Baseball DIY

Stick with me, folks. For my own edification, I'm attempting to do something like a year-in-review for every National League and American League season from 1901 on. Why start with 1901? Because that's when (a) the American League became a major league and (b) the National League started counting foul balls as strikes, pretty much bringing the game up to its current rules and regulations. The "Big sticks" group will cover each team's two best hitters, provided that they have hitters who either hit for an >800 OPS or >.400 slugging percentage (if I'm too lazy to add a player's on-base and slugging percentages that day). I won't list batting averages, because I prefer OPS; it tells you more about a player's abilities. "Live arms" will list each team's best pitcher (in my opinion) based on shutouts (though this may change as I get closer to recent years), strikeouts/walks, and ERA. As always, feel free to add anything I've missed.

Standings
1. Philadelphia (83-53)...Most runs (775)
2. St. Louis (78-58...the Browns were created when Milwaukee, last place in 1901, moved to StL...they benefited from a lot of Cardinals jumping ship over to their side)
3. Boston (77-60)...Best ERA (3.02)
4. Chicago (74-60)
5. Cleveland (69-67)
6. Washington (61-75)...Worst ERA (4.36)
7. Detroit (52-83)...Fewest runs (566)
8. Baltimore (50-88)

Leaders
Hits: Charley Hickman-Bos/Cle (193)
2B: Ed Delahanty-Was; Harry Davis-Phi (43)
3B: Jimmy Williams-Bal (21)
HR: Socks Seybold-Phi (16...more than Chicago hit as a team; the AL record until Babe Ruth's 29 in 1919)
OPS: Ed Delahanty-Was (1043)
SB: Topsy Hartsel-Phi (47)
Pitcher wins: Cy Young-Bos (32)
Pitcher K's: Rube Waddell-Phi (210)
Pitcher ERA: Ed Siever-Det (1.91)

Big sticks
Phi: Socks Seybold-OF (881 OPS, 27 2B, 11 3B, 16 HR); Harry Davis-1B (.443 slug, 43, 7, 6)
StL: Charlie Hemphill-OF (.447, 14, 11, 6); Jesse Burkett-OF (.418, 29, 9, 5)
Bos: Buck Freeman-OF (.504, 37, 20, 11); Jimmy Collins-3B (.459, 21, 10, 6)
Chi: George Davis-SS (.402, 27, 7, 3)
Cle: Charley Hickman-1B (926, 31, 10, 8); Nap Lajoie-2B (.555, 34, 5, 7)
Was: Ed Delahanty-OF (1043, 41, 15, 10); Jimmy Ryan-OF (.446, 32, 6, 6)
Det: Nope.
Bal: Jimmy Williams-2B (861, 27, 21, 8); Kip Selbach (.427, 27, 9, 3)

Live arms
Phi: Rube Waddell (3 SHO, 210 K/64 BB, 2.05 ERA)
StL: Jack Powell (3, 137/93, 3.21)
Bos: Cy Young (3, 160/53, 2.15)
Chi: Wiley Piatt (2, 96, 66, 3.51)
Cle:Addie Joss (5, 106/72, 2.78)
Was: Nope.
Det: Ed Siever (4, 36/32, 1.91)
Bal: Nope.

Notes

• Milwaukee moves to St. Louis to become the Browns.
• As part of his ongoing war with AL president Ban Johnson, Baltimore's John McGraw sells the club to John Brush, Chairman of the NL Executive Committee; the best Orioles are released for NL consumption; as part of the NL/AL peace agreement later that winter, the Baltimore franchise moves to New York to become the Highlanders/Hilltoppers/Yankees.
• Four cities have both AL and NL teams; the AL draws better in each city.

Stick with me, folks. For my own edification, I'm attempting to do something like a year-in-review for every National League and American League season from 1901 on. Why start with 1901? Because that's when (a) the American League became a major league and (b) the National League started counting foul balls as strikes, pretty much bringing the game up to its current rules and regulations. The "Big sticks" group will cover each team's two best hitters, provided that they have hitters who either hit for an >800 OPS or >.400 slugging percentage (if I'm too lazy to add a player's on-base and slugging percentages that day). I won't list batting averages, because I prefer OPS; it tells you more about a player's abilities. "Live arms" will list each team's best pitcher (in my opinion) based on shutouts (though this may change as I get closer to recent years), strikeouts/walks, and ERA. As always, feel free to add anything I've missed.

