September 26, 2007
Ump Bumped
MLB suspended Mike Winters over the Milton Bradley incident (hat tip, Baseball Digest Daily).
The decision was made following an investigation during which Bradley, Winters, San Diego first-base coach Bobby Meacham and Colorado first baseman Todd Helton were interviewed.
The key moment in the decision, according to multiple sources, came as a result of Winters calling Bradley a "f------ piece of s---" during the heated argument at first base.
That moment is what appears to have escalated what already was a heated argument into a situation that spun so badly out of control that Bradley suffered a season-ending knee injury while being restrained by Padres manager Bud Black.
"There's a code of conduct, and what you're not supposed to do is engage these guys," one source with knowledge of the investigation said. "Umpires are supposed to call balls and strikes, safe and out and keep the flow of the game going. When tempers get high, they're supposed to help bring them back down, not make the situation worse."
Wow. I'm glad MLB took this action. Maybe they should demote Winters back to AAA next year, and let him relearn how to be an umpire. Too bad there is no one to throw umpires out of a game. Any player saying that to Winters would be back in the clubhouse in a second.
Posted by David Pinto at
01:45 PM
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I think suspension's good enough. After all, when a player's out of line, they don't throw him back to AAA to learn how to be a proper player again do they? Still...I can't believe the ump said that. I wonder if this will affect any discipline on Bradley.
My take: Winters should be suspended/demoted for baiting Bradley. But Bradley has no one but himself to blame for his injury. He has to learn to recognize situations where someone's baiting him and not fly so far off the handle that his own manager has to wrestle him to the ground.
Any chance the umpires union (Where Have You Gone, Richie Phillips?) steps in and begins to whine?
If Winters gets fired, my money is on "police officer" for next career move.
We don't send players back to AAA because (1) they're the reason people come to the ballpart and (2) they're the players, caught up in the emotion of the competition. The conduct - and demeanor - expected of an umpire is very different from that expected of a player. The umpires are supposed to be the grownups, so to speak.
Further, baseball talent is rare, but is umpiring talent? Given the much longer careers for umpires, I would think the opposite is the case - this guy could be replaced in a heartbeat and no one would notice. I think he should be fired outright.
"We don't send players back to AAA because (1) they're the reason people come to the ballpart and (2) they're the players, caught up in the emotion of the competition. The conduct - and demeanor - expected of an umpire is very different from that expected of a player. The umpires are supposed to be the grownups, so to speak.
Further, baseball talent is rare, but is umpiring talent? Given the much longer careers for umpires, I would think the opposite is the case - this guy could be replaced in a heartbeat and no one would notice. I think he should be fired outright."
What he said! The umpires have been thinking they're the show for quite some time with their baiting tactics and knowledge that they can act with impunity makes it worse. Maybe Bud Black should have feigned holding Milton back.