Tuesday, August 6, 2013

HBP: Manny's Foul to Throat, West Warns in Washington

Plate umpire Manny Gonzalez took a foul bunt to the throat and just below the mask Tuesday during the Rockies-Mets game, resulting in his departure after an anxious delay.

Gonzalez, shaken up, leaves COL-NYM in the 6th.
With none out and one on in the top of the 6th inning, Gonzalez was struck by a first pitch bounced bunt off the dirt and into the throat area underneath the hockey-style mask and above the chest protector. The ball appeared to carom off the ground and lodge between the mask and Gonzalez's neck, only becoming displaced after Gonzalez reached in and grabbed the baseball.

After the umpires convened with the Mets medical staff at home plate, 2B Umpire Larry Vanover left to change into his plate gear as Gonzalez was assisted off and field and into the home training room by the trainer and 1B Umpire Tony Randazzo.

According to the Mets broadcast, the injury delay—from the foul bunt to Vanover's announcement of "play"—lasted approximately 15 minutes.

Video: Gonzalez takes foul to throat, removes lodged ball and walks off woozily (NYM)

Harper jaws with Teheran as West holds back F2.
Meanwhile on the east coast, baseball was abuzz over Atlanta F1 Julio Teheran's hit-by-pitch of Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper, who was struck in the thigh by a fifth-inning fastball and ignited a bench-clearing huddle along the infield.

As HP Umpire and veteran crew chief Joe West stepped in front of McCann, preventing him from physically engaging Harper, who yelled as he walked down the first base line, 1B Umpire Sam Holbrook ran in from first base to make sure Harper didn't leave the baseline while 2B Umpire Adam Hamari and 3B Umpire Rob Drake likewise stepped in between the Nationals and Braves, both teams having vacated their respective dugouts and bullpens.

Immediately thereafter, West issued warnings to both squads and the game continued without incident, Washington falling to the Braves on—what else—a Bryce Harper strikeout.

Video: Harper hit by a 5th inning pitch, McCann intercepted by West, whose crew separates the teams (WAS)

31 comments :

Lindsay said...

I've got to say the bullpens clearing during a square dance of a hoedown on the field is the funniest looking thing in professional baseball.

Lindsay said...

This is the exact reason why I have an extendible throat guard on my bucket.

Lindsay said...

Ouch. I remember a few years back when Tim McClelland working in Anaheim took a direct shot or maybe it was a foul ball, not sure into that dangling throat guard of his. Sure enough, the guard broke right off of his mask, but the ball never got to his neck either. The neck/throat/collar bone is the catcher and umpire's bermuda triangle.

Lindsay said...

Good job by the crew, but looking at the big picture, I can't believe Joe didn't dump the pitcher for hitting Harper. (Although it couldn't have happened to a better guy not name Jose Bautista or Delmon Young)

Lindsay said...

Excellent job keeping things in order by what appears to be the only four mature adults on the field.

Lindsay said...

Seriously? Harper once claimed he was an old school player. Well, he just got old-schooled; pimp your home run and get hit. Actually, it wasn't quite old school because Tehran hit him in the leg. Gibson or Drysdale would've knocked his head off.


I will agree the umps did a good job restoring order.

Lindsay said...

Seriously. Teheran acts like a child by throwing at Harper. Harper acts like a child by trying to start something. Everyone else acts like children by storming out of the dugout looking for a fight.

Lindsay said...

And how many times has something like this happened in over 100 years of baseball? Get a grip - it's part of the game.

Lindsay said...

It's a part of the game that needs to go away. Just because something has been happening for a hundred years doesn't make it a good thing.

Lindsay said...

Good luck with that.

Lindsay said...

Seemed like Joe West was being an old school ump too. He definitely let that one go, in my opinion.

Lindsay said...

You obviously never picked up a bat or glove a day in your life. Fans pay good money to see this part of baseball - they want to see the best players in the world playing at the highest level, and things get heated from time to time and it's a HUGE part of the game, like fighting in hockey. Thankfully MLB allows this to go on or things would be a lot worse.

Lindsay said...

Sentence #1: Incorrect.
Sentence #2: The majority of fans pay to see the players play baseball.
Sentence #3: So you're saying that if the MLB was to eliminate this problem by strictly enforcing penalties for fighting then it would somehow result in more fighting? Please clarify, I don't understand.


And part of the game or no, they're still acting like children.

Lindsay said...

Sentence #1: I'm completely shocked......Sentence #2: They want to see the best players play with passion, sometimes these things happen....Sentence #3: Wouldn't expect you to understand. And they are not acting any more like children than when an umpire with a clear vendetta tosses a player...I never hear you say anything about that?

