MLB beefs up the umpire contingent
Posted by: Peter Abraham - Posted in Misc on Mar 14, 2008 
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Not only will both the Yankees and Rays be warned before tomorrow’s game, MLB is adding veteran crew chief Jerry Crawford to the original umpiring crew.
Spring training games are often handled by three-man crews. But because of the animosity between the teams. MLB is taking an extra step.
Derek Jeter said it “would be stupid” if anything tomorrow. He’s right about that. But this whole incident has been stupid since it started.
Is Jerry Crawford related to Joey Crawford? He’s a radioactive ref in the NBA.
What about the next Rays game? National Guard?
Yeah.. it’s stupid they ran over our catcher. . .
What happens when Igawa is as awful as usual and accidentally hits someone with a pitch?
mel:
Yes he is the brother. And his father was an ump too, Shag Crawford.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/.....id=2840587
Igawa is loving this dynamic.
If he’s good, then he’s good. If he’s terrible, he probably hits three batters and looks like a team player.
Either that or he looks like the moron who started a battle royale between Kyle Farnsworth and Troy Percival. Farnie can’t do much, but he knows how to bare knuckle box
Thanks, Murphydog.
Hey Pete,
Kat O’Brien is disputing your angle on this story about veteran teammates telling Duncan to change the style of his play.
What do you have to say about that?
http://weblogs.newsday.com/spo.....nsion.html
It is stupid if something happens tomorrow but, Tampa is a stupid team. Wouldn’t shock me if the drill Duncan.
Problem is, if Igawa pitches inside, he may hit somebody without the intent of throwing at him. Crawford will overreact and toss him, and the Rays will whine to Bud and Watson again.
If Igawa can drill his interpreter, Imagine what he can do to ML hitters! lol
Why do you guys take great pleasure in bashing Pete? Either he sees it differently or he stretches the truth to be sensational here. Nothing criminal.
You take what he says with a grain of salt and form your own opinions. If they match mine, then you’re on the right track.
Crawdaddie:
I can only worry about what I report and what players say to me. When MLB starts handing down suspensions and players get ready to mount appeals, what do you think they’re going to say?
“Yeah, people are telling me to watch what i do.”
Of course not.
Do you expect the GM, manager or team captain to say anything other than something supportive? Please send me the an example of Derek Jeter not saying something supportive of a teammate.
I know assorted internet tough guys want to flex their pretend muscles about this and pretend this is wrestling. It’s not, it’s baseball. This stuff happens from time to time and when it does, everybody pretends they have no idea what happened.
The only player I can ever remember admitting to retaliation was Roger Clemens, who wanted a week off anyway.
You really can’t be that naive, can you?
Oh, and I didn’t write that veteran players told Duncan anything, the Post did. So write to their blog.
From Kat’s blog:
I spoke to four veterans today about Duncan’s play — Jorge Posada, Mariano Rivera, Jason Giambi and Derek Jeter — and all said they would tell Duncan not to change anything.
That speaks volumes. Although I’m not surprised at Giambi.
Hey, Pete, what’s with the G-man’s health? And what did Phil say about his outing?
“Youth and energy are great. But whether Girardi can control players like Duncan will be an ongoing story this season.”
You don’t seriously believe that do you ??
If Igawa were throwing at someone, the batter wouldn’t likely be able to tell.
Hey,Pete,
I know they didn’t release the lineups yet, but do you have some idea of how the lineups will be split in the split-squad games? A and B-squad or will they split up the regulars?
Peter,
Examples of Jeter not saying something supportive of teammates: On ARod’s “HA” – refused to comment.
To Verducci in the lonely Yankee article – refused to admit that ARod gets more and worse press scrutiny with his patented, “I don’t think about that, I just think about winning” BS. I think what he said about Shelley was evidence of real support, not obligatory rhetoric.
On the rest of your comment:
“Internet tough guys”, “you really can’t be that naive”, etc.
I don’t know why it still bothers me that you still respond to anonymous internet critics with this type of response. You we know are an adult. Some of your critics are probably 13. I really wish you wouldn’t stoop to their level.
When I criticize you, I try to do it politely, and with reasoned arguments not personal insults. I respectfully suggest that if a criticism is not worth addressing on it’s merits, it’s not worth addressing at all.
What I like most about this blog is the friendly discussion we have here. What I hate most is the macho hostility that appears from time to time, including when it’s from you.
The Rays may be the 1st team in MLB history to have 4 name changes in one year. From the Devil Rays to the Rays to the Instigators to the Bawlbabies.
Clutch:
Joe Torre mentioned last year that Shelley’s aggressive slides were going to make somebody mad. Then Girardi said before Wednesday’s game that he didn’t want his players running over anybody and getting hurt. What did Shelley do? He rolled into second like a dumptruck and spiked Iwamura. Now the Yankees are short-handed for three games against a division opponent.
I understand people want this to be some sort of referendum on toughness for whatever reason. But why do you think Girardi met with Duncan on Thursday?
Why did Shelley say this afterward: “When you have a talk with the manager he’s going to give you things to learn from that’s right or wrong, whatever his viewpoint is. That’s what we talked about.”
Shelley is a good kid. But he’s one of those guys (like Youkilis) that other teams hate. That’s cool, right up until people start getting suspended. Then you have to tell him to chill out a little.
If you don’t think he got that talk, then fine. That’s your choice. But he did. They aren’t telling him to play soft, just don’t spike people. As Johnny Damon told him, keep your shoulders in and your spikes down when you go in hard.