Standings
1. Pittsburgh (103-36, best record of any NL team to that point)...Most runs (775)
2. Brooklyn (75-63)
3. Boston (73-64)
4. Cincinnati (70-70)
5. Chicago (68-69)...Best ERA (2.19)
6. St. Louis (56-78)
7. Philadelphia (56-81)...Worst ERA (3.50)
8. New York (48-88)...Fewest runs (405)

Leaders
Hits: Ginger Beaumont-Pitt (193)
2B: Honus Wagner-Pitt (30)
3B: Tommy Leach-Pitt; Sam Crawford-Cin (22)
HR: Tommy Leach-Pitt (6)
OPS: Honus Wagner-Pitt (857)
SB: Honus Wagner-Pitt (42)
Pitcher wins: Jack Chesbro-Pitt (28)
Pitcher K's: Vic Willis-Bos (225)
Pitcher ERA: Jack Taylor-Chi (1.29)

Big sticks
Pitt: Honus Wagner-Util (857 OPS, 30 2B, 16 3B, 3 HR); Fred Clarke-OF (850, 27, 14, 2)
Brook: Nope.
Bos: Nope.
Cin: Jake Beckley-1B (804, 21, 7, 5); Sam Crawford-OF (848, 16, 23, 3)
Chi: Nope.
StL: Nope.
Phil: Nope.
NY: Nope.

Live arms
Pitt: Jack Chesbro (8 SHO, 136 K/62 BB, 2.17 ERA)
Brook: Wild Bill Donovan (4, 170/111, 2.78)
Bos: Vic Willis (4, 225/101, 2.20)
Cin: Noodles Hahn (6, 142/58, 1.77)
Chi: Jack Taylor (7, 83/43, 1.33)
StL: Mike O'Neill (2, 105/66, 2.91)
Phi: Doc White (3, 185/72, 2.53)
NY: Christy Mathewson (8, 159/73, 2.11)

Notes

• Scoring down 14% due to new rule counting foul bunts as strikes.
• Continued raiding by American League weakens most teams (though not Pittsburgh, apparently).

Paul DePodesta, general manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers, was fired today. As a poster child for the phenomenon of sabermetric-types infiltrating MLB front offices, there were people who wanted to see him succeed and people who wanted to see him fail (probably more of the latter).

Reading a message board about this news on baseballthinkfactory.org (I've said it before and I'll say it again: it's the place to go for baseball news, info, and humor), I felt like I was reading a message board about Scooter Libby's indictment or the uncertain fate of Karl Rove.

You can't go anywhere without some kind of "schism" or "cultural divide" staring you in the face.

The sun shone in St. Louis today for the first time since the Cardinals' season ended. The last two days were dreary; the gloom in the sky weighed you down when you walked outside.

I'll admit to experiencing a slight depression on Thursday. Wednesday night's game didn't really break my heart; we weren't close enough for that. It was like being smothered with a pillow rather than getting shot in the chest, to use a disproportionate metaphor. I know that the Cardinals could and would beat the Astros in any other seven-game series, in any sphere of existence, but the series they played in this reality didn't go their way. That's the way the dice roll.

Like I said, though, the sun was out today. Jill, Erin, Bob, Chris, Brad, and I drove down to Busch Stadium to get some pictures and graffiti it up a little bit before they knock it down in a couple of weeks. The only part of the stadium we could get to was right next to the gift shop. Those owners are smart. I bought a couple of overpriced, official St. Louis Cardinals markers and we got to work. Chris and Brad had fun scribbling on a building, and the grown-ups had fun reading what other grown-ups had written. Fans had professed love for a number of players, and I put in a good word for Kerry Robinson and Fernando Vina.

We weren't the only ones who had this agenda today. There were probably 20-30 other people there with the same general idea. One nice man emerged from the stadium (how'd he get in?) with a cup of dirt from the infield and gave it to Brad. He wasn't too impressed, but Chris was: he thought it was chocolate.

We got chunks of marble from the pedestals that statues had stood on, and we ripped up some tile in front of the gift shop. Less work for the wrecking crew, we figured. In a few weeks, Jill and I will get a hulking package on our doorsteps that will contain two seats taken from Busch's heavenlies.

I'm excited about getting the seats, but mainly because they're Cardinal seats, not because they're Busch Stadium seats. This whole season has been a long, drawn-out, maudlin "farewell" to Busch, complete with an offending-to-the-eye patch on players' uniforms. People cried at the last regular season game and at the last game ever.

