Buck on Jordan Baker

[weams]

Was anyone even upset about Sandoval's slide before the HBP? It looked like a normal takeout slide to me.

The team did not even respond at all to it.

[Flosman]

What mistake did the ump make? I don't care what Ubaldo says, he CLEARLY intentionally hit the guy. He may not have meant to hit him as high as he did. But the plunking was intentional. And plunking needs to be removed from the sport. It's not a message. It's dangerous.

Hey this is not Little League and the players in the game have always gotten back when players cross the line. I don't know if he meant it but Panda put his spikes into Schoop's ankle. He got beaned, probably for doing that, it is how the players regulate themselves. Even Panda showed he knew why he got plunked with his gesture to Schoop at the end of the inning.

[backwardsk]

Was anyone even upset about Sandoval's slide before the HBP? It looked like a normal takeout slide to me.

Sandoval's no. Napoli on Cabrera today, yes.

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[SteveA]

OK, maybe did I misread the statement. That said, I still can't see what would possess ANYONE to think that Ubaldo should remain in the game after that pitch. Even as an Orioles fan, taking off the black and orange blinders, it's pretty clear to me.

Had this been in reverse and Chris Davis had committed a hard slide into 2nd and then in his next AB he gets plunked on his very first pitch by a Boston pitcher, you can bet fans here would be crying bloody murder that he should be thrown out.

As for keeping the game under control, yes, Jordan Baker caused a little shakeup with the ejection call. But that game could have gotten way further out of hand had that been allowed to continue. Jordan Baker made the right call.

So you are saying that watching the game, as soon as you saw that pitch, you thought Ubaldo would and should be tossed?

It was the farthest thing from my mind, and I watch a lot of baseball.

Warning? Maybe. Immediate toss? No way.

[olehippi]

OK, maybe did I misread the statement. That said, I still can't see what would possess ANYONE to think that Ubaldo should remain in the game after that pitch. Even as an Orioles fan, taking off the black and orange blinders, it's pretty clear to me.

Had this been in reverse and Chris Davis had committed a hard slide into 2nd and then in his next AB he gets plunked on his very first pitch by a Boston pitcher, you can bet fans here would be crying bloody murder that he should be thrown out.

As for keeping the game under control, yes, Jordan Baker caused a little shakeup with the ejection call. But that game could have gotten way further out of hand had that been allowed to continue. Jordan Baker made the right call.

Obviously, you missed your calling. You could have been an umpire just like Jordan Baker.

[Il BuonO]

Was anyone even upset about Sandoval's slide before the HBP? It looked like a normal takeout slide to me.

The team did not even respond at all to it.

MLB network just ran a segment and showed the A's vs Royals game last night and Lawrie sliding into 2B. It was just as questionable as Sandoval sliding into Schoop except for how Escobar's teammates reacted. Here's the difference: Schoop at 225 lbs is more sturdy than Escobar at 185 and he's built like a rock.

If Jon would have been taken out like Escobar we very likely could have seen a different reaction from those around the play and THEN the ejection of Jimenez may have, MAY HAVE been justified.

And of course MIF are no where near as valuable as catchers so why in the world would we consider the same rules for them when it comes to safety?

[Rich Mac]

I think that the biggest point is being missed in all of this. MLB currently has a system where players can be immediately ejected by knee-jerk, emotional reactions from the umpires.

I really don't believe there was any nefarious intention from the umpire when he ejected Ubaldo. I really don't believe there was incompetence either. Even though this umpire doesn't have the same experience as many others, you simply don't make it to the MLB level without significant knowledge of the game and an extremely strong competency to umpire a baseball game. He made a very quick decision that only after about 5 or 10 seconds of thought was clearly wrong, yet there was no way to back down from it.

Before any participant is ejected from the game, the umpires should be required to make a quick conference. The crew should have to make a decision on the ejection at that point. Either that person immediately has to leave the field of play or they remain with possible warnings being issued to both teams.

I believe that we would have seen a quick 15-20 second conference after the HBP where the umpires would have made the reasonable decision that Ubaldo was simply wild on the inside pitch. Both benches could have been warned and we would have probably already forgotten about what happened.

[HokieOs]

So you are saying that watching the game, as soon as you saw that pitch, you thought Ubaldo would and should be tossed?

It was the farthest thing from my mind, and I watch a lot of baseball.

Warning? Maybe. Immediate toss? No way.

Honestly wasn't home from work yet at that point. But in seeing it, my first thought was "I don't see the controversy". I know it's not often something that warrants ejection. My point is that it unquestionably should. The "I'm going to bean you because you slighted my team somehow" mentality has to go.

