Saturday, July 11, 2015

MLB Ejections 124-125: Carapazza (1-2; Cervelli, Hurdle)

HP Umpire Vic Carapazza ejected Pirates C Francisco Cervelli and Manager Clint Hurdle for arguing a foul ball call in the top of the 2nd inning of the Cardinals-Pirates game. With two out and none on, Cardinals batter Mark Reynolds attempted to strike a 1-2 knuckle curve from Pirates pitcher A.J. Burnett for a called foul ball, prior to hitting a home run on the succeeding pitch. Replays indicate that Reynolds' bat did not appear to contact the baseball during his swing, the call was incorrect. At the time of the ejection, the Cardinals were leading, 1-0. The Pirates ultimately won the contest, 6-5, in 14 innings.

These are Vic Carapazza (19)'s first and second ejections of 2015.
Vic Carapazza now has -4 points in the UEFL Standings (0 Previous + 2*[2 MLB - 4 Incorrect] = -4).
Crew Chief Larry Vanover now has 2 points in Crew Division (2 Previous + 0 Incorrect Call = 2).

These are the 124th and 125th ejections of the 2015 MLB Regular Season.
This is the 59th player ejection of 2015. Prior to ejection, Cervelli was 0-0 in the contest.
This is the 56th Manager ejection of 2015.
This is the Pirates' 3/4th ejection of 2015, 3rd in the NL Central (CIN, STL 5; PIT 4; CHC, MIL 3).
This is Francisco Cervelli's first career MLB ejection.
This is Clint Hurdle's 3rd ejection of 2015, 1st since June 14 (Cory Blaser; QOC = N [Balls/Strikes]).
This is Vic Carapazza's first ejections since October 4, 2014 (Matt Williams; QOC = Y [Balls/Strikes]).

Wrap: St. Louis Cardinals vs. Pittsburgh Pirates, 7/11/15
Video: Given second life, Reynolds clubs a solo homer, leading to sour grapes and two Pirate ejections (FOX)

MLB Ejection 123: Greg Gibson (5; Brent Strom)

HP Umpire Greg Gibson ejected Astros Pitching Coach Brent Strom for arguing balls and strikes in the bottom of the 7th inning of the Astros-Rays game. With two out and one on, Astros pitcher Dallas Keuchel walked Rays batter Brandon Guyer, prompting a mound visit from Strom, who was subsequently ejected during this visit. Replays indicate Gibson experienced six callable pitches ruled "ball" prior to Strom's ejection in the bottom of the 7th inning and that all pitches were properly officiated (100% Accuracy), the call was correct. At the time of the ejection, the Rays were leading, 3-0. The Rays ultimately won the contest, 3-0.

This is Greg Gibson (53)'s fifth ejection of 2015.
Greg Gibson now has 13 points in the UEFL Standings (9 Previous + 2 MLB + 2 Correct Call = 13).
Crew Chief Greg Gibson now has 11 points in Crew Division (10 Previous + 1 Correct Call = 11).

This is the 123rd ejection of the 2015 MLB Regular Season.
This is the Astros' 4th ejection of 2015, T-1st in the AL West (HOU, SEA 4; LAA, OAK, TEX 2).
This is Brent Strom's first career MLB ejection.
This is Greg Gibson's first ejection since April 19, 2015 (Kelvin Herrera; QOC = U [Throwing At]).

Wrap: Houston Astros vs. Tampa Bay Rays, 7/11/15
Video: Strom lingers at the mound and immediately earns his ejection when Gibson breaks the meeting (HOU)

MLB Ejection 122: Marty Foster (4; Victor Martinez)

HP Umpire Marty Foster ejected Tigers DH Victor Martinez for arguing a strike three call in the top of the 5th inning of the Tigers-Twins game. With one out and one on, Martinez took a 2-2 knuckle curve from Twins pitcher Phil Hughes for a called third strike. Replays indicate the pitch was located off the outer edge of home plate and midpoint high (px -.961, pz 3.049 [sz_top 3.360]), the call was incorrect. At the time of the ejection, the Twins were leading, 7-4. The Twins ultimately won the contest, 9-5.

