Dale Scott Guest Op-Ed - Of Umpire Labeling, CB & Angel

While watching MLB's 2020 postseason, 32-year Major League umpire and 16-yr Crew Chief Dale Scott noticed a troubling trend toward labeling, perception, and prejudgment, writing the following Op/Ed article exclusive to CloseCallSports following Angel Hernandez and CB Bucknor's Division Series plate games:

There comes a point where certain umpires trigger automatic "terrible" comments, regardless of reality or common sense.

CB and Angel are two of the names where this automatic critique takes place.

Umpires get labeled, good or bad, and once you get one it’s damn near impossible to get rid of it, that label is baked in the cake.

Example:  If an umpire is labeled as "a really solid ball/strike umpire," then has a sub par game, many of the comments are similar to, "he’s a good umpire, was just a little off," or "doesn’t usually miss that many but he controlled the game," or "more misses than usual but had a ton of close pitches." 

Angel Hernandez and CB Bucknor.

In other words, he’s given the benefit of the doubt and in most cases that positive benefit follows him for years if not his entire career, even if there is a slow decline as seasons go by.

Conversely, when for whatever reason, an umpire gets a bad label like "he has trouble behind the plate, misses a lot of pitches," (this label can, but not always, be a result of just one below average “big” game). Then if he has a great ball/strike game, you hear comments similar to, "amazing, not his usual bad job," or "anyone can have a lucky day," or "not bad but he still sucks."

In other words he’s not given the benefit of the doubt. In fact many times the focus isn’t on the good, but goes directly to any misses with "that was a terrible pitch, he’s horrible," or "no surprise, he’s always terrible." The negative label, fair or unfair, sticks and can follow him until he retires (and beyond).

CB Bucknor 'Fan Art' as UmpShow.

If you start a season with the staff on a level playing field, the negative labeled umpire starts a couple notches below and has to perform above average over several seasons (or several post seasons) just to get even. But one average or sub par game and you’re buried with an even deeper hole to crawl out of because of the baked in bias.

So enough of the automatic bashing of Angel or CB. Judge them without the negative label anchor before they walk on the field.

Editor's Note: See Related Post "Booby Bumbaca" (10/7/20).

We’re taught on day one that every game is a new day. As we’re putting on our uniform, we don’t drag former situations or issues with managers, coaches or players on with it.

I wish commentators, media, fans, and most importantly, the umpire brotherhood would use the same standard.

Author Dale Scott officiated in the American League from 1985 through 1999, and on the unified Major League Baseball staff from 2000-2017. During his 32-year AL and MLB career, Dale worked the 2013 Wild Card Game, 12 Division Series, six League Championship Series, and three World Series. He resides in Oregon.

Former MLB & Canadian HOF Umpire Jim McKean Dies

28-year AL and MLB umpire Jim McKean died Thursday morning at the age of 73. The Montreal, Canada native began his career in the Florida State League in 1970, joined the American League staff care of the International League in 1973, retired in 2001, and joined the MLB office as a supervisor in 2002. He officiated three AL Division Series (1981, 95, 99), five AL Championship Series (1977, 83, 87, 91, 98), and three World Series (1979, 85, 95). He concluded his big league career with 62 ejections

As the last full-time full-time Canadian on the Major League staff until Stu Scheurwater's hiring in 2018 (British Columbia-raised MLB umpire Ian Lamplugh [2002] was born in England), McKean received a slew of honours. He was inducted into the Canadian Hall of Fame in 2004, received the NDG Baseball (Montreal's version of Little League) Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015, and, most recently, entered the Florida State League Hall of Fame in November 2018.
Related Post: Jim McKean Inducted into FSL Hall of Fame (11/13/18).

McKean also officiated junior hockey and played in the Canadian Football League (quarterback/punter) in the mid-1960s, winning the CFL's Grey Cup with the championship Saskatchewan Roughriders in 1966.

McKean (1945-2019) was 73 years old.

We spoke with Dale Scott about Jim McKean, whom he worked with during their time together in the American League. That minisode of the Plate Meeting Podcast is available as follows:

Jim Joyce, Dale Scott Named Inaugural Oregon Legends

The Oregon-based nonprofit "Friends of Baseball" named retired MLB umpires Jim Joyce and Dale Scott as inaugural Oregon Legends alongside several others in the Pacific northwest state who have made significant contributions to baseball and softball.

Local softball umpire Sue Seaver, who has also served as tournament director for Alpenrose Stadium's Little League Softball World Series, was also named an Oregon Legend.

According to the Daily Astorian, 2018 marks the group's first "Oregon Legends" class, although the organization was first established in 2006 to promote baseball at the youth and grassroots level.

