Damon ejection with audio
 

Ever wonder how an on-deck hitter in MLB get's ejected?

http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/NASAp...e.jsp?c_id=nyy

Sept 18, Damon ejected link

This spot saved for a future comment. Let's just say it involves a little bet I have with myself.

Edit: Post 10. I would've lost the bet, as I figured we'd see that about post 5. I was wondering how long it would take before someone accused Miller of baiting Damon. No freaking way. If you open your mouth from the on-deck circle about balls and strikes, you deserve everything that's coming to you.

interesting. Ive always wonder what they say to each other on the feild :D

Did not look like a swing to me, but I guess that's not the point.

That was pretty neat... although i didn't hear what damon said...

Boss:
 

I have listened carefully about 10 times.

Listen "through" the play-by-play:

You hear "something" . . .

Then a voice (I am guessing Bill Miller): "NO, it went all the way across (the plate.")

I am guessing here that Damon was chirping that the bat "barely moved."

Then there is another comment that I cannot hear.

THEN:

Miller takes over.

I "think" that is what I have heard from the start of the video.

Much like Rich, I am reserving my comments.

Regards,

I'm thinking there was more to it that caused Miller to turn to Damon and start in on him. He must have been having a problem with bench jockying before that, or with something Damon said that we didn't hear in the clip.


Tim.

Hmmm,
 

Tim:

I really doubt it . . . obviously I don't know . . .

BUT:

Bill was one of my KEY instructors at the Golden State Camp:

In MLB baseball and in late season I think that small things set people off.

While you could be correct, my experience tells me we "could" have heard the whole thing.

Regards,

After listening to this yesterday a few times and then again tody, I believe you're right Tee.

A righteous ejection.

I watched the video with my two sons (13 and 16, both baseball players), and we all agreed that the Yankee batter did not check his swing. I thought that the PU did a very good job of letting the batter, catcher, and pitcher that the batter did not check his swing and that he had a swinging strike three. While we could not hear what Damon said, the PU umpire's initial response led us to believe the Damon asked whether the third strike was a called strike or a swinging strike. After that we still really couldn't hear was Damon said next, but it is my humble opinion that the PU then baited Damon. As a H.S. and college basketball official for over 35 years (and a H.S. baseball and fastpitch softball umpire for 14 years) I would definitely classify the PU's comments about getting into his business and asking Damon if he wanted to argue balls and strikes as baiting. I know that the MLB is a different animal that H.S. and college sports, but I would have put up the stop sign and informed the batter that balls and strikes were not going to be discussed and then let the player decided if he wants to press the issue.

MTD, Sr.

for some reason the audio isnt working for me. has anyone seen this same clip on any other websites?

mb
 

abua.com or mlb.com

And,
 

Mark, with all due respect, even with your resume you've NEVER worked MLB.

Bill was perfect in what he did at his level.

Regards,

yeah hey guys, orangy back real fast.

There was an article about this situation in which Miller says Torre yelled something and then Damon jumped on him for it.

Thats why he asked if he wanted to get in on his biz-nass.

Back off Miller, he is a bad dude.

During the commentary when the camera is on the Toronto pitcher, you can hear Bill in the background saying "Stop! ----- Johnny! -- Stop it!" Then Bill goes into "Are you getting in my business?" It sounds to me that Bill gave Damon several warnings to knock off the crap. Makes me laugh because Johnny got away with this for years when he played in Boston. He always runs his mouth and finally got payback -- I loved it!

Here's a news article with comments from the parties involved...


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."

___

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 !

I won't let a coach leave his position to talk about it. It is a ball/strike call, and you shouldn't allow anyone to leave their position to argue balls and strikes. Warn them that if they persist in arguing balls and strikes that they will be ejected, and if they continue, eject them. These guys know the rule about arguing balls and strikes.

What about leaving your position to argue balls and strikes do you not understand?

NO offense
 

Did you read Damon's excuse about the 3B umpire. I believe the offense, at any level, doesn't have the right to request a check swing appeal. What Damon did wasn't right. I hope this post doesn't offend anybody. I am on edge today. If I am wrong, I welcome the correct interpretation.

And what don't you get about the argument NOT being about the Strike Zone ?

The question was a matter of if the batter offered at the ball. A judgment call, just like EVERY other call we make, but not related to Balls & Strikes from the point of view of the Strike Zone.

So, yeah, I'll let a coach call time and come out and talk to me about it. And if he does it right, he stays in the game.

But what Damon did, immediate ejection.

The PBUC manual specifically states that arguing a check swing is arguing balls and strikes.

Rich didn't say it was about the strike zone, he said it was about balls and strikes. A checked swing in usually a ball and "yes, he did" is a strike. It doesn't matter that the mechanics are different, if a coach argues about a check swing call, he is arguing balls and strikes.

Hmmm,
 

ANY ball/strike discussion is short and GONE . . . Nick, a checked/unchecked swing at any time is a ball/strike discussion. Your LL background is showing.

Regards,

"Your LL background is showing."

Hey, I did a LL game today.




Of course, it wasn't in Oregon.




I guess that makes us even.

And as you've already been told, you're wrong. A check swing argument is no different than arguing about the strike ZONE. It's arguing balls and strikes. Period.

If you remember correctly, a coach was thrown out in the college world series for coming out to argue a check swing. I can't remember the coach's team (Miami?), but the 1BU gave him the stop sign and you could read his lips- "don't come out here! don't come out here!" He did, and he was tossed immediately.

If I may
 

I believe it was this year's CWS and the 3B ump was involved in the play. I believe the opponent was Oregon State, but I will let someone else closer to the NCAA action correct my possible mistake. I picked this up off the interenet, Game 4 - Miami Fla. 11, Oregon State 1. It was early on in the 1st or second game in Omaha. I know Oregon State did battle back to win it all after an early loss. NO, I wasn't there.