It's organized minor league baseball. It's embarrassing, IMO. If they want to force umpires to tolerate this, fine, but I wouldn't at any game I worked.

probably not through the whole 20 minutes...but I would for a couple minutes. But that is just me..I really don't take a manager's tirade too seriously. Let em do it...boot em..then laugh about what an idiot he looked like.

I have a hard time believing that. If you were getting paid to work the league you would put up with it or quit.

Look yesterday, Jim Leyland was on the field for 6 minutes (Sportscenter timed it) and Lou Pinella was on the field for nearly 5 minutes with his tirade.

Its all about entertainment. We grew up in the same era to know Earl Weaver and his showboating along with Billy Martin.

Certainly I wouldnt' put up with it in my games - I'd call security and get them run, but then I don't work for MLB.

We might not like it, but I agree with John Kruk, this is MLB and the umpires get paid to go along with the entertainment.

Thanks
David

No. They get paid to handle it. You're confusing MLU game management with "going along with the entertainment." Trust me. They are not "going along with it", nor are them amused by juvenile rants or tantrums by a-holes. I've spoken with umpires who worked games with Earl Weaver in attendance. Not one had a favorable comment.

I've read their books also and the ones that I've read all had very amusing stories to tell about managers who went off the deep end.

I know what you are saying, its no fun to be made fun of, but bottomline is that we as umpires, "that's what we do".

We're big enough and thick skinned enough to do the job in spite of the idiot managers at all levels that we face.

Where would we be as umpires without the stories that we have to tell, and most all of the good stories revolve around ... that's right an ejection of a coach.

Sure we all complain about it, me included, but its who we are.

At least that's the way I see it.

thanks
David

Nothing like a rat.. but did you notice the door he was going into was an add for an institute.... ahhhh mental possibly?? it may be awhile before he gets to see himself.

I thought what Phillip Wellman did was absolutely dead wrong. You can list all of the individual things he did (charging the PU, throwing his hat, etc.) but the grenade toss was the ultimate embarrasment. It showed that he'd been thinking about something like this for a while. You never saw Weaver or Martin or in today's time Bobby Cox do something like this. They argue, they cuss, they toss their cap; that's all within the realm of what's accepted (I don't mean it won't earn them an EJ only that it's not out bounds when it comes to a suspension).

My guess is that Schuerholz either fires him or suspends him for a while after this.

Go to the game report on Milb.com. Brent Rice, the PU, got three more Braves players in the game including ex-NCSU pitcher (my alma mater) Joey Devine. Would have liked to have seen those on the footage also.

Lawrence

I can understand the idea of encouraging entertainment and filling the seats. But I would also like to think that the owners have some respect for the game, and that they understand that thousands of youth team coaches are going to imitate these clowns.

I know, I'm hopelessly naive.

You are completely correct, and I agree with that 100 percent. I would imagine its even worse today because of television that makes even more out of it.

I know the umpires don't think of it as entertainment, but I'm sure MLB does or they wouldn't allow it.

I've maintained for years that baseball is weak in this regard because there is no penalty to the team for the coach acting like an idiot - basketball - T, football - throw the flag, baseball - null.

Thanks
David

Actually, baseball has the most severe penalty, ejection. Some complain that we don't have something less severe like a "T" or 15 yards for USC.

phillip wellman got a 3 game suspension. extremely light if you ask me.

C'mon! Admit it.
Garth caught you spelling in metric. :)

That was from the team. The league is yet to act.