Baseball DIY

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.