Nyjer Morgan hit by pitch and NOT awarded first base

[SammyBirdland]

What an absolutely HORRIBLE call by Balkin' Bob Davidson:

http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=16111651&topic_id=&c_id=mlb&tcid=vpp_copy_16111651&v=3

MLB has to do something about these ridiculous attention-loving umpires.

[The Wedge]

The commentators summed it up with one statement: "that was brutal."

And just look at the look of smug satisfaction on Davidson's face after he runs Roenicke...he should be put under review by MLB.

[glenn__davis]

Wow, that was a bad call.

However, that is a rule that should be enforced more often IMO. Too many guys just stand there and let it hit them. Brady was an expert at that.

But in this case, yeah, bad call.

[NewMarketSean]

I can't believe Morgan didn't get ejected.

[Nigel Tufnel]

I'm kind of disappointed that Tony Plush hasn't tweeted about this incident.

[Aglets]

I can't believe Morgan didn't get ejected.

I can't believe he didn't throw his glove over the wall in frustration, or charge the mound, or attack the umpire. Maybe he really is growing up after all these years. *sniff*

[scOtt]

Announcer: "You just would expect more than that from a ML umpire."

No. You wouldn't. *spit*

[BRobinsonfan]

I would have paid money to see the show Weaver would have put on if this call had been made against one of his players. :-)

[PrivateO]

Balkin Bob and Country Joe West need to get out of baseball.

[CrimsonTribe]

Last line of the video: "Now everybody in the ballpark is looking at you..."

Just the way Bob Davidson likes it.

[NewMarketSean]

I just read Davidson's wikipedia profile. How is this guy still an umpire???

[DrungoHazewood]

Don't you guys remember about 10 years ago, before the umps all staged a walkout and got fired? Back then most umps were like this. It's gotten much better.

And glenn__davis was 100% right. They almost never make that call. Maybe it was wrong here, but lots of players don't even pretend to get out of the way. Craig Biggio jacked his career OBP 25 points betting that the umps would never call that rule correctly.

[JamesI]

Don't you guys remember about 10 years ago, before the umps all staged a walkout and got fired? Back then most umps were like this. It's gotten much better.

And glenn__davis was 100% right. They almost never make that call. Maybe it was wrong here, but lots of players don't even pretend to get out of the way. Craig Biggio jacked his career OBP 25 points betting that the umps would never call that rule correctly.

Umps need to make that call sometimes (though this doesn't appear to be one of them). I hate watching players not get out of the way.

I once watched (in a AAA game) a player try to bunt but the ball hit his hand and not the bat. The ump awarded him first base.

[Gurgi]

Dave Johnson would blow a gasket watching this. He already thinks the umpires are awful.

It was a bad call. Morgan was turning away not leaning in.

[ledzepp8]

The only reason I don't agree with Davidson making the call, is because it's never made. So unless MLB is going to instruct the umpires to uniformly enforce the rule, then rogue umpires can't arbitrarily enforce it.

That being said, it sure looked to me like it was the correct call to make. Morgan clearly turned into the ball. It's not like the pitch was coming in blazing at him. If he wanted to get out of the way, he could have turned away from the ball instead of into it.