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Monday, September 23, 2013

MLB Ejection 176: Angel Hernandez (5; Fredi Gonzalez)

HP Umpire Angel Hernandez ejected Braves Manager Fredi Gonzalez for arguing a hit by pitch no call (dead ball [ball]) in the bottom of the 7th inning of the Brewers-Braves game. With one on and two out, Braves batter
Angel calls Janish back, ruling no attempt to avoid.
Paul Janish took a 0-0 fastball from Brewers pitcher Marco Estrada for a dead ball (ball). Replays indicate the pitch, which hit Janish in the left thigh/knee, was located off the inner edge of home plate and that Janish appeared to make no attempt to get out of the way of the pitched ball, the call was correct. Rule 6.08(b) states the batter is entitled to first base without liability to be put out on a hit by pitch, except when "(2) the batter makes no attempt to avoid being touched by the ball." At the time of the ejection, the Brewers were leading, 3-0. The Brewers ultimately won the contest, 5-0.

This is Angel Hernandez (55)'s fifth ejection of 2013.
Angel Hernandez now has 14 points in the UEFL (10 Previous + 2 MLB + 2 Correct Call = 14).
Crew Chief Dana DeMuth now has 11 points in the UEFL's Crew Division (10 Previous + 1 Correct Call = 11).

This is the 176th ejection of the 2013 MLB season.
This is the 84th Manager ejection of 2013.
This is the Braves' 11th ejection of 2013, 1st in the NL East (ATL 11; WAS 9; NYM 6; PHI 4; MIA 2).
This is Fredi Gonzalez's 5th ejection of 2013 & first since September 18, 2013 (CB Bucknor; QOC = Correct).
This is Angel Hernandez's first ejection since July 5, 2013 (Gerald Laird, Fredi Gonzalez; QOC = Correct).

Wrap: Milwaukee Brewers vs. Atlanta Braves, 9/23/13
Video: Janish disallowed first after leaning into pitch, Gonzalez tossed arguing the proper decision (ATL)

42 comments:

  1. 'The C.B. Bucknor School of Umpiring' ... Since when was this a professional school? I only thought there were two? PBUC and HW?

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  2. Great call by AH here. No attempt to avoid, if anything, he turns into the pitch and makes an attempt to get the HBP, dead ball and a ball because it was off the plate. Stupid argument for Fredi since this was a textbook case of a Rule 6.08(b)(2) violation.

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  3. Judging from the physical motions made, it appears this was the conversation:


    Janish: Oh no. I appear to have been hit with the baseball.
    Hurdle: I'm not even in the same state right now but I'm sure the Reds are responsible.
    Hernandez: Get back here. You didn't try to move out of the way.
    Janish: I moved my leg!
    Hernandez: Intentionally moving it into the path of the ball doesn't count as "out of the way".
    Gonzalez: I'm not even sure why I'm here. Look at this thing I am pointing at.
    Janish: Yes, look at it.
    Hernandez: He didn't move out of the way.
    Janish: I moved my shoulders.
    Gonzalez: He moved his shoulders.
    Hernandez: ...so?
    Gonzalez: Come over here. You can see this thing I'm pointing at better from over here. Look at it. No, seriously, look at it. It's right there. Isn't a wonderful thing?
    Hernandez: Get outta here.
    Gonzalez: Where are you going? I am a football official now, stop the clock. You don't want to look at the thing? Fine, I'll kick it away. There, see? The thing is gone. Now I'm going to go back into the clubhouse and feel like an enormous idiot when I realize how pointless this conversation was.
    Braves' Fans: This is a good thing! WOOOOOOOO!
    Braves' Announcers: Let's heavily imply that since it's Angel Hernandez it must be wrong. And for a limited time only, we'll take a cheap shot at a completely unrelated umpire ABSOLUTELY FREE!

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  4. Yeah, when you make a partial turn, stop, and watch the ball hit you, that's not getting out of the way.
    If he'd kept turning it might have sold me, but when you stop and look...

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  5. One day announcers such as these clowns will get fined for comments like those.


    I can dream, I guess.

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  6. Good call by Angel. Fredi must be trying to make a run at Clint Hurdle for the most ejections this year. That was a silly call to argue, and even sillier commentary by the homer Braves announcers.

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  7. Obviously you didn't hear Simpson say up front it was the right call. Clean out your ears. Simpson was just noting the obvious - every team in the league has a history with Angel.