Why did a Tampa Bay baseball team name themselves after a famous NYC pizza chain ?
Pete,
You make a lot of comments here on your blog. Some of the stuff Yankee fans don’t like and feel you’re taking cheapshots at the team you cover for your paper. So please forgive us if we question some of those comments and wonder out loud what you’re really trying to say, especially, the off-hand ones you have a history of saying which might be your attempt at humor.
Anyhow, I feel the Yankees were wrong in escalating this situation in a way that got two Yankees suspended. The Yankees need to be smarter than that by being more calculated on how they return the favor whenever they’re feel another team is going after their players.
Clare; Jeter’s entire approach with the media is obligatory rhetoric.
As for answering critics, I’m sorry I get upset. I should ignore it. But I update my blog as often as I can because I’m trying to service the fans of the Yankees. I take my job very seriously. I try not to make the blog boring.
But assorted blind fan boys just want cheerleader coverage and lose their minds whenever I suggest that just maybe one of their heroes did something wrong on one day.
I will try to ignore them, I promise.
Generally I don’t like to rabble rouse on this – I’m tired of the “we’ve been pushovers, but we’re not gonna take they’re crap” apewers. There is an immense disconnect here because people see sports with their emotions as much as their eyes.
To the rabble rousing,which just reinforces the seing with your emotions point. There were comments made on Tampa fan postings that Pettitte skipping his start was a dodge so he wouldn’thave to deliver the blow – that the retaliatio plan was completely premeditated. But now that Gomes, Longoria and Johnson aren’t playing in Tampa tomorrow, it’s Maddon cooling things down – which he’s done such a good job of so far. You see what you want to see.
spewers, not apewers. Among other oops.
I really don’t see what Pete is doing wrong here.
Its ok to have differences of opinion in here.
The namecalling? Not ok.
I think reasonable minds can disagree on this entire incident. Its has many levels.
But, I just don’t get folks getting mad at Pete for expressing his opinion.
Maybe its just me but, I don’t see this as a big deal and I wish folks would chill out with Pete. Its unnecessary.
Save your fury for Joe Maddon! Pete ain’t the enemy.
Pete-
I would like to hear your opinion to the Rays’ whining today. Doesn’t it seem a bit over the top? I know all the reporters were ripping the Yanks for being cry babies- why aren’t they ripping the Devils Rays for their hipocracy- if nothing else?
I thought hard-nosed baseball is allowed in all games? I think if that Shelley Duncan play happens against any other team- there is no fight or ejection or suspension.
Peter,
Thank you. And I’m sure you must know how much we all appreciate your efforts to keep us updated with the latest news. Many people express their admiration for you frequently, much more often, I believe, than people attack you.
However, not everyone that disagrees with you is a “blind fan-boy.” I appreciate your effort to ignore the blind fanboys. But, in this instance, when you denigrate the people who disagree with you, it’s not just the fanboys you’re talking to. For example, SJ44 has a different take than you do, and Kat O’Brien and Tyler Kepner seemed to have a different take on Shelley’s meeting with Girardi than you did.
That’s not to say who’s right or who’s wrong, and as you’ve already pointed out your job is to report what you see and not worry what others think. I’m just trying to use this as an example of an area where people disagree. And not everyone who disagrees is attacking you personally (although I realize some are).
So, thank you for your blogging, and thanks for trying not to encourage hostile rhetoric or personal attacks on the blog – which, BTW, is never boring.
Pete, I don’t always agree with you, but I respect your devotion to your job and the service you provide Yankee fans. Where is the smoking gun on Melky?
The video on Melky is weak. He can get his suspension cut to 1 game.
Clare,
Some excellent comments on your part.
Pete wrote …”Joe Torre mentioned last year that Shelley’s aggressive slides were going to make somebody mad.”
Well this statement proves a point….since this is Shelley’s way of playing and has been going on since last year then I guess the slide against Aki was just another one of his aggressive slides ….at least that is what Shelley says …
I was kind of shocked by Melky ..hadn’t heard a word about him till today. Gomes definitely incited the bench clearing so how is that not a 3 game suspension too?
As my daughter would say ..”whatever”…hopefully we can play ball now and not get anyone else hurt or suspended in the process …
Best thing that happened for me today …I received my C Plan for the Season..Opening Day here I come !!! The tickets are beautiful including picture of THE Stadium and the Final Season Patch…I can’t wait for the season to start ..
)
Go Yankees 2008 !!!
Peter, I’ve had several of my blog posts deleted by either you or your staff. None were offensive, excluded profanity, and only mildly criticized your article.
Are you really that insecure that you need to censor your own blog? I post a comment, refresh and it’s there, and then a few mins later it gets deleted. I am disappointed.. I am a fan of this blog that does not mean I agree with everything you write. Learn to accept a difference of opinion.
jk–
I didn’t see the video of Melky. What did it look like?
There’s an old adage I saw on a wall at Ft Benning,
Wrestling with a pig is a waste of time. Everyone gets dirty and only the pig enjoys it.
We now can realize that the reason the Rays are so named – it is short for Rays-orback. If you have had a run in with one, you will understand that is not a compliment.
The best thing to come out of this whole episode is that the Yankees – with new leadership, new pitching, and clearly a new spirit – will be far less predictable in 2008 than in the latter years of the Torre era. Mssrs Socia, Francona et al will not be able to template this team.
I watched the video, I couldn’t tell who was punching who, saw arms flailing. I kinda think they just saw him run in there and took the Rays word that Melky threw a punch.