... and you better damn well do it now.
We had probably the largest-scale base-brawl in many a year on Sunday in Texas when Texas and Toronto wrapped up their season meetings with each other.
This was after last year's situation where bat flips and all sorts of "unwritten rule" bullshit culminated in at least two Blue Jays attempting to take out Ranger second baseman Roughned Odor.
Jose Bautista was the second (in the eighth inning, after he got hit by a pitch), and got literally posterized when Odor, who had enough of his (and the Blue Jays') shit, connected with the cleanest punch in the history of basebrawls. It was a miracle Bautista wasn't knocked completely the fuck out.
Suspensions are forthcoming today from the league offices.
But I want to raise two issues from this game, pointed right at the Blue Jays, showing how sick and tired I am that the umpires, in the interest of the money-making enterprise of professional sports, do not have the power that is stated in the rule book to end a game that is clearly out of hand.
John Gibbons was tossed in the third inning for balls and strikes. Tim Leiper, the first-base coach, was tossed earlier in that same third inning. The bench coach was also tossed when, in retaliation for the fight, Prince Fielder got hit in the leg intentionally to start the bottom of the eighth inning.
I said the same thing after some of Kansas City shenanigans against Oakland. You start getting through three coaches and three players... At some point, the umpires just have to throw up the hands and award the game to the other team. It's about the only weapon they have left after a game has gotten so completely out of control...
But it's something I've now seen twice in the last ten days. Boston manager John Farrell was ejected for balls and strikes the pitch before David Ortiz got ejected after striking out -- I made a post on this with the understanding that, especially under the rules of baseball, the only reason the umpire would not do the forced ejection on Ortiz was to call him out on strikes and fix the outcome of the game.
As I said then, Farrell had not left the field or the dugout by his ejection -- which could be interpreted as a forfeiture offense in the Rules of Baseball. Farrell was not even suspended for that act. Nor were the umpires who should not have let the game continue until it was clear he was gone. Nor was Ortiz for his ranting -- and many felt Farrell saved Ortiz from a lengthy ban. (PS: Strictly personally speaking, I'm sick and tired of the "Did he bump the ump?" being a suspension situation. Start the bidding at one game when the thumb goes up and go from there. Bump the ump? Start it at ten.)
We had another one with the debacle in Texas. Gibbons came out during the brawl in the eighth inning after being tossed in the third. That's been reported to the league.
Rob Manfred, get control of your fucking league. Seriously.
We're going to get a loud message (and myself and a friend of mine who's a baseball historian believes it's not going to be one we like!!!) as to how you want your league run.
Especially with the new rule and everything that happened, I want multiple double-digit suspensions against Blue Jays here. Bautista definitely, probably Gibbons too.
I'm sick and tired of the ultimate penalty being taken out of the arsenal (except in extreme cases like Disco Demolition Night or Ball Night gone amok) simply because of the money nature of the game.
You've got some problem children that are going to make this one long, hot summer, Rob Manfred, if you don't get these guys in check. NOW.
PS: I'm also looking at you, Perennial Umpire Problem Bryce Harper. That little expletive you threw after the game you got tossed in, if I were umpiring, would've gotten a call to the league wondering if I could eject you from the next game (since he was already ejected from that game -- but that game had ended before the tirade at the umpire). He was suspended one game and served it.
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