This is Marty Foster (60)'s fourth ejection of 2015.
Marty Foster now has 4 points in the UEFL Standings (6 Previous + 2 MLB - 4 Incorrect Call = 4).
Crew Chief Mike Winters now has 10 points in Crew Division (10 Previous + 0 Incorrect Call = 10).

This is the 122nd ejection of the 2015 MLB Regular Season.
This is the 58th player ejection of 2015. Prior to ejection, Martinez was 0-2 (SO) in the contest.
This is the Tigers' 4th ejection of 2015, T-3rd in the AL Central (KC 10; CWS 5; CLE, DET 4; MIN 2).
This is Victor Martinez's first ejection since September 19, 2008 (Jerry Layne; QOC = U [Fighting]).
This is Marty Foster's first ejection since May 31, 2015 (Justin Turner; QOC = N [Balls/Strikes]).

Wrap: Detroit Tigers vs. Minnesota Twins, 7/11/15
Video: V-Mart argues the outside breaking ball after striking out and is summarily dismissed (DET)

Thursday, July 9, 2015

MLB Ejection 121: Chris Segal (1; Lorenzo Cain)

HP Umpire Chris Segal ejected Royals CF Lorenzo Cain for arguing a strike two call in the bottom of the 7th inning of the Rays-Royals game. With one out and none on, Cain took a 2-1 splitter from Rays pitcher Steve Geltz for a called second strike. Replays indicate the pitch was located over the inner edge home plate and thigh high (px -.745, pz 2.437), the call was correct. At the time of the ejection, the Royals were leading, 7-3. The Royals ultimately won the contest, 8-3.

This is Chris Segal (96)'s first ejection of 2015.
Chris Segal now has 6 points in the UEFL Standings (1 Previous + 3 AAA + 2 Correct = 6).
Crew Chief Tim Welke now has 7 points in Crew Division (6 Previous + 1 Correct Call = 7).

This is the 121st ejection of the 2015 MLB Regular Season.
This is the 57th player ejection of 2015. Prior to ejection, Cain was 1-3 in the contest (SO).
This is the Royals' 10th ejection of 2015, 1st in the AL Central (KC 10; CWS 5; CLE 4; DET 3; MIN 2).
This is Lorenzo Cain's 2nd ejection of 2015, 1st since April 23 (Sam Holbrook; QOC = U [Fighting]).
This is Chris Segal's first ejection since August 18, 2014 (Ron Gardenhire; QOC = N [HBP/Foul]).

Wrap: Tampa Bay Rays vs. Kansas City Royals, 7/9/15
Video: After flying out in the 7th, Cain is ejected between innings arguing the earlier strike call (KC)

Wednesday, July 8, 2015

MLB Ejections 119-120: Pat Hoberg (2-3; Molina, Matheny)

HP Umpire Pat Hoberg ejected Cardinals C Yadier Molina and Manager Mike Matheny in the bottom of the 6th inning of the Cardinals-Cubs game. With two out and three on, Cubs batter Miguel Montero took a 2-2 fastball from Cardinals pitcher Michael Wacha for a called third ball before hitting an ensuing pitch for a three-RBI double. Replays indicate the pitch was located off the outer edge of home plate and knee high (px -.855, pz 1.700), the call was correct. At the time of the ejections, the Cubs were leading, 5-4. The Cardinals ultimately won the contest, 6-5.

These are Pat Hoberg (31)'s second and third ejections of 2015.
Pat Hoberg now has 17 points in the UEFL Standings (7 Previous + 2*[3 AAA + 2 Correct] = 17).
Crew Chief Ted Barrett now has -2 points in Crew Division (-4 Previous + 2 Correct Call = -2).

