Brett Lawrie likely to miss a few games ...

[JudeBaldo]

If umpires had to apologize for making bad calls it would destroy the system. Yeah, you limit it to "egregious blown calls" but where is any line that can be drawn with any measure of anything between "egregious blown calls" and "blown calls"? Nothing requires players to apologize to umps when they go nuts (whether or not they were right), not sure why umps should be held to a higher standard.

For me, all I care about is an ump making a consistently call. If he calls a strike outside of the strike zone consistently a strike for both teams then I'm somewhat okay with that.

[GwynnInTheHall]

Which has been done for time immemorial in baseball. Is it good? Heck no. Throwing your batting helmet at an ump, however, is beyond bad - it's completely unacceptable.

I'm not saying the ump should receive no discipline, just nowhere near what Lawrie got.

Totally disagree- the ump was the impetus for lawries outburst. Could brett have acted differently? sure, but when an ump steps outside of his job to "teach the kid a lesson" which he did in no uncertain terms, then he SHOULD be called out by the player, manager and MLB. But hey accpeting the good ol boy system in somewhat in certain peoples nature, just not mine.


As for the notion that throwing a helmet is soooo bad-- that's crap.

[GwynnInTheHall]

If umpires had to apologize for making bad calls it would destroy the system. Yeah, you limit it to "egregious blown calls" but where is any line that can be drawn with any measure of anything between "egregious blown calls" and "blown calls"? Nothing requires players to apologize to umps when they go nuts (whether or not they were right), not sure why umps should be held to a higher standard.

I'd like to see umps grades published, disciplinary actions, published--make these guys accountable to the players and fans and the maybe they'd work hard to get calls right including a more extensive use of replay. If they can't do that replace their asses with technology and call it a day.

[Mithrandir]

Which has been done for time immemorial in baseball. Is it good? Heck no. Throwing your batting helmet at an ump, however, is beyond bad - it's completely unacceptable.

I'm not saying the ump should receive no discipline, just nowhere near what Lawrie got.

So acting like a bratty child and throwing your helmet is worse than making a wrong call on purpose? Gotta disagree with you there Chance.

[cavebird]

So acting like a bratty child and throwing your helmet is worse than making a wrong call on purpose? Gotta disagree with you there Chance.

Maybe Lawrie just should have gotten his own thread instead of a suspension.

[chancellor]

So acting like a bratty child and throwing your helmet is worse than making a wrong call on purpose? Gotta disagree with you there Chance.

If he'd have thrown it away from people, I'd agree with you. Intentionally or no, he ended up throwing it - hard - at a person. That's much worse in my eyes, since someone could get hurt.

elD - Nice!

[Moonlight J]

and he dropped his appeal today so he's done for the week

[GwynnInTheHall]

"I would like to publicly state that I am deeply sorry for calling that pitch that was four inches outside the zone a strike. I hope that you, the baseball watching public, will accept my apology and know that I hold nothing but remorse in my heart for those that I have hurt with my actions."

that's a start

[Erik]

We DID get an umpire suspension. One game for Bob Davidson for repeated failure to control his temper. Culminating in his tirade against Charlie Manuel a few days ago.

http://www.nesn.com/2012/05/major-league-baseball-gets-it-right-with-suspension-of-bob-davidson-after-umpire-acted-like-total-je.html

[GwynnInTheHall]

Can we have some more please!