Plate Meeting Podcast Episode 2 - Dale Scott

Here is the second episode of The Plate Meeting, a LF Umpire Podcast from Close Call Sports, where we talk umpiring with umpires. In episode 2, Tmac and Gil are joined by 32-year major league and World Series umpire and Crew Chief Dale Scott, who retired from MLB ahead of the 2018 season. In this episode, Dale talks about his journey to the big leagues, tells some stories of a few notable events along the way, and answers your questions about his umpiring career.

Click the below "play" button to hear Episode 2 - Dale Scott, or visit the show online at https://anchor.fm/the-plate-meeting to subscribe. The Plate Meeting is also available through the iTunes store's podcasts section (The Plate Meeting on iTunes), Google Podcasts, TuneIn, and other podcast providers listed on the Anchor.fm page.



Additional Links, Videos, and Other Media:
The following section contains relevant links, footnotes, or additional commentary relative to subjects discussed on the show. Click the following links for this episode to access the relevant videos.

Donate/Store Buttons (2:30)	Support the UEFL	Shop the CCS Store.

Follow us on Twitter 🐦 (@UmpireEjections) and like on Facebook 👍 (/UmpireEjections).

Related Video #1 (21:30): Derek Jeter's fly to deep right field is ruled a HR in the 1996 ALCS.

Related Video #2 (39:00): Billy Martin's last ejection after Rick Reed's play at second base.

Related Post (1:05:00): Dale Scott Comes Out as Gay After Feature Article (12/2/14).

Related Video #3 (1:21:00): Russell Martin's throw hits Shin-Soo Choo's bat.
Related Post: Carefree Throw, Extended Bat, and Blue Jays Protest (10/14/15).
Related Post: MLB Ejection P-2|3: Carapazza, Scott (5, 2; Saunders, Buehrle) (10/14/15).

Related Video #4 (1:33:30): Bautista and Odor start a fight in the Texas middle infield.
Related Post: MLB Ejections 040-047 - Scott & Iassogna (TOR-TEX Fight) (5/15/16).

Related Video #5 (1:42:00): Overturned call on catch/trap in the outfield leads to Fredi's ejection.

Related Video #6 (2:05:30): Dale Scott's unique strike three mechanic (and an ejection to boot).

Plate Meeting Podcast #2 Teaser, Call for Q's - Dale Scott

Tmac and I are excited to announce the second episode of The Plate Meeting podcast from CloseCallSports.com with our second guest, a 32-year MLB umpire, 16 as a crew chief, 3,897 regular season games, 3 World Series...It's Dale Scott!

Dale Scott will answer your Q's on the show.

Just like last time, we need your help with questions you'd like to ask Dale on the show (and not to worry, we'll get to the remaining questions for Bob Davidson that didn't get answered in Episode 1 on a future Plate Meeting).

There are two ways to submit your questions:
1) Reply as a comment to this post, or;
2) Call the CCS voicemail line at (507) 400-UEFL [aka 507-400-8335] and leave a message.

As we did with Episode 1, we'll leave this thread open for about a week and record our episode shortly thereafter.

And if you haven't yet listened to episode one (and, if so, where've you been?), see the following link to hear our interview with Bob Davidson.
Related Post: Plate Meeting Podcast Episode 1 - Bob Davidson (7/17/18).

As for Episode 2, Dale has a message for all of you!
Related Audio: Dale Scott Podcast Teaser (embedded below; click the image/video to play).

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The Plate Meeting, a Left Field Umpire Podcast is CCS's official audio show where we talk umpiring with umpires, and discuss officiating related issues, including analysis or other conversation pertaining to plays, ejections, rules, and more.

To subscribe to The Plate Meeting, visit our Anchor.fm page, which offers external links to popular podcast providers, such as Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify, Radio Public, and, coming soon, Google Podcasts.

Be sure to follow us on Twitter 🐦 (@UmpireEjections) and like on Facebook 👍 (/UmpireEjections).

Coast-to-Coast - Dale Scott's Pride Night First Pitches

Earlier this month, retired MLB umpire Dale Scott threw the ceremonial first pitch at Dodger Stadium as part of Los Angeles' LGBT Night festivities and Wednesday, Scott threw the first pitch during Pride Night at Baltimore's Camden Yards, capping off a month of activity that also saw Scott on the MLB float at the New York Pride Parade.

The below videos feature Scott's interview and first pitch ceremony at Dodger Stadium from the June 8 pre-game and a highlight package in Baltimore when he threw the first pitch prior to June 27's Orioles game.

Of note, Scott's first pitch at Dodger Stadium—Dale grew up as a Dodgers fan, but assures us all there was never any bias—featured Bill Miller as catcher...and Angel Hernandez as the late-arriving home plate umpire...marking the most unusual of first pitches to have an all-umpire battery.

