Umpire tosses the Music intern in minor league game

[dougdirt]

http://www.milb.com/news/article.jsp...vkey=news_milb

Nothing was funny for Seneca. After a questionable play at first base, Harper argued the call with infield umpire Ramon Hernandez. Daytona first baseman Taylor Davis appeared to pick a ball in the dirt thrown by shortstop Tim Saunders, but it came out of his glove when he turned to toss it around the infield. Hernandez ruled Davis had bobbled the ball rather than dropping it on the transfer and declared Fort Myers' Andy Leer safe.

Dye, a Cubs intern from the University of Illinois, fired up one of his new music clips -- an organ version of "Three Blind Mice," the well-known English nursery rhyme about visually impaired rodents getting into a scuffle with a farmer's wife.

Now this is something you don't see every day.

There is video at the link.

[George Anderson]

I worked with an umpire who dumped an organist for playing the Mickey Mouse theme song in a AAA game back in the early 80's.

I dumped an PA announcer once in a HS game a few years back. The coach wouldn't make the PA announcer leave so I ended up forfeiting the game. Of course this had to happen in the 7th inning and not the 1st.

[powersackers]

DJs are there for fan entertainment. Nothing they do should justify a tossing.

[George Anderson]

DJs are there for fan entertainment. Nothing they do should justify a tossing.

It's called a PA announcer and not a DJ.

If someone associated with a team is doing something insulting or demeaning to an umpire then yes it is grounds for ejection. I have seen trainers, batboys, scorekeepers etc... that were ejected and they were all warranted.

[hebroncougar]

It's called a PA announcer and not a DJ.

If someone associated with a team is doing something insulting or demeaning to an umpire then yes it is grounds for ejection. I have seen trainers, batboys, scorekeepers etc... that were ejected and they were all warranted.

No, they don't. That's ludicrous. The organist is entertaining the fans. Yes, at the expense of a perceived bad call, but get over it, it comes with the territory. Most umpires would realize they miss some. He need to lighten up. That's absurd. I've umpired before and I wouldn't even think of it, I'd laugh it off. I was a high school soccer coach at one point, and fans yelled at a referee one time for being "blind". The center official stopped the game, called the coaches and my AD to the sideline and told us (me and the AD as it was our home game) that he wanted the stands cleared. My AD told him he could leave, and we'd finish with a two man crew (two side judges) and he'd stop payment on his check. Needless to say, the game continued, and no one got hurt or anything. Other than the referee's bruised ego.

[George Anderson]

No, they don't. That's ludicrous. The organist is entertaining the fans. Yes, at the expense of a perceived bad call, but get over it, it comes with the territory. Most umpires would realize they miss some. He need to lighten up. That's absurd. I've umpired before and I wouldn't even think of it, I'd laugh it off. I was a high school soccer coach at one point, and fans yelled at a referee one time for being "blind". The center official stopped the game, called the coaches and my AD to the sideline and told us (me and the AD as it was our home game) that he wanted the stands cleared. My AD told him he could leave, and we'd finish with a two man crew (two side judges) and he'd stop payment on his check. Needless to say, the game continued, and no one got hurt or anything. Other than the referee's bruised ego.

You umpired at what level?

[George Anderson]

I was a high school soccer coach at one point, and fans yelled at a referee one time for being "blind". The center official stopped the game, called the coaches and my AD to the sideline and told us (me and the AD as it was our home game) that he wanted the stands cleared. My AD told him he could leave, and we'd finish with a two man crew (two side judges) and he'd stop payment on his check. Needless to say, the game continued, and no one got hurt or anything. Other than the referee's bruised ego.

Also in this situation the other two referees need to realize they are a team and if the AD told one of the referees to leave then all the referees should have left. Being part of a officiating crew is being part of a team and you don't let a team member be treated as such by an AD. Now having said that I think the referee may have overreacted by wanting the stands cleared for such a minor offense but regardless, the other ref's were wrong for letting the AD do what he did.

[hebroncougar]

Also in this situation the other two referees need to realize they are a team and if the AD told one of the referees to leave then all the referees should have left. Being part of a officiating crew is being part of a team and you don't let a team member be treated as such by an AD. Now having said that I think the referee may have overreacted by wanting the stands cleared for such a minor offense but regardless, the other ref's were wrong for letting the AD do what he did.

I understand that, but the referee was way out of line, and overstepping his bounds. Thankfully, I think the other two were so dumbfounded, and had some common sense they didn't say anything. I've seen a lot of officials, referees, and umpires get waaaaaaaaay too power hungry in my day, and I think tossing an organist for making light of a call is a great example of that. Really the only way a fan or someone else should be tossed if if they are doing something dangerous, or infringing on other fan's right to enjoy a game (obnoxiously drunk or something ludicrous). For goodness sake, it's a game. And again, I think most umpires, officials, etc. get that some heat is part of the game, it comes with the job.

[powersackers]

It's called a PA announcer and not a DJ.

If someone associated with a team is doing something insulting or demeaning to an umpire then yes it is grounds for ejection. I have seen trainers, batboys, scorekeepers etc... that were ejected and they were all warranted.

A PA makes announcements. "Now Batting yada yada". He should not comment on the gameplay.