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  8. Correct call, but MLB umps should make this call more consistently. For every one time a batter is called back, I'd bet there are 5 or 6 times they're not. And for the record, there's nothing wrong with Joe Simpson stating what everyone who watches any baseball already know - Angel Hernandez is a combative umpire and has had way more than his share of arguments in his career.

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  9. Every team in the league has a history with every umpire in the league, but that's not what we're talking about. The issue isn't the "history" comment, which no one is debating the factual merit of, it's the "school of umpiring" comment.

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  10. Everyone watching baseball knows about the C.B. Bucknor School of Umpiring? Funny, I can't find a reliable source establishing the existence of this establishment.

    But you're right, that should be called a lot more, though most times it's not quite as obvious as this one.

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  11. And here I thought that Angel has been in the majors longer then CB? Guess I am wrong since CB has his own damn school! I also like the one knucklehead that voted this call as incorrect. I guess they attended the Atlanta Braves broadcaster rules knowledge course at the local JuCo.

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  12. I also want to challenge the ruling because it it Angel Hernandez and it must be wrong (please note this is not a serious challenge)

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  13. Last time I checked, this was a free country; and reputations are earned my friend. Angel has earned his, as well as C.B.

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  14. You must have a hyperbole filter, because that's what Joe was using. Knowledgeable baseball fans know C.B. Bucknor's reputation.

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  15. Ifr4: You must have a thing for Angel. Angel is not a combative umpire. He never gets into heated arguments and always remains calm. The history comes from him never shying away from handling his business. The announcer credited him with the correct call and then went on to imply that it was bad umpiring. That made no sense and was simply an unnecessary cheap shot at both Angel and CB. So, if you can now clean out your ears, that would be super!

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  16. I love the fact one announcer said he made the right call while the other watching the replay like ' i don't know" Great call by Angel Hernandez

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  17. Wow Angel got one right; he still should be replaced by a better skilled minor league umpire, but good for you Angel yes that should be called more often.

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  18. How long does an umpire have to suffer for mistakes made in years gone by? I think both Hernandez and Bucknor have done pretty good jobs the last couple of years. They have few ejections (I don't equate number of ejections necessarily to the quality of umpiring). They have not been confrontational and it seems recently that only when we have heard there name it's been because they were right. Doug Eddings may fall into this category as well. I wouldn't mind seeing both Bucknor and Hernandez getting playoff assignments this year.

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  19. Best post of the year! I'm still laughing!!

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  20. This a very difficult call to sell when the batter makes some type of movement. From the side, Gonzalez probably saw his batter moved his knee, got hit by the pitch, and argued heatedly. Then he was off to the races never to return.

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  21. Fredi's still got a long way to go to catch his predecessor, Bobby Cox.

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  22. And Freddy is following right in Bobby Cox's footsteps. One announcer says he got it right and the other is a moronic mouthpiece. Are they sitting in the same booth? It's not good for baseball.

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  23. Someone please remind me when the Umpire Anti-Sedition Act was passed? You'd think on this site that any mention of the fact that out of a pool of 60+ umpires working MLB games in a given year that some might be better than others is "fanboy" ignorance blind to the invincibility of each and every umpire. Criticizing authority figures -- be they meter maids, umpires, teachers, bosses -- is a part of life and most folks are able to live with it even if they don't like it or find it particularly tasteful. To my ears, the announcers here said it was a good call and noted that Fredi and Angel -- like most managers and Angel -- have a history. Argue all you want that Angel is a good umpire or not -- I don't really care one way or the other -- but you cannot deny that he finds his way into a lot of arguments (this does not mean that he's argumentative, by the way). The C.B. Bucknor comment was just mean-spirited and unnecessary, but I think most sentient beings understood the point underlying it. The fact that Bucknor does not run an umpiring school is really not an effective retort.

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  24. Couldn't have said it better myself. Just because they're MLB umpires doesn't absolve them from criticism.

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  25. You're right, I do. I despise umpires who tend to inject themselves into the game, or are incompetent. I have a thing for Angel just as I have for Bob Davidson, Bill Hohn, Doug Eddings, and others in the past. Hohn, thankfully, is gone. Davidson has calmed down since his much deserved suspension. Doug Eddings is calmer than he used to be.