Lindsay said...

Sentence #1: Why is that?
Sentence #2: "Sometimes these things happen" is never a good excuse.
Sentence #3: So you can't explain why things would be a lot worse?


I have never said anything about that because I have not seen anything of the sort. Perhaps I simply missed it. Could you provide an example and demonstrate why said example is a "clear vendetta"?

Lindsay said...

For the grief that Joe West sometimes gets, there is no doubt that he hustles on the field and it rubs off on his crew. Whether it is to protect a younger umpire or to prevent a brawl Joe West is willing to step into the middle of it. I could just picture Tim Welke taking his sweet time getting over there at which point a melee would have occurred. That is why I think West is one of the best "crew chiefs"

Lindsay said...

Same here. It looks kind of goofy, but I have a Shock FX helmet with the 6 inch Shock FX throat guard. It's the same rig that Mark Carlson used to wear, which I never figured out why he got rid of and went back to a mask with no throat piece.

Lindsay said...

The problem is players act like little bitches now. Old school baseball is knowing the consequences of doing something stupid and not acting like a little bitch when you get what you had coming. Harper is a punk and poor example of baseball etiquette. I don't know who I dislike more...him or Puig. Umpires have to police the game because players are soft and whine too much. The other problem is players don't know when it's over. I pimp a HR and you hit me. It's over with. Not in modern day baseball...it turns into a woman's soap opera and bleeds over into multiple series. The best confrontation of the year was when SD Padres Guzman pimped that HR and MadBum threw behind him. Guzman acted like a badass and MadBum came off the hill to meet him at the dirt circle to see "if he wanted some". Strangely Guzman wasn't up for a big country ass whippin' from MadBum. I loved it...that was old school. Players now a days are sissies. Harper's problem is he's a spoiled punk who rode the silver spoon to the Show and he hasn't earned any respect. Harper wouldn't last 5 seconds on a field with Bob Gibson or Mickey Mantle. He acts like a clown and than can't handle it when people "show" him the way. The kid actually plays hard. STFU and play.

Lindsay said...

Ignoring the grammatical clusterf*ck, the message is an absolute win.

Lindsay said...

Your response is part of the problem not part of the solution. My little boy thinks the only show on tv is MLB network and we have to spend 5-10 mins a week "teaching" him the right way to play the game because of all the bad examples he sees on TV. It's not a huge part of the game. Pitching the ball, hitting the ball, fielding the ball is a HUGE part of the game and as long as "players" like you think "fighting" because you got hit is a huge part of the game than we've got problems. For the record, the excessive fighting in hockey makes it the equivalent of WWE.

Lindsay said...

Thanks I think. Given that the message was communicated and this isn't an Honors English class, I'm not at all concerned with the "grammatical clusterf*ck".

Lindsay said...

HP ump Dale Scott leaves Blue Jays-Mariners after being hit by Jose Bautista foul ball. CB Bucknor, now the senior umpire, makes Mariners starter Aaron Harang take his 8 warmup pitches and wait around for Todd Tichenor to finish changing. Mariners coaching staff not happy.

Lindsay said...

Update. Immediately after this, Harang gives up back to back home runs to Edwin Encarnacion and Adam Lind and gets pulled.

Lindsay said...

Thus the reason I said, "ignoring"...

Lindsay said...

don cooper got ejected by greg gibson

Lindsay said...

Gibson ejected Don Cooper in Chicago and Victorino was tossed by Knight in Houston.

Lindsay said...

Bapacop, you're 100% correct. Those of us with officiating AND playing experience know that this kind of shit is nonsense. It's like two children fighting over an ice cream cone. Grow up, this is how people get hurt. Athletes are bigger, stronger, and faster than they have ever been. TO be honest, I have seen SPs tossed for less (unequivocally-definite beanballs). Was surprsied West did not toss Temoron here.

Lindsay said...

Bapacop - don't argue with clowns, you'll get seltzer water sprayed in your face.

Lindsay said...

I imagine you obviously never picked up a bat or glove a day in your life. Fans don't pay good money to see this part of baseball - they want to see the best players in the world playing at the highest level, and things get heated from time to time, though it's not a HUGE part of the game like fighting in hockey (which is just fucking stupid - I imagine this has something to do with their torrid, scorching ratings!). Thankfully, MLB does not allow this to go unpunished, on or things would be a lot worse.

Lindsay said...

I agree 100%. If you want to see a fight, watch MMA or UFC. I prefer to watch baseball (you know, pitching and hitting and fielding).

Lindsay said...

Carlson ejected Bo Porter, first ejection for Astros this season, for arguing the ball hit the ground during a strikeout in the ninth.

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