I didn't. I didn't cry today when we were there. I've had a lot of fun at Busch Stadium; I've been there dozens of times with most of the people that I love. But, come on, it's been around for 40 years. 40. It's not Notre Dame or something. Baseball's not leaving St. Louis; it'll just be played in a different building.

I'm tired of hearing about the "loss" of Busch Stadium because of the implied emphasis on the physical shell rather than the spirit of baseball; because of people's hang-up on what happened in the past rather than what will happen in the future; and because of some fans' resistance to admitting that, all things considered, there wasn't anything special about this version of Busch Stadium.

"Except," they'd say, "for the memories that were created there."

To which I'd reply, "Memories can be created anywhere. And they'll follow you everywhere."

There's no time like the offseason to remind you, helpfully, that any stadium, at its core, is just a bunch of concrete and steel.

Stick with me, folks. For my own edification, I'm attempting to do something like a year-in-review for every National League and American League season from 1901 on. Why start with 1901? Because that's when (a) the American League became a major league and (b) the National League started counting foul balls as strikes, pretty much bringing the game up to its current rules and regulations. The "Big sticks" group will cover each team's two best hitters, provided that they have hitters who either hit for an >800 OPS or >.400 slugging percentage (if I'm too lazy to add a player's on-base and slugging percentages that day). I won't list batting averages, because I prefer OPS; it tells you more about a player's abilities. "Live arms" will list each team's best pitcher (in my opinion) based on shutouts (though this may change as I get closer to recent years), strikeouts/walks, and ERA. As always, feel free to add anything I've missed.

Standings
1. Chicago (83-53)...most runs scored (819), best ERA (2.98)
2. Boston (79-57)
3. Detroit (74-61)
4. Philadelphia (74-62)
5. Baltimore (68-65)
6. Washington (61-72)
7. Cleveland (58-82)...worst ERA (4.12)
8. Milwaukee (48-89)...fewest runs scored (641)

Leaders
Hits: Nap Lajoie-Phi (232)
2B: Nap Lajoie-Phi (48)
3B: Jimmy Williams-Bal/Bill Keister-Bal (21)
HR: Nap Lajoie-Phi (14)
OPS: Nap Lajoie-Phi (1106)
SB: Frank Isbell-Chi (52)

Strikeouts: Cy Young-Bos (158)
Wins: Cy Young-Bos (33)
ERA: Cy Young-Bos (1.62)...they named an award after him, you know.

Big sticks
Chi: Fred Hartman (3B): .431 slug, 23 2B, 13 3B, 3 HR; Dummy Hoy (OF): 807 OPS, 23, 11, 2
Bos: Buck Freeman (1B): 920, 22, 15, 12; Jimmy Collins (2B): .492 slug, 42, 16, 6
Det: Kid Elberfeld (SS): .428 slug, 21, 11, 3
Phi: Nap Lajoie (2B): 1106, 48, 13, 14; Socks Seybold (OF): 901, 25, 12, 8
Bal: Jimmy Williams (2B): 883, 26, 21, 7; Mike Donlin (OF): 883, 22, 14, 5
Wash: Mike Grady (1B/C): .470 slug, 17, 10, 9
Cle: Nope.
Mil: John Anderson (1B): .476 slug, 46, 7, 8

Live arms
Chi: Clark Griffith (5 SHO, 67/50, 2.66)
Bos: Cy Young (5, 158/37, 1.63)
Det: Ed Siever (2, 85/65, 3.24)
Phi: Chick Fraser (2, 110/132, 3.81)
Bal: Joe McGinnity (1, 75/96, 3.56)
Wash: Casey Patten (4, 109/74, 3.93)
Cle: Earl Moore (4, 99/107, 2.90)
Mil: Nope.

Notes

• The American League's first year as a de facto "major league" (the A. L. did not honor reserve clauses in National League players' contracts).
• The A. L. did not adopt the foul-strike rule that the N. L. implemented for their 1901 season.
• Lajoie wins Triple Crown (batting average, HR, RBI).
• 5.35 runs/team/game.
• Connie Mack's first year as A's manager.

Stick with me, folks. For my own edification, I'm attempting to do something like a year-in-review for every National League and American League season from 1901 on. Why start with 1901? Because that's when (a) the American League became a major league and (b) the National League started counting foul balls as strikes, pretty much bringing the game up to its current rules and regulations. The "Big sticks" group will cover each team's two best hitters, provided that they have hitters who either hit for an >800 OPS or >.400 slugging percentage (if I'm too lazy to add a player's on-base and slugging percentages that day). I won't list batting averages, because I prefer OPS; it tells you more about a player's abilities. "Live arms" will list each team's best pitcher (in my opinion) based on shutouts (though this may change as I get closer to recent years), strikeouts/walks, and ERA. As always, feel free to add anything I've missed.