These are the 119th and 120th ejection of the 2015 MLB Regular Season.
This is the 56th player ejection of 2015. Prior to ejection, Molina was 1-3 in the contest.
This is the 55th Manager ejection of 2015.
This is the Cardinals' 4/5th ejection of 2015, T-1st in the NL Central (CIN, STL 5; CHC, MIL 3; PIT 2).
This is Yadier Molina's first ejection since June 2, 2013 (Clint Fagan; QOC = Y [Safe/Out]).
This is Mike Matheny's 2nd ejection of 2015, 1st since June 2 (Joe West; QOC = N [Balls/Strikes]).
This is Pat Hoberg's first ejection since yesterday, June 7, 2015 (Seth Maness; QOC = Y [Fair/Foul]).

Wrap: St. Louis Cardinals vs. Chicago Cubs, 7/8/15
Video: Molina immediately confronts Hoberg as Montero hits a double, resulting in a double-toss (STL)

2015 MLB All-Star Game Umpires Led by Chief Tim Welke

MLB announced umpires for the 2015 All-Star Game on July 14 at Cincinnati's Great American Ball Park, selecting a younger umpiring crew to join the young stadium for its inaugural Mid-Summer Classic. The umpires are:

HP Umpire Tim Welke (crew chief): This is Tim Welke's third career All-Star Game and first behind home plate as a crew chief (1990, RF; 2005, 1B). 2015 Ejections: 0. 2015 Replays: 4 Affirmed / 10 Total = .400 RAP.
2014 UEFL Award: Worst Umpire of Year.

1B Umpire Jerry Meals: This is Jerry Meals' second career All-Star Game, first as a regular season crew chief (2002, 3B). 2015 Ejections: 0. 2015 Replays: 4/10 = .400 RAP.

2B Umpire Paul Schrieber: Second career All-Star Game (2000, 3B). 2015 Ejections: 0. 2015 Replays: 2/6 = .333 RAP.

3B Umpire Ron Kulpa: Second career All-Star Game (2001, LF). 2015 Ejections: 1 (E-111, 6/28). 2015 Replays: 6/11 = .545 RAP.

LF Umpire James Hoye: First All-Star Game. 2015 Ejections: 2 (E-018, 4/19; E-073, 6/3). 2015 Replays: 6/10 = .600 RAP.

RF Umpire Alan Porter: First All-Star Game. 2015 Ejections 1 (E-107, 6/24; S-12, 3/31). 2015 Replays: 2/2 = 1.000 RAP.

Replay Official Brian Gorman: His first All-Star Replay assignment. 2015 Ejections: 1 (E-074, 6/4). 2015 Replays: 4/5 = .800 RAP.

League Ranks for Replay Review (of 87 total umpires), Review Affirmation Percentage (RAP):
Tim Welke = T-65th
Jerry Meals = T-65th
Paul Schrieber = T-70th
Ron Kulpa = T-37th
James Hoye = T-29th
Alan Porter = T-1st (technically T-3rd due to tiebreaker of number of replays experienced).

ASG Crew, Assigned Solely Based on RAP Standings:
HP: Brian Gorman -cc (9th - must be an active regular season crew chief)
1B: Sam Holbrook (1st, 6/6)
2B: Alfonso Marquez (T-1st [2nd], 3/3)
3B: Alan Porter (T-1st [T-3rd], 2/2)
LF: Quinn Wolcott (T-1st [5th], 1/1)
RF: Mark Carlson (6th, 11/12 [.917])

Reserves: Kerwin Danley (6/7), Paul Emmel (4/5), David Rackley (4/5), Marvin Hudson (3/4), Mark Ripperger (3/4), Fieldin Culbreth (5/7), Mark Wegner (5/7), Joe West (5/7).
*Pat Hoberg (T-1st [3rd], 2/2) and Adam Hamari (8th, 9/11) not eligible due to AAA status.

Pursuant to UEFL Rule 2-2-a, all All-Star Game umpires will receive one League point for appearing in the contest while Welke will receive two points for his role as crew chief. No points are awarded to the Replay Official (must "appear[] in that game").

MiLB All-Star Futures Game Umpires:
HP Umpire Ron Teague (AAA, PCL [Freshly Promoted from AA-Texas League]), 1B Umpire Dan Merzel (AA, Eastern League), 2B Umpire Javerro January (AA, Southern League), 3B Umpire Junior Valentine (AA, Eastern League). All will work the Home Run Derby while January and Valentine will officiate Sunday's Legends and Celebrity Softball Game.

