i’m with you trying to drop some lbs now before thanksgiving hits.

The way I read that, throwing it around the horn should be illegal. Why do they not enforce this rule either?

We should all strive to be as chiseled as bigleagues.

Talk about showing up the umpire… someone should go back and review that.

Incidentally, I’m 35 lbs over weight – so the pot is calling the kettle black.

Also against the rules, impeding a runner’s path without possession of the ball…when was the last time a runner was called safe because the catcher blocked the runner’s access without the ball? The rule book is even specific about the fact that the catcher is not allowed to block the plate until he has the ball.

Is it worse to be unfamiliar with the rules (like most fans) or to be familiar with them and still refuse to enforce them (like umpires)?

No one pays to watch the umpires, we’ve said it over and over. They add nothing to the game besides controversy. I say try it for a series with robots. I bet the catcher stays in the whole game.

Alternatively, you can put the pitch track up on the jumbo-tron and mike the umps. This way there is transparency and they get some of that attention they crave, just like the players. Now, like the players, their every move, mistake, good call & bad call are part of the viewing experience. When Martin gets tossed we’d have known exactly what he said to irritate Schrieber so. Since the umps play calling is part of the game the microphone is as necessary as a camera on the baselines for viewing experience. Lets try that first, then, if lard ass there can’t get in line and let the players play ball in a fair manner, we’ll all know why.

I hope to hell you never serve on a jury. The facts won’t matter, just what you want to believe.

Maybe he was wrong. Maybe Martin was wrong. But you don’t know.

So why do you keep ragging on the umpire when you don’t have a friggin’ clue what actually was said?

Check swing:
“Did he go?”
“Yes he did?”
“Darn, I thought I held up.”
“You are outta here”
“Phew, I thought that was ball 4″
“Your’e outta here too”

With your stance on the issue, they would have to expand the rosters and allow more coaches, because a hell of a lot of people would be thrown out every game.

“I feel like you’re kind of tight tonight.”

Bob Hope, ladies and gentlemen.

Maybe a player shooting his mouth and getting ejected for breaking the rules is irresponsible. Bet you didn’t think of that in your haste to deify the players, did ya?

No, as long as he doesn’t show up the umpire or argue with him over balls and strikes, he can say a lot of things.

Not turning his head is a time-honored tradition of not showing up the umpire, but there is a lot that can be said without turning the head. Hughes threw 36 pitches, 18 of them for strikes. So even if he walked the two batters on 4-ball counts, that left him with 18 strikes in 28 pitches. Plus, he only got 3 out of 8 first pitch strikes. He was missing a lot.

If you really believe Martin hadn’t said anything to the umpire before then, you’re living in a fantasy world.

Martin says it was a joke on his part. Maybe Martin’s just a complete ass who crossed the line and is trying to blame the umpire instead of taking responsibility for his own actions.

But I guess since ‘Martin said’, that’s all that matters and nothing else that happened is relevant.