Baseball players and Umpires, a battle the dates back probably to the first game ever played and one that will never end–until, of course, the robot umpires take over. Some of the best entertainment in the game is the sight of a manager kicking dirt as the spittle flies and he getting ejected because of a seemingly bad call.
Earlier in the week, our very own Ian Kinsler was involved in an altercation with an umpire, Angel Hernandez, in the first game of the dreadful series with the Texas Rangers. The incident was one that prompted many questions after the game and subsequent games with Kinsler not holding back his feelings about Hernandez as an umpire. Yet, he did shake his hand before the game on Wednesday.
As of Friday, Major League Baseball chose not to suspend Kinsler for his comments about Hernandez, simply they just fined him. Needless the say the Umpire’s Union is not too pleased with the punishment.
Umpires, unhappy Kinsler was not suspended or even publicly rebuked after ripping Angel Hernandez, will wear white wristbands in protest.
— Bill Shaikin (@BillShaikin) August 19, 2017
From the World Umpires Association:
The office of the Commissioner has failed to address this and other escalating attacks on umpires. The player who denigrated Hernandez’s character publicly said he thought he would be suspended. Instead he got far more lenient treament–a fine. He shrugged that off and told reporters he had ‘no regrets’ about his offensive statements calling for the end of Hernandez’s career.
Hyperbole much?
So because someone got his feelings hurt, the umpires are going to be protesting during ball games by wearing white wristbands, as seen in exhibit A:
Umpire Joe West before taking the field today wearing white wrist band to protest escalating verbal attacks on MLB umpires! pic.twitter.com/a8TkW2JCip
— Major League Baseball Umpires Association (@MLBUA) August 19, 2017
It’s amazing when bad umpire’s stick together. Joe West was just suspended for comments he made about Adrian Beltre, but yet he’s the poster boy for the protest about umpire’s characters being impugned? Sounds more like “protest” is being spelled h-y-p-o-c-r-i-t-e these days.
And, just for good measure…either everyone didn’t get the message or the protest isn’t taking shape the Union hoped it would:
Two of the four umpires are wearing white wristbands in solidarity/protest here at Comerica Park.
— Evan Woodbery (@evanwoodbery) August 19, 2017