Tuesday, July 7, 2015

MLB Ejection 118: Pat Hoberg (1; Seth Maness)

1B Umpire Pat Hoberg ejected Cardinals P Seth Maness for arguing a fair ball call in the bottom of the 7th inning of the Cardinals-Cubs game. With one out and two on, Cubs batter Addison Russell hit a 1-2 fastball from Cardinals pitcher Maness on the ground down the first base line, ruled a fair ball by Hoberg. Replays indicate the ball first contacted the ground near home plate in foul territory, but landed on the foul line at approximately the 80-foot-mark and appeared to bounce over the front edge of first base in fair territory before again bouncing foul in the outfield grass, the call was correct. At the time of the ejection, the game was tied, 2-2. The Cubs ultimately won the contest, 5-3.

This is Pat Hoberg (31)'s first ejection of 2015.
Pat Hoberg now has 7 points in the UEFL Standings (2 Previous + 3 AAA + 2 Correct Call = 7).
Crew Chief Ted Barrett now has -4 points in Crew Division (-5 Previous + 1 Correct Call = -4).

This is the 118th ejection of the 2015 MLB Regular Season.
This is the 55th player ejection of 2015. Prior to ejection, Maness' line was 1.0 IP, 3 R, BS, L.
This is the Cardinals' 3rd ejection of 2015, T-2nd in the NL Central (CIN 5; CHC, MIL, STL 3; PIT 2).
This is Seth Maness' first career MLB ejection.
This is Pat Hoberg's first ejection since May 28, 2014 (Elvis Andrus; QOC = N [Balls/Strikes]).

Wrap: St. Louis Cardinals vs. Chicago Cubs (Doubleheader Game 2), 7/7/15
Video: Russell's game-tying single provokes controversy with St. Louis, thanks to odd caroms (CHC)
Video: Maness gets ejected as Tim McCarver changes his initial opinion: "that's a fair ball" (STL)

Are Umps Playing Through Pain for MLB-Wilson's Sake?

Is MLB and Wilson's sponsorship deal hurting umpires or is the association a positive presence for umpire safety? Concussions and other umpire injuries have apparently "skyrocketed" in recent years, according to a topic of debate presented at the 2014 National Sports Law Negotiation Competition (Behind the Mask). The pointed accusations argued at the annual moot contest included declining steel quality, MLB-Wilson's exclusivity contract and a reference to the umpiring community's thus-far lone litigator, Ed Hickox.

The Behind the Mask round of debate presented by NSLNC host Thomas Jefferson School of Law's Center for Sports Law & Policy pitted teams from law schools around the country in arguing the MLB-Wilson equipment situation on behalf of both key stakeholders—the World Umpires Union (sic, "World Umpires Association," herein WUA, is the correct title) and Wilson Equipment (Amer Sports Corporation's Wilson Sporting Goods Company).

Accordingly, the following article is presented in the National Sports Law Negotiation Competition spirit with a focus "on current issues in sports each year and facilitates students, coaches, and judges to negotiate and make decisions on these sports topics in an academic setting." The NSLNC's mission is "to provide the sports profession with a body of able and ready legal minds, through the negotiation and training of law students with the use of real-life issues affecting athletes, sports franchises, teams, businesses, and entities." Presented as an objective analysis and overview of the issue, the UEFL does not draft nor endorse any opinion for or against any stance in the NSLNC WUA v Wilson debate.

According to its website, the NSLNC boasts former Minor League Baseball umpire Brandon Leopoldus (2000-2004, serving as California League All-Star Game Crew Chief in 2004 having worked the 2003 Cal League Championship Series) as a Board member. Leopoldus has previously written for Referee Magazine as a legal consultant regarding liability, camps, and taxes/FEINs.

