Blue Balls and Strikes

There seems to be some disagreement as to what happened last night during game 2 of the MLB World Series. As millions happen to be tuning into the broadcast, Fox Sports did an incredible job of showing what appeared to be pine tar or some other oil based product on the left thumb and palm of Kenny Rogers. Kenny says it was dirt and insists that he washed it off on his own accord without being notified by home plate umpire Alfonso Marquez of the substance and being asked to wash it off, contrary to what Jimmy Leyland and Umpire Supervisor Steve Palermo stated in the post game. Kenny apparently seems to be the only smart one of the bunch. See, if he admits to the talk, then he is admitting to breaking MLB rule 8.02, listed below. Marquez on the other hand shows the kind of baseball chops it takes to work in today's MLB, a league where the commissioner and his sycophants think they can shape the game to meet their own needs and desires. No wonder President Bush wants so desperately to work in baseball after his term is completed.

Marquez and the crew blew the call last night, plain and simple, and have put a nice cherry on top of the horrible job the umpires have done this post season. Whether it's them calling a foul ball fair, a fair ball foul, or progressively shrinking the strike zone in the later innings, the umpires have left their mark on this year's MLB postseason. It's a shame really, because the umpires are supposed to be the "FAIR" arrbitrators of the rules and not enforcers of some archane concept that seems to afflict anyone working in baseball. The fact is that, much like the US Constitution, baseball and its rules are a living thing and cannot be interpretted in the same manner it was 50 years ago. The days of racists and drunks running rampant in the game are long gone, and so should this overplayed concept of the umpires always being right and above reproach.

When people screw up in a "real" job, they usually get fired, the same should apply to guys who's job it is to not be the lead story in SportsCenter. And I don't want to hear the arguments made about it being a cold day and he just wanted to get a grip on the ball, it's all crap. The fact is that if you can't hack it up there using the talents you were given, they sit down and watch the game like the rest of us. John Kruk and his "analysis" only illustrate the furthered deconstruction of the game's integrity. "I would rather he [Rogers] load up the ball and get a better grip than hit me in the ear." Not quite there Krukster, if Rogers need a little extra to get the ball over the plate that isn't part of the rules then it's not a service to you or the batter, it's cheating, and apparently you are all for cheating.

Marquez, through Palermo, insists that he only asked Kenny to wash off the substance because the crew agreed it was dirt, the classic don't blame me, I'm only one part of a whole. Well that's a good defense but unfortunately not the case because he could have made the decisions to run Rogers.

Am I hating on all umps, of course not. I am sure that they go through great lenghts to get themselves into a position to call a World Series game. However I do take exceptions with guys that would rather not do their job and protect some story line then actually get the call right. If you have a crap strike zone in the first inning, then you should have the same crap strike zone in the ninth. I understand that it is a human element thing, however not enforcing the rules as they are stated in black and white is unacceptable and an illustration of the hubris these so-called independant arbitors posses. I mean, honestly, the umps are like pitchers in the American league, they get to be as dirty as they want and never have to answer for their mistakes. They go so far as to state that any disagreement over balls and strikes is an automatic ejection, a sign of truly inferior argument skills, or a sense of fear of actually having to defend their calls.

So why all the hub bub, well last night Kenny got away with murder, or the pitching equivilant thereto, and nobody seems to care about that. It's not that I am a fan of the Cardinals, Tony LaRussa was such as baseball man and genuine stand up guy that he let Jose Canseco and Mark McGuire inject themselves in the ass with anabolic steroids while at Oakland, however the game has suffered another black eye that nobody seems to care about because the MLB and the umpires union insist on maintaining this artificial blue line of conduct where everybody dismisses Kenny's actions. Truly disgracful but hey, the MLB let the steroid era go on to further ratings so why not a cheating pitcher as well, right?

Major League Baseball Rule 8.02

The pitcher shall not -- (a) (1) Bring his pitching hand in contact with his mouth or lips while in the 18 foot circle surrounding the pitching rubber. EXCEPTION: Provided it is agreed to by both managers, the umpire prior to the start of a game played in cold weather, may permit the pitcher to blow on his hand. PENALTY: For violation of this part of this rule the umpires shall immediately call a ball. However, if the pitch is made and a batter reaches first base on a hit, an error, a hit batsman or otherwise, and no other runner is put out before advancing at least one base, the play shall proceed without reference to the violation. Repeated offenders shall be subject to a fine by the league president.(2) expectorate on the ball, either hand or his glove;(3) rub the ball on his glove, person or clothing;(4) apply a foreign substance of any kind to the ball;(5) deface the ball in any manner; or(6) deliver a ball defaced in a manner prescribed by Rule 8.02(a)(2) through (5) or what is called the “shine” ball, “spit” ball, “mud” ball or “emery” ball. The pitcher is allowed to rub the ball between his bare hands.

PENALTY: For violation of any part of Rules 8.02(a)(2) through (6):(a) The pitcher shall be ejected immediately from the game and shall be suspended automatically for 10 games.(b) If a play follows the violation called by the umpire, the manager of the offense may advise the plate umpire that he elects to accept the play. Such election shall be made immediately at the end of the play. However, if the batter reaches first base on a hit, an error, a base on balls, a hit batsman, or otherwise, and no other runner is put out before advancing at least one base, the play shall proceed without reference to the violation.(c) Even though the offense elects to take the play, the violation shall be recognized and the penalties in subsection (a) will still be in effect.(d) The umpire shall be sole judge on whether any portion of this rule has been violated.