Major League Baseball needs to come down harshly on umpire Paul Schrieber for pushing Detroit Tigers player Magglio Ordonez. We know that there is low to zero tolerance for players pushing or excessively touching umpires. But, if that is the case, then the same should be true for umpires pushing or unnecessarily touching players – as Schrieber did during Wednesday night’s game in Minnesota against the Twins. Ordonez was stunned and Detroit manager Jim Leyland was justifiably irate about an umpire basically shoving his player out of the way as if to tell him to move along and get to the dugout. Schrieber was out of line and he should get a suspension (and/or fine) that is the same as what a player would get if the situation was reversed.
If the MLB commissioner’s office does nothing with this incident or in any way attempts to cover it up, then the sports leadership will prove itself to be corrupt, inconsistent and incompetent. Will MLB step up and do what needs to be done or will it follow its own history and that of the National Hockey League and put into motion a cover up that will stink almost as bad as the original crime?
Here is an excerpt from a column in the Detroit News (written by Tony Paul):
If Paul Schrieber isn’t suspended for at least five games, Major League Baseball will have some serious splainin’ to do. Any player, manager or hot-dog vendor who puts his pine tar/cigarette/mustard-stained hands on an umpire pays an oh-so-stiff penalty, so the home-plate umpire at the Metrodome Wednesday night should be shown no leniency for what went down.
Good points by Tony Paul. Schrieber’s suspension and/or fine should be equivalent to what a player would get for shoving an umpire out of the way. Watch the video and notice the arrogance of Schrieber who threw Leyland out of the game after arguing with the Detroit skipper (what he could be arguing is beyond me since he was the one who committed the act that led to the argument).
Detroit News:
http://www.detnews.com/article/20090514/OPINION03/905140446/1361/Commentary–Ump-way-out-of-line-in-treatment-of-Magglio-Ordonez
1 comment:
I think the umpire needs to be given the benefit of the doubt here. When players touch umpires during confrontations, it is not with good intentions. In this case, the umpire was trying to tell the player to go to the dugout so he wouldn't get ejected. Should the ump have done it? No, probably not, but intention makes all the difference here. If a player came up to an umpire between innings and put his hand on the umpire's back and said, "Are you okay?" a few minutes after the umpire had taken a baseball to the facemask, the umpire would tolerate the contact because it's an expression of concern.
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