Standings
1. Pittsburgh (90-49)...best ERA (2.58)
2. Philadelphia (83-57)
3. Brooklyn (79-57)
4. St. Louis (76-64)...most runs scored (792)
5. Boston (69-69)...fewest runs scored (531)
6. Chicago (53-86)
7. New York (52-85)
8. Cincinnati (52-87)...worst ERA (4.17)

Leaders
Hits: Jesse Burkett-StL (226)
2B: Ed Delahanty-Phi/Tom Daly-Brook (38)
3B: Jimmy Sheckard-Brook (19)
HR: Sam Crawford-Cin (16)
OPS: Ed Delahanty-Phi (955)
SB: Honus Wagner-Pitt (49)

Strikeouts: Noodles Hahn-Cin (239)
Wins: Bill Donovan-Brook (25)
ERA: Jesse Tannehill-Pitt (2.18)

Big sticks
Pitt: Honus Wagner (Util): 911 OPS, 39 2B, 10 3B, 6 HR; Fred Clarke (OF): .453 slug, 26, 14, 6
Phi: Ed Delahanty (OF/1B): 955, 38, 16, 8; Elmer Flick (OF): .500 slug, 31, 17, 8
Brook: Jimmy Sheckard (OF): 944, 31, 19, 11; Tom Daly (2B): .444 slug, 38, 10, 3
StL: Jesse Burkett (OF): 949, 21, 17, 10; Snags Heidrich (OF): .470 slug, 24, 12, 6
Bos: Nope.
Chi: Topsy Hartsel (OF): 889, 25, 16, 7; Danny Green (OF): .421 slug, 16, 12, 6
NY: George Davis (SS): .418 slug, 21, 6, 7; George Van Haltren (OF): .414 slug, 22, 7, 1
Cin: Sam Crawford (OF): 903, 22, 16, 16; Jake Beckley (1B): .425 slug, 36, 13, 3

Live arms
Pitt: Jack Chesbro (6 SHO, 129 K/52 BB, 2.37 ERA)
Phi: Al Orth (6, 92/32, 2.27)
Brook: Bill Donovan (2, 226/152, 2.77)
StL: Jack Powell (2, 133/50, 3.54)
Bos: Vic Willis (6, 133/78, 2.36)
Chi: Long Tom Hughes (1, 225/115, 3.24)
NY: Christy Mathewson (5, 221/97, 2.41)...first full season, traded by Reds before the season...oops
Cin: Noodles Hahn (2, 239/69, 2.71)

Notes

• About 30 regulars from the 1900 season jumped to the American League for the 1901 season.
• Scoring down about 12% (4.63 runs/team/game) due to new foul-strike rule.

Two outs...runners on first and second...Albert Pujols comes to the plate to face Brad Lidge. Cardinals are down, 4-2.

My version
Jill was in the room until two outs in the ninth; she couldn't take it anymore, so she went in the bedroom. Eckstein got a single, and my heart started beating faster. When Jimmy turned away from that pitch that could have hit him, I nearly cussed him out...but he walked. I looked to make sure Jill wasn't coming back in the room, because I was not going to let her. And then...BANG. That was the coolest thing I've seen since Jimmy's home run last year...nope, definitely cooler than that.

...

(To John E.) That's one of the things that really bugs me about Houston: the Bushes' ubiquitous presence, right where right-handed hitters step out of the batters' box. You see them more than you see the managers. And I won't get into my Fox-Bush-Astros conspiracy right now, but if we lose on a controversial call, you can bet you'll hear it.

I was completely mentally prepared to say goodbye to the 2005 Cardinals, and I was at peace. It's going to be hard to get back to that emotional equilibrium now. The solution: win the whole flippin' thing!

...

(To Jonathan C.) I was definitely thinking about the game in Cincinnati last night when Edmonds got on base...coming back from a two-run lead against the Astros is about as hard as coming back from a 6-7 run defecit against the Reds.

It was weird because I knew Albert could do it, and I wouldn't have been mad if he didn't, but I just wasn't surprised when it happened. I was really, really happy, but I wasn't surprised.

Jill's version
I leave with one out to go in the ninth ("Do I have to watch the last out?") (yes, there is a fair amount of guilt lingering today). With no intention of going back in there, I'm brushing my teeth when I hear a commotion so loud and abrupt that it scares the holy living crap out of me. Hearing and seeing Erik's reaction (including the "f--- you, Fox" and other expletives involved) far and away made up for missing the home run itself.

