Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Ejection 031: Bob Davidson (1)

HP Umpire Bob Davidson ejected Phillies Manager Charlie Manuel for arguing an umpire interference no call in the top of the 8th inning of the Astros-Phillies game. With none out and none on, Astros batter Jason Castro struck out swinging on a wild pitch curveball from Phillies pitcher Cliff Lee. As the ball bounded away from catcher Brian Schneider, the catcher & Davidson briefly collided as Schneider attempted to retrieve the loose ball and Davidson completed his swinging mechanic. OBR Rule 2.00(c) (Interference) defines umpire interference as "when a plate umpire hinders, impedes or prevents a catcher's throw attempting to prevent a stolen base or retire a runner on a pick-off play." This and Rule 5.09(b) do not authorize umpire interference on a wild pitch; an umpire is part of the playing field, the call was correct.* At the time of the ejection, the Phillies were leading, 3-1. The Phillies ultimately won the contest, 4-3, in 10 innings.

This is Bob Davidson (61)'s first ejection of 2012.
Bob Davidson now has 4 points in the UEFL (0 Previous + 2 MLB + 2 Correct Call = 4).
Crew Chief Jerry Layne now has 2 points in the Crew Division (1 Previous + 1 Correct Call = 2).
*After review, Quality of Correctness has been affirmed in a 4-0 decision by the UEFL Appeals Board.

UEFL Standings Update

This is the 31st ejection of 2012.
This is the 19th Manager ejection of 2012.
This is Charlie Manuel's and the Phillies' second ejection of 2012.

Wrap: Astros at Phillies 5/15/12
Video: Davidson and Schneider incidentally bump on wild pitch, Manuel argues and is ejected from dugout 
Related Video: Carlos Lee collides with 1B Umpire Hunter Wendelstedt in 1st
Embedded UEFL video:

43 comments :

SPballsandstrikes said...

and so it begins...

Matt said...

Challenge. Call should be irrecusable. The umpire was still blocking the play, and we don't know if Charlie was even arguing interference.. Can't assume motive on a non call.

Anonymous said...

Challenge what? Either way the call was right. The only other thing he could be argueing was for Davidson to shut up. Why does everyone have to challenge every call on here? It is for fun the winner doesnt get a new car.

Anonymous said...

I don't see why this should be challenged.....it didn't affect the outcome of the inning or the game. Once Castro reached, he was later out on a DP from the very next hitter.

Matt said...

Challenge because the ump did step in front and it was not correct. Great argument by Manuel. That is the type of thing that isn't judgment, therefore the challenge.

Arik said...

To bad we dont have either Manual or Davidson miked up. Yes you can see Davidson f-bombing Manual, what you dont see is what Manual is saying to Davidson.

cyclone14 said...

finally!!
don't really get why there is a challenge on this one...

Anonymous said...

The funny thing is both Mannual and Davidson are yelling at each other the same time

Arik said...

@Matt 1:30,

What are you going to challenge? I am by no means a fan of Davidson. I believe he has a case of rabbit ears and is past his prime (if he ever had one) as an umpire. However, where do you want him to go? Its not like he can just evaporate in to thin air. What is missing is the fact that Schneider screwed up. He couldnt hold on to a pitch that was very catchable.

Stop being a homer and look at it like an official.

MattAB said...

So, I post on here occasionally as "Matt", but someone else is now posting as "Matt" as well, so I guess I need to come up with a new screen name. This has got to be the funniest ejection so far this year. Classic Bob Davidson, taking no grief from nobody. I also noticed Bob was wearing a mouthguard. I know I had read previously about Andy Fletcher wearing one behind the plate, but this is the first I'd seen of someone other than him doing it. Do any of you guys that post on here ever wear one? I'd be curious to know how it affects calling strikes and such, if it does at all.

RichMSN said...

I loved it. I am a Phillies fan and have Layne as my CC. It's a win-win for me.

Another frivolous challenge, too, IMO. (I wouldn't normally say this being on the appeals board, but since I'd be forced to abstain anyway, I'll say it.)

Anonymous said...

Here's the ejection video....and it's obvious Charlie was indeed arguing over the non-interference call. There's no need to challenge, this was basically incidental contact and since this was on a wild pitch, the call is correct.

http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=21456561&topic_id&c_id=mlb&tcid=fb_video_21456561

RichMSN said...

...and from the Phillies broadcast, it appeared Manuel and Davidson were about tied in the f-bomb category.

Anonymous said...

Classic!! There's no f-bombs in about a minute and a half than any Joe Pesci movie!!

Anonymous said...

*more f-bombs, not "no f-bombs". My bad!!

ColonelTom said...

Great audio and video of the argument. Davidson was embarrassed at screwing up the play (not the call) and took it out on Charlie. Davidson ought to be disciplined by the league for that childish outburst.

Dan said...

Finally! I was beginning to wonder if Bob was getting mellow in his old age

UmpsRule said...

Davidson must have read that recent comment claiming how he'd been on his best behavior. Yeah, about that...

Well, as Hawk Harrelson might say, it's getting to be about that time Mr. Davidson. (And you know it's pretty bad when you can use a Hawk quote against an umpire)

TXWrangler said...

LOL Oh Balkin' Bob up to his usual antics, glad to know he's back in rare form! :)

Is it just me, or do these useless "challenges" become old and tiresome?

Anonymous said...

There's a difference between him having to evaporate and him not putting himself more in the way.

MaestroBen said...

It's obviously not umpire interference. But, I'll still be interested to see how this challenge goes. I'm not sure Manuel is really arguing that there should have been umpire interference here, as much as he's objecting to Davidson yelling into his dugout.