Here are the key facts presented in the NSLNC document, according to the CSLP posting:
1996: Wilson debuts its single bar lightweight steel umpire mask, which soon becomes known as industry best.
2002: Wilson changes its steel supplier for mask bars due to the declining US steel industry. The new supplier effectively provides "much cheaper steel," accordingly of a "far lower quality."
2009: Wilson and MLB sign a contract stating that Wilson shall be the exclusive protective equipment supplier to umpires working MLB games. Wilson's is the only logo that umpires may display on their protective equipment (N/A to shoes).
Fall 2013: Wilson again changes its steel supplier, further diminishing steel quality. Wilson develops a new titanium frame, but the NSLNC doc notes this "has only seen an even greater uptick in concussions."

The NSLNC noted that of the time of the 2009 sponsorship deal, more than 90% of all professional umpires wore at least one Wilson product (e.g., the licensed West Vest). In 2012, an Umpire-Empire post indicated that 50 big league umpires (of 85) wore a Wilson model while 55 wore a Wilson chest protector, such as the West Vest (including 55 West Vests [5 Original Douglas models included in the tally]).

NSLNC also wrote that Wilson's internal testing records showed several concussions associated with the company's facemask products, a finding that purportedly was leaked to the media and to the WUA.

The findings indicate that since then, MLB has allotted WUA some lee-way in negotiating their own new mask deal, including an opt-out clause in the MLB-WUA CBA related protective equipment that may be invoked when umpires are injured during MLB games while using official equipment.

According to NSLNC, over 20 WUA members have suffered diagnosed concussions while wearing the newest Wilson masks, which had turned the WUA sour on MLB's exclusive relationship with Wilson. Per NSLNC: "It is in Wilson’s best interest to keep umpires safe, and it is in the WUA’s interest in ensuring that its members are receiving access to the best possible equipment available, regardless of who makes it. The WUA is also interested in obtaining fair compensation for its members for, in effect, endorsing Wilson products."

This might place some stakeholders, such as umpire Joe West, in a unique position. West's MLB Umpire Profile states that he designed "all of Wilson Sporting Goods' 'high-end' umpire equipment," and West indeed designed and patented the popular West Vest chest protector, subsequently founding a company called West Vest, LLC. West additionally serves as President of the World Umpires Association.

In December 2014, contract negotiations between MLB and WUA stalled, and although umpire lockout remained a possibility, the umpires and baseball reached agreement on a five-year contract about 10 days later.

A since-removed online video promoting his flagship product famously showed West taking a fastball directly to the West Vest chest protector and appearing not to be bothered by its impact whatsoever. Yet the crux of the umpire safety issue these days is the mask, not the chest protector, which makes or breaks the issue of head trauma in a way a chest protector does not.

MLB Umpire Ed Hickox
A quick review of the most recent 2015 season umpire facial, neck, and head injuries show some umpires removed from gameplay under concussion protocol or head injury concerns have worn certain Wilson masks (such as Tom Hallion on 7/1/15 or Marty Foster on 6/16/15, etc.) while others such as Greg Gibson, for instance, who took a direct shot to the face and remained in the game and series, wore non-Wilson products: Gibon's HSM resembles an All-Star System 7 helmet and is completely devoid of any manufacturer's logo (remember, if it's not a Wilson, its logo cannot be displayed pursuant to the terms of MLB's exclusivity relationship with Wilson). But remember sampling bias as a majority of MLB umpires do wear Wilson products (which are, of course, visible thanks to the trademark "W") and non-Wilson headwear umpires have also experienced game-ending cranial injury (CB Bucknor, 7/13/13, though he remained in a 2012 game after a deflection to the face). In a similar vein, Wilson-wearer Clint Fagan stayed in his game after taking a deflection to the face. All else equal (assuming all masks are of the same quality, safety, etc.), a majority of concussions would be expected to occur in the Wilson-wearing population.

Ed Hickox has long been the high profile umpire and WUA member to have gone after Wilson in court (in two separate cases; the first concerning a 2005 injury and the latter a 2009 injury, both while wearing Wilson products behind the plate).