    And to say Angel is not a combative umpire is hilarious. You don't have to search far to find Angel Hernandez incidents. You can start with his ejection of Steve McMichael from the Wrigley Field press box, and the tossing of Mariano Duncan's cap into the stands. And his strike zone is notoriously inconsistent and often incorrect - just look at his horrible zone in the WBC earlier this year.


    I respect guys like Jim Joyce, Tim McClelland and others that, even when they get it wrong, don't think they are bigger than the game.

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  26. It does if they get the call in question correct, which he did here.

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  27. Do you understand why the "fanboy" moniker is used in the first place? The "Insert/inject/interject themselves into the game" phrase is used mainly by fans upset that a call went against their team. They don't care much if the call was right or not, but by golly that umpire called it so he must be trying to "Be the show". According to these people, umpires should just shy away from calling anything remotely controversial, even if it is correct, just so they can stay out of the way. Additionally, umpires who refuse to put up with unsporting behavior are lumped into this category as well. Lesson for MLB umpires from fanboys and idiots in the media: Call balls and strikes/safes and outs/fair and foul, (Don't dare call interference, obstruction, or anything else they can't process) and let players, coaches, and managers scream at you unrelentingly without consequence. THEN you'll be a good umpire in their eyes.

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  28. And MLB is free to fine the club/announcers, too.

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  29. I thought the reference was pretty obvious, myself.

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  30. Correct. And it would be a stupid response. As long as they are not personal attacks, the MLB shouldn't be throwing up fines in scenarios like this. It would set a precedent that they wouldn't be able to escape from.

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  31. I just find it interesting that the announcers talked about it being the right call - then by the end were talking about how we made it through 6 innings. If you made the right call didn't you make the right call? This call was so stinkin' obvious the only reason to argue was to save his player and fire up his team. At times like this I feel like I am watching wrestling and they need to add drama to a cut and dry call.

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  32. Why? just cause its free country does not mean you should say whatever you feel like. I am sick and tired of umpire getting shots i am sick and tired of these clowns having no clue of th damn rules WHEN THEY PLAYED THE DAMN GAME

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  33. He gets more calls right than you have in your entire life.

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  34. If coaches, managers, players, GM's, etc., can take shots from the media, umpires DAMN sure ought to be able to. They should not be absolved from criticism, especially when they make huge screw-ups (not saying this call was - I've already said it was the correct call).

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  35. I'm not sure how taking a shot at an umpire who's not even doing the game you're broadcasting isn't a personal attack.

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  36. It's not this call, it's Angel Hernandez and his being prone to controversy. Right or wrong, reputations are earned, and Angel earned his early on.

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  37. Except there was exactly zero reason to criticise Hernandez or Bucknor here. The call was right. I have no problem critiquing umpires when they're wrong, but when they're right it's uncalled-for, especially when, like Bucknor, they're not even involved in the situation.

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  38. 1) Obstruction, runner's lane interference, etc. are called more consistently at the MLB level than any level of baseball in this country. The fact is that fans and media members get up in arms when these "non-routine" calls are made and go against their team. "Well this isn't normal so he must just be trying to get attention" is their attitude.


    2) Hohn isn't even in MLB anymore, so you can let it go with him. Do you not think that catcher's occasionally bring it on themselves when they get warned and won't shut up after a close pitch that doesn't go their way? As for pitchers, there are plenty of disgusted looks that don't get a second glance from umpires every day. It's when guys like Wood from Atlanta the other day started screaming at Bucknor after a ball four call and Bucknor ejects him. Is that what you're talking about when you talk about a "disgusted look"? If not, please post a video where a pitcher gets ejected for giving an umpire a mean look.


    3) What is a "roadie"? He favors the road team? And if a writer said so, it must be true. Give me a break. Please post a Pitch f/x link of one of Angel's games where he calls two different strike zones. They're easy to find, so get after it.


    4) I have no problem discussing a call and why it was right/wrong. My problem is that fans and media don't have a clue how umpires are supposed to handle situations in professional baseball or any level of baseball for that matter.


    On top of all this, Angel got this call correct and handled the situation correctly, no matter how much those who have a hard-on for him want to believe to the contrary.

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  39. Explain consistent. Oh you mean when it benefits your team!

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  40. They clearly don't. its not the meida its the announcers whom work for that ball club whom open there mouth and put there feet into there mouth freedom of press complain about it if you don't like it.

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