Yet another manager meltdown

[Dakota]

Originally Posted by NCASAUmp

I don't think it was characterized as a lack of stones in the umpires' ball bags... I believe what Mike was referring to was the lack of stones in the MLB heirarchy.

Maybe he meant that, but what he said was the umpires were not displaying the integrity they claim to have.

Originally Posted by NCASAUmp

There's no excuse for a bench-clearing brawl, period. It should not be tolerated. Period. MLB needs to step up and address the situation sternly, unlike the way they're handling the steroid issue. Period.

I agree on the steriod issue, because I think that is damaging to the game itself. On the bench-clearing, etc., I don't agree. As I said, I haven't seen the latest video of a manager meltdown, but based on what you typically see at MLB games these days, I don't think there is a problem.

Managers v Umpires is part of the show, just like the good guys v villians setups in professional wrestling. MLB umpires know that going in. It is part of their job description.

In fact, if anything, I think the modern game is too sanitized. They have effectively taken the brush back pitch out of the game, and have instead inserted the umpires into what should be player on player discipline.

Quoting from the article I linked,

So it's really not so bad anymore, although we're going through quite a messy stretch here as the weather starts to heat up. But today it's more like the sheep dog and the coyote in the old cartoons. They blow each other up with dynamite, push one another off of a cliff and generally beat on each other until the dinner whistle blows, ending their shift.

Then they drop the bazookas, shake hands and go home.

JMO.

[CecilOne]

Aha, the essence of the problem:

"Managers v Umpires is part of the show"

"too many amateur players and their coaches (and fans) seem to think that behavior should be copied"

[IRISHMAFIA]

Actually, I did mean the umpires didn't have the courage to do it. But, then again, they are just doing the job for which they are paid. And they wouldn't have that job the following year if they did unless their leadership could smack some sense into the owners.

BTW, when was the last time you have actually argued with a player, coach or manager? I gave that up a long time ago. They rant, rave, hit the magic button and I calmly inform them of their pending departure. I refuse to play the stooge for these guys. If they want to get their team psyched up, he is going to have to find another way then getting a rise out of me.