For instance, one expert witness during Hickox's first trial, Dr. Igor Paul, stated that the mask design contributed to Hickox's severe jaw injury:
Dr. Paul did not merely assert that the angle of the throat guard was a defect that caused Mr. Hickox's injuries; rather, Dr. Paul explained his reasoning, step by step. Using freeze frames of the video of the incident, Dr. Paul stated his opinion that the angle of the throat guard caused the mask to trap the ball before deflecting it, concentrating the energy of the ball at the point of impact. Dr. Paul further explained how the impact of the ball hitting the throat guard created a wedging action that pushed the wire portion of the mask against Mr. Hickox's jaw bone, causing injury.
The throat guard allegedly was angled forward instead of extending straight down and lacked a center wire that could have deflected the ball instead of temporarily trapping it.

That specific trial, which was argued in front of a jury, ended in award to the Hickoxes: The jury rendered verdict for the plaintiffs on each of their claims, which included strict liability for a defective product, design defect, negligent design, design defect due to failure to warn, and breach of implied warranty of fitness for a particular purpose. Ed was awarded $750,000 and wife Lisa was awarded $25,000 in damages (he originally sought $2 million, and Lisa sought $200,000).

Think Manny Gonzalez's own game-ending foul ball to the throat under a Wilson mask in New York brought back some painful memories?

Wilson had tried to argue Paul's testimony was faulty and lacked scientific foundation, that the jury should have been instructed on an assumption-of-risk defense, and insufficient evidence to support judgment against it on product-liability claims. At the end of it all, however, a DC appeals court affirmed the trial court (and jury)'s decision resulting in a $775k award to the plaintiffs. Hickox himself is no stranger to the law, serving as a Daytona Beach Shores Police Department detective during the MLB offseason.

Attorney Patrick Regan noted, "They were using the umpires and catchers as human guinea pigs" in response to Wilson's presentation of their practice of "field testing," wherein Wilson observed how the mask held up while being worn by umpires and catchers during live ball action.

In 2012—while waiting for Wilson's appeal of the 2005 injury case to be heard—Hickox filed in New York State Supreme Court over a 2009 injury sustained while wearing the A5590 Titanium Shock FX Helmet—that's a 2005 injury due to a defective traditional-style facemask (throat guard angle) that cost Wilson $775,000 and a 2009 lawsuit against Wilson that now alleged the company was extremely negligent by showing a "willful and wanton disregard" if not outright malice or a complete disregard for umpire safety with a titanium hockey-style mask. The 2009 foul ball injury purportedly resulted from the A5590 mask fracturing into several pieces, while Hickox suffered a concussion, injuries to his left year, as well as a closed head injury, including "permanent injuries as a result of the incident in question without any contributory fault of his own." Lisa Hickox additionally claimed loss of society, companionship and consortium.

The NSLNC report states that this second lawsuit was adjudicated and that "settlements were sealed by order of the court."

So is MLB's association with Wilson hurting or helping umpires? Hickox proved—in multiple courts of law—that in two specific cases of injury, Wilson was liable and negligent in part over a faulty mask design and, in the DC case, responsible for offering Hickox a mask that hadn't been adequately tested and, in Reagan's language, using him during field testing as a "human guinea pig," but this sample size is, of course, extremely small, statistically unreliable, and refers to incidents taking place a decade (and six years) ago. The NSLNC paper presented several facts that could be used by competition teams to make the argument that Wilson exclusivity may in some cases endanger umpire safety, while leaving the door open for rebuttal in favor of keeping Wilson in the loop—and clearly invested with umpires—through its association with equipment developers and patent-holders, such as Joe West of the West Vest. As relates to masks, West designed several masks for Wilson, noting that (according to his website), "the masks that were designed for Wilson by Joe West evolved into two single (as opposed to hinged) cross bars." Notably, the West Vest umpire masks featured on Umpirejoewest.com appear to feature throat frames which extend at a close to vertical angle, unlike the mask Hickox wore when he suffered his 2005 injury. West is clearly in a unique position as both an equipment designer and third-term President of the World Umpires Association.

For what it's worth, an equally slim sample of Amazon users rated the traditional-style Diamond Sports mask ahead of the comparable Wilson Dyna-Lite model, but Wilson's Shock FX 2.0 beat out all others in the hockey-style mask category—the sampling, however, was likely of amateur officials and certainly not scientific in nature.