Dad's version
Eckstein singles -- Kristi still sleeping. Jimmy walks -- Kristi is still sleeping. Kristi awakes for some unknown reason to see the home run and leaps out of bed. I hear her thumping down the hallway and gives me a high five -- she then goes back to bed.

John Eagleson's version (friend, co-founder of Prairie Rehab)
I can't tell you my elation, my spine-tingling elation at seeing that shot off Pujols' bat. It was one of those moments you live for as a sports fan. Over the weekend, I was bemoaning all the freaking heartbreak in sports (there seemed to be a lot of it in football and baseball the past week) and I wondered is it really worth the emotional investment? And then this happens... I want to go out and buy an AP poster and put it in the boys' room. He is a bigger than life hero, worthy of comparison to any of the all-time greats. Period.

Oh yeah, and it tingled my spine to see batty old Barbara Bush getting up from her first row seat all cheery and ready to be escorted out by the Secret Service when Wham-O! Lights Out! Houston, we have a problem! And his name is Albert Pujols!!

Jonathan Cornwell's version (friend, co-founder of Prairie Rehab)
Emily and I jumped around the room, screaming. There were a couple other times this year that I felt that way: the come from behind in Cincinnati and Sanders' slam. This is better than Edmonds in 2004; it's better than beating the Cubs at Wrigley last year after Taguchi's homer.

On the radio this morning, they were talking about how Cardinals fans will be telling their children and grandchildren about where they were when Pujols hit that slider. I think they might be right, and I can't wait for Game 6. And Game 7.

Brian Robison's version (friend, founder and Captain of the St. Louis Unions Vintage Base Ball Club)
I turned off the TV after Berkman's home run, and I started working on the computer. After a short while, I became curious about how it was all going and turned on the radio. I decided I had to know for sure it was over, but I couldn't bear to watch the Houston celebration. So, Eckstein singles and Edmonds walks, and I decide to go upstairs to watch the bitter end. Melanie had the kitchen TV muted and insisted I do the same with the one in the living room, saying she couldn't bear to hear it (the opposite of my own thoughts while downstairs with the radio -- interesting). I told her I was watching it just to torture myself, just to see them get so close and come up short once again (you will recall my frequent complaining about Albert in the clutch during the season). And then when he looked so bad on the first pitch, I thought he was going to go down with a whimper. WRONG! I yelled "OH BABY!" and the celebration was on. I wasn't even worried about Izzy in the bottom of the ninth. I knew Houston would have nothing after that, and no one on that Cardinals defense was going to let each other down. I stayed up until 11:30 watching ESPN and FSN and every replay I could find. I couldn't watch that homer enough times.

I just finished reading The Game by Robert Benson. It's one of those "feel good" baseball books, a sweet story about how a guy loves baseball, his family loves baseball and they love each other a little better and a little more because of baseball. The essay collection is anchored by a minor league game in Nashville, and as Benson recounts what is going on down on the field, he uses that action to jump back and forth in his life and find larger lessons taken from the game. It should have been extremely cheesey (and a time or two it gets darn close), but overall it's a nicely done book that will pretty much appeal to anyone who loves the game - and not just a specific team. One of the things I liked best about it was that Benson and his daughter connect completely through baseball, and her dreams of playing in the majors one day are wholly supported by her father. That was a nice surprise, and certainly a welcome one.

This will be an ongoing project. All are welcome to comment on it or add to it.

1876
• National League is created

1877
•If ball goes foul before passing first or third, it’s foul; this screws Ross Barnes and other fair-foul hitters

1879
•Reserve clause, brainchild of Arthur, adopted by national league
•Pitcher’s box reduced from six feet to four feet wide

1880
•Eight balls for a walk

1881
•Pitching distance increased to 50, seven balls for a walk

1882
•American Association created; different from NL in that it sold beer at games, played on Sundays, and charged 25 cents rather than 50; folds after 1891 season

1883
•Pitcher may deliver pitch from as high as the shoulder
•National League decides that a foul ball must be caught before it hits the ground to be an out
•Union Association founded in September; folds after 1884 season

1884
•Restrictions against overhand pitching dropped
•Ned Hanlon, playing for the Chicago White Stockings (NL) in ridiculously hitter-friendly Lake Front Park, hits 27 home runs, which remains the record until Babe Ruth’s 29 in 1919
•World Series: First “World’s Series” held; Providence (NL) sweeps NY (AA) in three

1887
•Walks counted as hits to artificially increase batting averages; Tip O’Neill hits “.485” or .435, if you’re scoring with modern standards.
•Five balls for a walk, down from seven
•Four called strikes for an out
•Batter can no longer call for a high or low delivery; anything over the plate between the shoulders and knees is a strike
•Intentional fouls can be called as strikes (antecedent of the “foul bunt with two strikes counts as third strike” rule)
•Batter hit by pitch is awarded first base.

