clint

you spell like you are from rock hill.

less is more
 

Being at the HS level would not even matter in this type of play. In HS I'm definitely NEVER going to allow an on-deck batter to say anything to me.

Players in HS are there to play - there would be a look (from me) and then there would be a conference (with me and the coach),

then there would be a new on-deck batter ....

thanks
David

In general, I've always like Damon.

That was definitely a swing, and definitely strike three.

If a coach wants to come out and talk to me about it, I'll give him the time of day. But a player...No Way...Good Bye !