NakamuraUmpires: The Joke of 2009
For the first time of his hall of fame career, Ichiro Suzuki was ejected for arguing balls and strikes on Saturday, September 26th, 2009. How did this happen? In case you haven't heard, the nine-time Japanese all star struck out on three pitches against Toronto Blue Jay David Purcey. After the pitch crossed the plate, umpire Brian Runge lifted his right arm to signal the strikeout. To almost clarify his call, he punched him out a second time. At that point, Ichiro took his bat and pointed a couple inches outside of the plate. That was the last move he made in the game. I would also like to point out that Brian Runge was also the same umpire that ejected New York Mets' manager Jerry Manuel after Runge bumped into him.
On the same day, David Ortiz was facing Yankee ace C.C. Sabathia. On a pitch that was inside, Ortiz checked his swing, and catcher Jose Molina immediately pointed to 3rd base umpire Tim Welke for a second opinion. That was when home plate umpire Jeff Kellogg signaled a foul ball. At this point, I was yelling at the television, saying that the umps were blind and stupid. And sure enough, I was right. The ball missed the bat by about half a foot. Umpires these days... are just so stupid...
Let's break all this down. Obviously, Ichiro was ejected for arguing balls and strikes. There's no way around that rule, but every player does it from time to time. But the rule has never been so strongly enforced as it has been this year. Earlier in the week, Kansas City pitcher Zach Greinke was ejected from a game against the Boston Red Sox, in a game that he wasn't even pitching. With Jacoby Ellsbury up to bat, Zach made some comments to umpire Greg Gibson. He was ejected immediately. Had this happened in 1990, neither Greinke or Ichiro would have been ejected. But sadly, the umpires have changed. Was Ichiro incorrect with his argument? If you watch the video, it seems like it was in fact a strike. But if you watch it from the angle from above and pause it as it drifts above the plate, the ball looks about an inch or so outside. Almost every player would have swung, but Ichiro is no average player.
Then there was Anthony Lerew, a rookie pitcher for the KC Royals. In the same game that Greinke was ejected in, Lerew threw a 75 mile per hour curve ball, A 75 MILE PER HOUR CURVEBALL that barely nicked 3rd baseman Mike Lowell. He was issued a warning that went to both benches and manager Terry Hillman was ejected for arguing the decision to take away the inside half of the plate. Similarly, on June 6th, Jon Lester was handed a five game suspension for throwing a curve ball at Carl Crawford.
This is the problem with umpires this year. They suck. They don't know how to keep the game moving without throwing people out. They don't know how to control the game without becoming the center of attention. They're all like that new teenage girl at school that just wants some attention. Umpires are supposed to be a shadow, ignored but present. But instead, they are impacting the game directly. Yes, everybody makes mistakes, but ejections? They are no mistakes. Strikes and balls, fair or foul, and safe or out call are not that easy to make. That does not mean someone's supposed to get ejected for saying "Hello". Greinke was not in the game, Ichiro barely said any words and showed no signs of aggressiveness and Lerew threw a blooper that had enough hang time to let Mike Lowell stop and think "Hmmm... should I move forward in the box to dodge it, or should I duck... wait, is this even going to hit me?". So why are they receiving punishments? Umpires need to shut up and do their thing. They're like the offensive line in football. Essential, but no one gives a damn about them. You don't see people like Adam Koets yapping their way around the camera or smack talking the refs. He just shuts up and does his job, like he's paid to do. You probably don't know who Adam Koets even is. That's the way umpires should be. It's better if you don't know who the hell they are.
-Written by: Nakamura. This article is copyrighted © by Nakamura and may not be reproduced, recopied, or used in any form without permission from Nakamura
On the same day, David Ortiz was facing Yankee ace C.C. Sabathia. On a pitch that was inside, Ortiz checked his swing, and catcher Jose Molina immediately pointed to 3rd base umpire Tim Welke for a second opinion. That was when home plate umpire Jeff Kellogg signaled a foul ball. At this point, I was yelling at the television, saying that the umps were blind and stupid. And sure enough, I was right. The ball missed the bat by about half a foot. Umpires these days... are just so stupid...
Let's break all this down. Obviously, Ichiro was ejected for arguing balls and strikes. There's no way around that rule, but every player does it from time to time. But the rule has never been so strongly enforced as it has been this year. Earlier in the week, Kansas City pitcher Zach Greinke was ejected from a game against the Boston Red Sox, in a game that he wasn't even pitching. With Jacoby Ellsbury up to bat, Zach made some comments to umpire Greg Gibson. He was ejected immediately. Had this happened in 1990, neither Greinke or Ichiro would have been ejected. But sadly, the umpires have changed. Was Ichiro incorrect with his argument? If you watch the video, it seems like it was in fact a strike. But if you watch it from the angle from above and pause it as it drifts above the plate, the ball looks about an inch or so outside. Almost every player would have swung, but Ichiro is no average player.
Then there was Anthony Lerew, a rookie pitcher for the KC Royals. In the same game that Greinke was ejected in, Lerew threw a 75 mile per hour curve ball, A 75 MILE PER HOUR CURVEBALL that barely nicked 3rd baseman Mike Lowell. He was issued a warning that went to both benches and manager Terry Hillman was ejected for arguing the decision to take away the inside half of the plate. Similarly, on June 6th, Jon Lester was handed a five game suspension for throwing a curve ball at Carl Crawford.
Greg Gibson, the umpire that ejects people that are not even playing and pitchers who throw 75 mile per hour curveballs at the opposing team's non-star players
This is the problem with umpires this year. They suck. They don't know how to keep the game moving without throwing people out. They don't know how to control the game without becoming the center of attention. They're all like that new teenage girl at school that just wants some attention. Umpires are supposed to be a shadow, ignored but present. But instead, they are impacting the game directly. Yes, everybody makes mistakes, but ejections? They are no mistakes. Strikes and balls, fair or foul, and safe or out call are not that easy to make. That does not mean someone's supposed to get ejected for saying "Hello". Greinke was not in the game, Ichiro barely said any words and showed no signs of aggressiveness and Lerew threw a blooper that had enough hang time to let Mike Lowell stop and think "Hmmm... should I move forward in the box to dodge it, or should I duck... wait, is this even going to hit me?". So why are they receiving punishments? Umpires need to shut up and do their thing. They're like the offensive line in football. Essential, but no one gives a damn about them. You don't see people like Adam Koets yapping their way around the camera or smack talking the refs. He just shuts up and does his job, like he's paid to do. You probably don't know who Adam Koets even is. That's the way umpires should be. It's better if you don't know who the hell they are.
-Written by: Nakamura. This article is copyrighted © by Nakamura and may not be reproduced, recopied, or used in any form without permission from Nakamura
Get a clue, douchebag (a phrase chosen to describe an official therefore obviously appropriate for response to this load of crap!)