Baker Suspended 2 Games

[acredsfan]

Cincinnati Reds manager Dusty Baker has been suspended for two games and fined an undisclosed amount after making contact with umpire Eric Cooper Thursday night.

The incident happened during the seventh inning of Cincinnati's game against the San Diego Padres.

Baker’s suspension is scheduled to begin tonight, when the Reds continue their series against the Padres.

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.d...T04/305230094/

[LincolnparkRed]

Originally Posted by acredsfan

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.d...T04/305230094/

Too bad this only means that he will fill out the lineup and sit in the clubhouse watching the game on tv, but still be making game decisions

[Rounding Third]

I just saw this at Reds.com.

Another winning streak begins!

[fearofpopvol1]

Watch RZ fall in love with his 2 game replacement and the way they handle the game!

[TeamBoone]

I didn't realize he came in contact with the umpire. I missed that.

[dougdirt]

Originally Posted by TeamBoone

I didn't realize he came in contact with the umpire. I missed that.

Me too.... wonder where that happened at because I really didn't see him get too close.

[REDREAD]

Well, at least Baker is trying to change the clubhouse mentality. Regardless of whether one thinks that's important or not, the guy legitimately cares.

[acredsfan]

I think it's crazy when you can suspend a manager for allegedly coming into contact with an umpire, but umpires are not suspended or otherwise publicly punished for baiting players. I know you're talking about visual evidence rather than just he said she said, but Edwin has a track record of being quiet and had never been thrown out of a game, while the umpire shows a real propensity to throw people out. Honestly if you are at home and a third baseman who isn't great at speaking english says something, how do you know what he said? It was pretty low class. If he wanted to throw Edwin out, he should have done it with the bat situation.

[RedsManRick]

Now what are we going to do about the other 112?

[redsrule2500]

Is it sad I'm excited to see if we can have some decent lineup construction???

[Ron Madden]

Dusty will still write out the lineup card.

[gm]

The next time Johnny B calls home, his dad will tell him "you looked like a _____ fool out there!"

[OnBaseMachine]

Edwin Encarnacion is sick. That's why he's not in the lineup. Ed Cooper is umpiring third, so that might have been awkward.

Dusty Baker is livid in his own quiet way about the two-game suspension. He said he was also fined $1,500.

On the alleged bump: "I didn't see and I didn't feel it. (Cooper) told me last night that I sprayed him with dip and that I grazed him. I was trying everything I could not to make contact."

Baker found out about it at lunch: "Bob Watson called Walt (Jocketty) first. Then Walt called me. Then Bob called me. . . I told Bob: 'What kind of judicial system do we have when we can't appeal?' He said coaches and managers don't get an appeal."

It was pointed out that players have appeal because of the union: "Everyone who goes to court gets to appeal. They don't have no union. That's the part of I don't understand."

Baker asked Watson: "Did you see me bump him? He said it looked like you inadvertently grazed him with your left shoulder."

Christian Roberts, the FSN producer, looked at replays from three different angles. He said Baker's jersey makes light contact with Cooper's shirt.

Baker did not watch the replay.

His son, Darren, did. Did dad bump him? "No," Darren said.

Baker said the whole incident would not have happened if Cooper just ignored Encarnacion. "I said, 'Bob, Edwin never says anything. When does say something, it's so quiet you can't understand him. He's hard to understand anyway because he kind of mumbles.'"

Cooper told Baker that he ejected Encarnacion for holding up two fingers, meaning Cooper missed two calls.

"Edwin told me (Cooper) looked at him the whole time. Edwin said, 'why you looking at me?' He put up his fingers. I got to go defend Edwin. I usually don't go out and argue unless I think I'm right. It's getting to the point now that they're trying to make a good man bad."

http://beta.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs...cincinnati.com

[mbgrayson]

Cooper told Baker that he ejected Encarnacion for holding up two fingers, meaning Cooper missed two calls.

Isn't that also the peace sign? Meaning either that EE 'peaced' twice, or that all was forgiven for the ump missing the calls, ie. 'peace, brother'.

I saw the whole incident in HD. The ump certainly over-reacted to EE out in the field. Dusty was 100% right (1st time I've ever said that) to argue, and he was mad....He might have lightly brushed Cooper, at worst. The suspension is nonsense.

THat being said, I hope the Reds play 'mad' tonight. This team has been terrible the last four nights, and some real emotion is EXACTLY what they need. Lets just direct the anger toward the baseball, not the umps.

[RedFanAlways1966]

Originally Posted by mbgrayson

He might have lightly brushed Cooper, at worst. The suspension is nonsense.

I didn't see the brush, but I did see Dusty's hat hit Cooper's hand and/or mask when Dusty first threw it.

The ump, Cooper, is bad. Both teams were unhappy with his strike-zone. I am glad Edwin and Dusty called him out.