But, even if we were somehow able to deduce what Manuel was really arguing, I don't know if it would change the 'correctness' of the call...

Dan said...

Gary Darling just tossed Mets pitcher DJ Carasco for drilling Ryan Braun after he gave up a HR to the previous hitter Rickie Weekes.

Anonymous said...

@ Jeremy

How can you even allow this play to be challenged? He is either arguring Davidson yelling or the umpire interferance. Either way it's a correct call. If the guy that called for the challenge actually thinks it is umpire interferance (I know Ive said this before but) I hope he is not an umpire.

UmpsRule said...

The Carrasco video is up already: http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=21466587&c_id=mlb

Anonymous said...

Holy Crap, Bret Lawrie just got ejected and threw his helment at Bill Miller. At least a 5 game suspension.

UmpsRule said...

John Farrell went also, a four ejection day!

Anonymous said...

I don't think Manuel was arguing umpire interference. Although if he was, he has precedence. Coach Childress, in an A&M - Mizzou game talked the crew into umpire obstruction and they reversed an out. I think that was on this website. Even if Davidson got out the way properly, they had no chance at the runner. This is about something else.

JRD said...

Lawrie play is ugly. 15 games. Poor Billy... Brett more than got in his business

Anonymous said...

Next year, there should be a rule substantiating a challenge. This is getting pretty poor.

Anonymous said...

http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=21468797&c_id=mlb

Lawrie video

Jon Terry

Pete said...

Here's the most entertaining ejection of the year thus far. I think Jerry Layne was really fighting some laughter at Charlie and Bob screaming at each other. Watch @ 0:57 of the embedded video. Great stuff.

mbosschaart said...

Classic manager vs umpire shouting match. Unfortunately instigated by the umpire, who could have just ignored the manager. Nothing needs to be challenged here because it's obvious what happened. Maybe also for the future stop accepting challenges from non-participants in the UEFL as they have nothing to gain by reversing a call for points anyway, other than homies who want to see the umpire "punished" for a wrong call in their eyes.

Can we also please stop posting about other ejections that have occurred after the one mention in the thread? I believe Gil and Jeremy are right on top of things miss no ejections, so no need to

Bill said...

My friends, it doesn't get any more effin' old school than his....

Lindsay said...

After review, the original Quality of Correctness of "Correct" has been affirmed in a 4-0 decision by the UEFL Appeals Board. Reason for Ejection has also been affirmed by the Appeals Board, 4-0. Four Appeals Board members elected to Uphold and one elected to Confirm the original ruling.

In reviewing this ruling, the Board first considered Reason for Ejection as Umpire Interference (no-call). Per UEFL Rule 6-5-c, Quality of Correctness applies to the call made directly prior to ejection. Upon review of this play, it is apparent the argument began after the umpire and catcher briefly collided. As seen in Angel Hernandez (3, 4) (2011) and similar decisions, the circumstance of a no-call does not preclude QOC adjudication outside the realm of Rule 6-2-b-5, which specifies irrecusability.

Furthermore, Rule 6-2-b-5 specifies that Unsportsmanlike Conduct-NEC, as a Not Elsewhere Classified ejection, shall only be applied after all other possible Reasons for Ejection have been exhausted. Ejection 022: Chris Conroy (1) [2012] applied a USC-NEC label after warnings were argued, Ejections: Mark Wegner (2, 3) [2011] established that demonstrative, unsporting behavior during bench-clearing incidents may be deemed USC-NEC and Ejections: Joe West (4, 5) [2011] established that ejections of managers from the dugout may be deemed USC-NEC if the subject of the argument is unclear and/or does not concern a play immediately preceeding ejection.

Given the Board's affirmation of Reason for Ejection, the Board considers Quality of Correctness, affirming the Original Ruling that no Umpire Interference occurred, as prescribed by OBR Rule 2.00 [Interference].

Jeremy opined, "It is not interference; it is a wild pitch. Not a chance."

Confirmed: Jeremy, tmac, BillMueller
Upheld: yawetag
Overturned: None
Deferred: None
Abstained: Gil (Posted Original QOC), Albertaumpire (Vacation), RichMSN (owns Layne as -cc)

Quality of Correctness has been affirmed, 4-0.

Anonymous said...

Classic Bob Davidson, he went nose to nose with Kirk Gibson last year too.

UmpsRule said...

My favorite Davidson one would be his jawing match with Eric Wedge back in '09.

Pete said...

Had to dig for it, but this is probably my favorite Davidson ejection:

http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=8357759&c_id=mlb

Jon Terry said...

For the record, three balks called in Tampa last night by Jerry Layne's crew. All by Wendelstedt, none by Davidson.

Matt said...

I still don't see how this is correct and never will. But this is just a site that offers opinions anyway. I often disagree with them.

Troy said...

Didn't see this coming, but good for MLB.
http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120518&content_id=31622388&vkey=pr_mlb&c_id=mlb

Umpire Bob Davidson has received a one-game suspension for his repeated violations of the Office of the Commissioner's standards for situation handling, Major League Baseball announced today.


Davidson's suspension is to be served tonight, when his crew will work the Minnesota Twins-Milwaukee Brewers game at Miller Park. A Minor League call-up umpire will fill Davidson's spot in tonight's game.

Jon Terry said...

Ken Rosenthal talks about umpire discipline in the wake of the Davidson suspension.

http://msn.foxsports.com/video/MLB?vid=ef0e2181-db5e-4ff4-83c1-d8bee331c41a

Anonymous said...

The suspension doesn't do much. The way the rotation works, Davidson was supposed to be at first base tonight and will return to be behind the plate tommorow. I would have suspended him for one plate job. That seems more fair.

Anonymous said...

Bob Davidson needs to retire

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