A DJ Plays music for fan entertainment. The Reds have a DJ and a PA. You can tweet requests to the DJ by using hashtag #redsDJ during the game. He can play whatever he wants inbetween game action. End of story.

[REDREAD]

It's called a PA announcer and not a DJ.

If someone associated with a team is doing something insulting or demeaning to an umpire then yes it is grounds for ejection. I have seen trainers, batboys, scorekeepers etc... that were ejected and they were all warranted.

Why are Umps supposed to be some kind of god immune to teasing?

Geez, lighten up a bit. I don't understand why you are proud of forfieting a game in the 7th inning.. this is just kids playing a game.. Think of all the families that invested time to come to this game, only to see it forfeited over something silly.

It's ok for fans to put up banners making fun of players, etc..
It's ok for the PA announcer to play funny music when the opposing manager visits the mound, etc
Why are umps immune to this? Geez.

[CySeymour]

Why are Umps supposed to be some kind of god immune to teasing?

Geez, lighten up a bit. I don't understand why you are proud of forfieting a game in the 7th inning.. this is just kids playing a game.. Think of all the families that invested time to come to this game, only to see it forfeited over something silly.

It's ok for fans to put up banners making fun of players, etc..
It's ok for the PA announcer to play funny music when the opposing manager visits the mound, etc
Why are umps immune to this? Geez.

If the PA announcer was behaving as george anderson was describing, then yeah, it was within the umps right to call a forfeit. As a parent, I would have been more upset with the PA announcer then the ump.

[REDREAD]

If the PA announcer was behaving as george anderson was describing, then yeah, it was within the umps right to call a forfeit. As a parent, I would have been more upset with the PA announcer then the ump.

Isn't George umpiring a high school game though?
That's a lot different than the Reds PA announcer mocking the ump.
The high school PA guy is some unpaid volunteer, doing this job to help the school.. Yea, it's not appropriate for him to broadcast "The umps stink" (I think that's what George said)

But forfieiting the game is a huge overreaction.

In the incident we saw with Mez, Fairchild clearly escalated the conflict to stroke his ego.. Fairchild should also be subject to suspension for iniating the contact.
Umps are abusing their power.

Canceling a high school game because someone (even the PA announcer) yells "the umps stink".. talk about overreaction.
Yea, George asked them to remove the PA guy, but it's not as if the school has a backup all ready to go.. I mean, give me a break.. that's not a reasonable request.

How about the ump just sucks it up, acts mature and continues the game.

[George Anderson]

Why are Umps supposed to be some kind of god immune to teasing?

Geez, lighten up a bit. I don't understand why you are proud of forfieting a game in the 7th inning.. this is just kids playing a game.. Think of all the families that invested time to come to this game, only to see it forfeited over something silly.

It's ok for fans to put up banners making fun of players, etc..
It's ok for the PA announcer to play funny music when the opposing manager visits the mound, etc
Why are umps immune to this? Geez.

Actually the coach forfeited the game by his refusing to do as I directed to remove the PA announcer. If you want to play the poor kiddies, parents etc card then play it towards the coach.

Also just what ball park allows fans to bring in banners to make fun of players and what do the banners say ?? If I am not mistaken MLB does not allow banners in their parks making disparaging comments of others. I am also not sure what park has "funny music" when an opposing manager visits the mound. What park is this and what do they play? Regardless of what you find, making disparaging comments over the PA or playing songs over the PA that are mocking the job the umpire is doing is not defensible. It quite simply is bush league and unprofessional. The umpire is on the field to do a job and allowing paid employees of a professional baseball team to mock or insult him just to amuse the masses is horribly insane.

[REDREAD]

Actually the coach forfeited the game by his refusing to do as I directed to remove the PA announcer. If you want to play the poor kiddies, parents etc card then play it towards the coach.

Give me a break.. you forced the action.. You escalated the situation.
He refused to comply with your request, thus YOU forfieted the game.
You had the option to continue the game, didn't you..
This just proves how arrogant umpires are.. No offense personally.. but
you are saying "They ignored my eddict, it's their fault".
Why did you have to make such an issue out of this?

Also just what ball park allows fans to bring in banners to make fun of players and what do the banners say ?? If I am not mistaken MLB does not allow banners in their parks making disparaging comments of others. I am also not sure what park has "funny music" when an opposing manager visits the mound. What park is this and what do they play?

One team (I think it was the twins) would play the Darth Vader theme music every time the opposing manager came to the mound. If that manager was thin skinned, he would whine about being compared to a character that commited genocide in a movie.

It's fairly routine even at the ML level to play goofy music sometimes when the opposing manager makes a mound visit.

Regardless of what you find, making disparaging comments over the PA or playing songs over the PA that are mocking the job the umpire is doing is not defensible. It quite simply is bush league and unprofessional. The umpire is on the field to do a job and allowing paid employees of a professional baseball team to mock or insult him just to amuse the masses is horribly insane.

You are umpiring a high school game.. Shouldn't you expect some bush league behavior? Was the PA announcer a paid professional that did this full time? I kind of doubt it. Most likely he was a volunteer helping the school out.

[westofyou]

DJs are there for fan entertainment. Nothing they do should justify a tossing.

This is how the guy used to have to do his job, announcing the at bats etc..

Not needling the guys in between the lines.