At present, the science is inconclusive when it comes to the traditional vs. hockey-style mask debate, but even here, no specific manufacturer was rated higher than another. The National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment endorses the HSM over the traditional mask ("For impacts to the face, the hockey-style mask is significantly superior to the traditional catcher’s headgear combination...For umpires to be the safest, they should buy a black catcher’s hockey-style mask because it will have been certified by NOCSAE").

Monday, July 6, 2015

MLB Replay Reviews, Week 13 (June 29 - July 5, 2015)

MLB umpires experienced 51 instant replay reviews during the week of June 29 - July 5, 2015 (-7 over prior week). Games played during this period featured the following MLB Replay Review decisions:

Sunday, July 5, 2015

MLB Ejections 116-117: Phil Cuzzi (3-4; Vogelsong, Bochy)

HP Umpire Phil Cuzzi ejected Giants P Ryan Vogelsong and Manager Bruce Bochy for arguing a ball two call in the bottom of the 5th inning of the Giants-Nationals game. With none out and none on, Nationals batter Denard Span took a 1-2 slider for a called second ball. Replays indicate the pitch was located over the outer half of home plate and below the hollow of the knee (px -.253, pz 1.289 [sz_bot 1.530]) and that all other preceding pitches during the inning were properly officiated, the call was correct. At the time of the ejection, the game was tied, 1-1. The Nationals ultimately won the contest, 3-1.

These are Phil Cuzzi (10)'s 3rd and 4th ejections of 2015.
Phil Cuzzi now has 8 points in the UEFL Standings (0 Previous + 2*[2 MLB + 2 Correct Call] = 8).
Crew Chief Gerry Davis now has 2 points in Crew Division (0 Previous + 2 Correct Call = 2).

These are the 116th and 117th ejections of the 2015 MLB Regular Season.
This is the 54th player ejection of 2015. Prior to ejection, Vogelson's line was
This is the 54th Manager ejection of 2015
This is the Giants' 4/5th ejection of 2015, 3rd in the NL West (SD 12; LAD 6; SF 5; COL 4; ARI 1).
This is Ryan Vogelsong's first career MLB ejection.
This is Bruce Bochy's 3rd ejection of 2015, 1st since June 16 (John Hirschbeck; QOC = N [Balls/Strikes]).
This is Phil Cuzzi's first ejection since June 16, 2015 (Miguel Montero; QOC = Y [Balls/Strikes]).

Wrap: San Francisco Giants vs. Washington Nationals, 7/5/15
Video: When Vogelsong walks through Cuzzi's stop sign, he is tossed, as is skipper Bochy (ESPN)

Fieldin Culbreth Leaves Game with Mild Concussion

HP Umpire Fieldin Culbreth left Sunday's Rockies-Diamondbacks game after taking a foul ball to the left side of his facemask in the first inning of the Rockies-Diamondbacks game. With none out and none on in the bottom of the 1st, Diamondbacks batter Nick Ahmed fouled a 91 mph fastball from Rockies pitcher Jorge De La Rosa over catcher Michael McKenry, where it struck Culbreth on the left portion of his traditional-style facemask.

Culbreth remained in the game until Chris Owings' one out at-bat in the bottom of the 2nd inning, when he left the game and was subsequently diagnosed with a mild concussion.

1B Umpire Jim Reynolds became the new home plate umpire and crew chief as 2B Umpire Manny Gonzalez slid over to first base, with 3B Umpire Paul Schrieber completing the crew.

Culbreth previously was forced out of a May 15, 2013 game after a foul ball struck his collarbone in extra innings. Replays indicate the ball appeared to wedge between Culbreth's chest protector and facemask before falling to the side, indicating Culbreth may have received the full force of the impact due to a wedging action vaguely similar to the method of injury that once befell Ed Hickox, who successfully sued Wilson in 2011.

Video: Culbreth takes a foul from Ahmed early on and exhibits symptoms an inning later (ARI)