Umpire: Angels coaches 'unprofessional'

[3 Point Stan]

Umpire: Angels coaches 'unprofessional' (http://www.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/8590096/17218852)

Posted on: September 17, 2009 6:09 pm

BOSTON -- The Angels (http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/teams/page/ANA) were upset with the umpiring in their 9-8 loss to the Red Sox (http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/teams/page/BOS) Wednesday night.

The umpires were upset with the Angels, too, or at least with the Angels coaches.

Rick Reed said Thursday that he has sent a report to major-league baseball about the way several memebers of the Angels coaching staff confronted him and his crew on their way off the field. Reed called the actions of the coaches, who he didn't identify, "unprofessional and unbecoming of a professional team."

The Red Sox won the game with two runs in the bottom of the ninth, with the tying run scoring on a controversial bases-loaded walk to Nick Green. The Angels believed they had Green struck out twice, once on a check-swing (first-base umpire Jeff Kellogg said no swing) and the second time on a 3-2 pitch that Reed ruled low.

The umpires share the tunnel with the visiting team at Fenway Park, and several Angels coaches were seen yelling at the umpires as they came off the field. Pitching coach Mike Butcher and first-base coach Alfredo Griffin seemed to be the most vocal.

Reed said that manager Mike Scioscia at first tried to quiet his coaches, but also said Scioscia later "made a comment that incited the situation."

Scioscia and some Angels players made comments about the umpiring after the game, with Scioscia asking, "What was the count, 3-4 to Green?"

Reed said he has seen the pitch on television replay, and said he can't be sure he got the call right. He said that he was influenced in part by the action of catcher Mike Napoli (http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/players/playerpage/293103), who pulled his glove up to frame the pitch.

"It could have been a strike," Reed said. "It could well have been a strike."

Reed is a 28-year veteran. He recently returned to work after suffering a stroke and missing 16 months.

[dunaja]

They're the most unprofessional coaching staff in baseball. Every time they come to Texas, you can count on Scioscia coming out of the dugout to argue at least 4-5 times for really ridiculous things, even when the score is a 10-run differential one way or the other. It serves no purpose except to make him look like an a** and slow the game down by 30 minutes.

[Joolz]

they're the most unprofessional coaching staff in baseball. Every time they come to texas, you can count on scioscia coming out of the dugout to argue at least 4-5 times for really ridiculous things, even when the score is a 10-run differential one way or the other. It serves no purpose except to make him look like an a** and slow the game down by 30 minutes.

1288

[jaychamp]

As far as the no strike call this is a key statement and something I noticed too:

Reed said he has seen the pitch on television replay, and said he can't be sure he got the call right. He said that he was influenced in part by the action of catcher Mike Napoli, who pulled his glove up to frame the pitch.

He stabbed at the ball and brought it up a good 6 inches. I thought it was a strike but if you move your glove like that you're telling the umpire you didn't think it was in the strike zone.

And I like Scioscia as a manager but he thinks he's the world best umpire calling balls and strikes from the dugout. I wouldn't be surprised if those coaches have taken on some of his personality just like players do.

[dunaja]

I wouldn't be surprised if those coaches have taken on some of his personality just like players do.

Oh, absolutely. He has a staff of yes-men.

[sprocketboy]

As far as the no strike call this is a key statement and something I noticed too:



He stabbed at the ball and brought it up a good 6 inches. I thought it was a strike but if you move your glove like that you're telling the umpire you didn't think it was in the strike zone.

And I like Scioscia as a manager but he thinks he's the world best umpire calling balls and strikes from the dugout. I wouldn't be surprised if those coaches have taken on some of his personality just like players do.

I think it was dunaja who said something about Napoli framing the pitch, and how he thought that influenced ESPN's K-zone and whatever NESN uses to show whether it's a ball or strike.

Well, apparently, framing the pitch influences the umpires as well, only in a way opposite to what the catcher intends.

[dunaja]

I think it was dunaja who said something about Napoli framing the pitch, and how he thought that influenced ESPN's K-zone and whatever NESN uses to show whether it's a ball or strike.

Well, apparently, framing the pitch influences the umpires as well, only in a way opposite to what the catcher intends.

I think framing can work but it has to be a lot more subtle than what Napoli did. He pulled it at least 6 inches. The funny thing is that if he didn't frame it but just froze where he caught it, it could very well have been called a strike.