1888
•Three strikes instead of four for an out

1889
•Four balls for a walk

1890
•Players League is formed; folds after 1890 season

1892
•National League plays split season; first-half winner plays second-half winner in playoffs, if two different teams win each half; goes back to normal format in 1893

1893
•Pitching distance increased to current length of 60 feet, six inches; pitchers required to keep one foot on a rubber plate while delivering, limiting them to one stride
•Flat-sided bats (like those used in cricket) are banned

1894
•Failed attempt to revive the American Association; doesn’t get past the idea stage
•A “bunt” is defined and counted as a strike

1895
•Pitching slab is increased from 12 inches wide to 24 inches wide, six inches deep. These are its current dimensions

1896
•Pitchers are no longer required to hold the ball in plain view of the batter

1897
•Pitchers are forbidden from intentionally discoloring the baseball
•A ball's fair or foul status is determined by where it comes to rest before passing first or third base

1898
•Balks are defined

1899
•A balk gives the batter first base; this rule is dropped after one year
•Cleveland Spiders, suffering from the pilfering of players like Cy Young by the St. Louis team (which is owned by the Robison brothers, who also happen to own Cleveland), log a 20-134 record, the worst ever

1900
•The front corners of home plate (which up to now was a square, two corners of which pointed to the catcher and pitcher) are filled in, creating the modern “home plate,” which actually does look like a child’s drawing of a house
•Western League, presided over by Ban Johnson, changes its name to the “American League,” but waits until 1901 to declare itself a “major league” and sign players “reserved” by the National League

1901
•In the National League, foul balls count as strikes up to two strikes (bunt fouls still count as strikes). Up to then, they were neither balls nor strikes

1903
•American League adopts the foul-strike rule that the National League created in 1901 as part of the Organized Baseball agreement
•World Series: First modern World Series held; Boston Pilgrims (AL) defeat Pittsburgh Pirates (NL) five games to three in a best-of-nine affair

We seem to be entering a renaissance when it comes to baseball and young adult books. Paul Haven has a new one coming out in the Spring from Random House: Two Hot Dogs with Everything. It's about a minor league team that isn't that good, the boys that love them and a house that harbors a secret - and some magic bubblegum?

For the 8-12 crowd (particularly boys who are notoriously hard to find books for), this will be probably be a winner. I was intrigued by the author's bio though - Haven is the AP Bureau Chief in Islamabad, Pakistan. That can't be an easy job. He's a lifelong fan of the Yankees so I'm sure that a lot of the book is based on his growing up years and love for the game. I think it's pretty cool that the guy is spending his spare moments writing about baseball. I wish the Yankees had a clue just how important they are to fans all over the world who need them so much.

Jack McKeon gave up the Marlins’ managing gig yesterday, so, while reporting the story, ESPN just showed a McKeon montage. Inevitably, a clip of McKeon getting ejected from a ballgame was shown. (Has there ever been a manager that never got ejected? Connie Mack would be the safest bet, I guess.)

The umpire in this video handled the situation in textbook fashion: talk with the manager, wait for him to say the magic word(s), and then ACTION! An exaggerated hand-motion indicating “you’re out of this field, this stadium, this whole freaking solar system, bub!” The umpire never looks at the manager when he pantomimes the toss. He always turns away to do it; sometimes he tosses him into center field, sometimes into the backstop, depending on which direction he was originally facing.

Maybe it’s me, but isn’t this just a little showy? Doesn’t it smack of the dreaded judicial activism I’ve heard so much about? Is there much difference between this and a Chad Johnson touchdown celebration? I’d like to see Joe West do a jig the next time he runs Tony LaRussa out of a game.

What would be wrong with quietly informing the manager that his presence is no longer needed and directing him toward his clubhouse, by way of his dugout? Umpires, in theory, serve as impartial arbiters of the game. The more they act like it, the more respect they’ll receive from managers and fans.

The less I’m reminded of NFL wide receivers during a baseball game, the better.