[Can_of_corn]

Honestly wasn't home from work yet at that point. But in seeing it, my first thought was "I don't see the controversy". I know it's not often something that warrants ejection. My point is that it unquestionably should. The "I'm going to bean you because you slighted my team somehow" mentality has to go.

Then so should the take out slide.

[MurphDogg]

I think that the biggest point is being missed in all of this. MLB currently has a system where players can be immediately ejected by knee-jerk, emotional reactions from the umpires.

I really don't believe there was any nefarious intention from the umpire when he ejected Ubaldo. I really don't believe there was incompetence either. Even though this umpire doesn't have the same experience as many others, you simply don't make it to the MLB level without significant knowledge of the game and an extremely strong competency to umpire a baseball game. He made a very quick decision that only after about 5 or 10 seconds of thought was clearly wrong, yet there was no way to back down from it.

Before any participant is ejected from the game, the umpires should be required to make a quick conference. The crew should have to make a decision on the ejection at that point. Either that person immediately has to leave the field of play or they remain with possible warnings being issued to both teams.

I believe that we would have seen a quick 15-20 second conference after the HBP where the umpires would have made the reasonable decision that Ubaldo was simply wild on the inside pitch. Both benches could have been warned and we would have probably already forgotten about what happened.

I agree with this wholeheartedly. Especially when a warning hasn't been issued, a quorum should be required to eject a player for any offense other than arguing.

[Nevermore]

Happened just tonight. Yordano Ventura ejected after plunking Oakland's Brett Lawrie.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-league-stew/royal-retaliation--yordano-ventura-ejected-after-beaning-brett-lawrie-001233932.html

The hostilities that developed between the Oakland A's and Kansas City Royals on Friday night spilled over into Saturday's rematch.

After serving up a two-run home run to Oakland's Josh Reddick, which capped an A's five-run fourth-inning rally, Kansas City right-hander Yordano Ventura drilled Brett Lawrie with a 99 mph fastball in apparent retaliation for Friday's aggressive slide that left Alcides Escobar injured.

As a result of the beaning, Ventura was immediately ejected by home plate umpire Jim Joyce. It was actually very similar to a scenario that played out in Boston on Friday, when Ubaldo Jimenez was ejected for hitting Pablo Sandoval after an aggressive slide. There were no warnings beforehand in either game and both pitchers were ejected on the spot.

The judgment was debatable in Jimenez's case, however, because Jimenez's command is always iffy. At the time, the game was close and Jimenez was throwing a no-hitter, so he had more to lose than gain. In Ventura's situation, the umpire's reaction seemed appropriate under the circumstances. The A's had just taken a five-run lead, Ventura had a clear motive, and many were already anticipating the event would take place at some point in the evening.

With that in mind, Ventura might be looking at a suspension on top of the ejection, assuming MLB agrees with its umpires.

[MarylandAaron]

Ventura had much more of a motive (his shortstop got injured immediately after the play) and better control of his pitches. He was also frustrated after giving up 5 runs that inning, as opposed to Jimenez who was pitching a shutout. Totally different scenarios, Ventura's ejection is way more justifiable.

[elextrano8]

Indeed. Nor should they be in the business of mind reading ... Plenty of facts to understand the situation with, no need for mind reading.

This came to mind a few games back when Manny lost control of the bat a few games ago. They didn't show where it ended up, but from the poor angle I had it appeared to be the same general direction and strength as the infamous "intentional" bat throw from last season. Without the collective assumption of intention, it passed without comment. If this dude (the terrible ump) hadn't assumed he could read minds, the HBP would've been a note in the box score and not a news story. I've seen comments from the crew chief, who (to paraphrase) stated it was "near the head, hence and automatic ejection" in the same sentence as "the umpire has the option to issue warnings instead of immediate ejection" (which is it? automatic, or one or two options?), but I haven't seen this guy come out of hiding to explain himself. Not that I expect to, but still. Ah in any case, I'm just blowing off steam, because I'm certain that had Ubaldo not been objected, I would've witnessed my first no hitter. Obviously a rational thought process.

[weams]

Honestly wasn't home from work yet at that point. But in seeing it, my first thought was "I don't see the controversy". I know it's not often something that warrants ejection. My point is that it unquestionably should. The "I'm going to bean you because you slighted my team somehow" mentality has to go.

Why do you even need to argue this point? Your first reaction was correct. Talk about Ventura. Not Ubaldo.

[weams]

If this dude (the terrible ump). Ah in any case, I'm just blowing off steam, because I'm certain that had Ubaldo not been objected, I would've witnessed my first no hitter.

You would have. I am certain.