Scott retired following a head injury and concussion sustained during the 2017 season and was named the UEFL Honorable Umpire of the Year in 2015 after he came out as gay in Outsports and Referee Magazine, the first active umpire on the MLB staff to do so.
Related Post: Dale Scott Retires in Wake of Concussion in Toronto (12/12/17).
Related Post: 2015 Honorable Umpires - John Hirschbeck & Dale Scott (11/8/15).

Dale's life advice? "Be true to yourself." | Video as follows:

Back to Work - Dale Scott to Throw First Pitch at LGBT Night

Out of retirement: Former MLB umpire Dale Scott will be back on the field this June at Dodger Stadium to throw out the ceremonial first pitch for Los Angeles' LGBT Night. Here's hoping the team selects a retired big league pitcher as honorary home plate umpire for Scott's pitch, which kicks off LA's June 8 game against the Atlanta Braves.

Scott retired following the 2017 season, capping off an esteemed 32-year career in the American and Major Leagues, which featured 3,897 regular season games, 90 ejections, three All-Star appearances, and 22 postseason series assignments, including the 1998, 2001, and 2004 World Series. His career came to a premature end following a concussion sustained in Toronto in April 2017, his fourth game-ending head injury since 2012, and seventh overall exit during that span.
Related Post: Dale Scott Retires in Wake of Concussion in Toronto (12/12/17).

Scott was a crew chief for 16 MLB seasons.

Scott, who served as the first active publicly gay umpire in Major League Baseball, was named UEFL Honorable Umpire of the Year in 2015, following his marriage to longtime partner Michael Rausch and feature article in SB*Nation's Outsports, whose motto is, "Courage is Contagious." Scott had first sent a photograph of himself & Michael to Referee Magazine to run alongside an article covering MLB's 2014 Opening Series in Australia, for which Scott served as one of four MLB umpire representatives, working as a crew chief during the Diamondbacks-Team Australia exhibition game and backup to Tim Welke during the two Dodgers-D'Backs games to kick off the 2014 regular season.
Related Post: Dale Scott Comes Out as Gay After Feature Article (12/2/14).
Related Post: 2015 Honorable Umpires - John Hirschbeck & Dale Scott (11/8/15).

Former umpire Dave Pallone had previously alleged, in his book Behind the Mask: My Double Life in Baseball, that baseball unceremoniously forced him out of the sport following a 1988 New York Post story that outed the former NL umpire after 10 years and 1361 games in the big leagues. Pallone now serves as a motivational speaker concerning matters of diversity and empowerment, and is a member of The National Gay and Lesbian Sports Hall of Fame.

Scott—who was also inducted into the Hall of Fame and whose own story was separated from Pallone's by decades—praised baseball for its support in the modern era.

In a bit of trivia, Scott's June journey to the mound this June corresponds to where crew mate Jim Joyce called balls and strikes from when then-plate umpire Scott departed the March 5, 2015 Cubs-Giants Spring Training game due to a hand injury.
Related Post: Dale Scott Exits with Injury, Joyce Umps Behind Mound (3/5/15).

LGBT Night at Dodger Stadium is in its sixth year, and offers a special event ticket package for fans.

Dale Scott Retires in Wake of Concussion in Toronto

Veteran Crew Chief Dale Scott has retired in the wake of a concussion sustained as plate umpire in Toronto on April 14, 2017. Scott's election of retirement was first reported by the Associated Press.

This concludes Scott's 32-year umpiring career in the American League and Major League Baseball since his 1985 debut, 16th as a crew chief, during which he officiated 3,897 regular season games, three All-Star Games (1993, 2001, 11), the 2013 NL Wild Card Game, 12 Division Series (1995, 97, 98, 2001, 03, 04, 05, 07, 11, 14, 15), six League Championship Series (1996, 99, 2000, 02, 09, 13), and three World Series (1998, 2001, 04).

Scott, who ejected 90 players, managers, and coaches over the course of his career and often opted to wear umpiring's traditional blue polo shirt behind the plate, received the 2015 UEFL Honorable Umpire of the Year Award after becoming the first umpire to publicly come out as gay in MLB history.

He was also one of four MLB umpires—alongside Tim Welke, Laz Diaz, and Mark Carlson—selected to officiate the 2014 Opening Series in Sydney, Australia.

Because of his abbreviated 2017 season, Scott was the only "Perfect Replay" umpire in 2017, having two calls affirmed and zero overturned for a 1.000 RAP in his final campaign.

Scott is retiring from on-field officiating in great part due to concerns over concussion and similar head trauma events, and the potential harm that may result from similar incidents in the future. Over the past few years, Scott has sustained several game-ending head injuries:
> April 14, 2017: Scott is struck in the facemask by a foul ball off of a 95.4-miles-per-hour fastball.
> July 16, 2016: Scott takes a fouled-off 91 mph pitch to the lower jaw portion of his mask.
> August 7, 2013: Scott is hit in the center of the mask by a fouled and deflected pitch.

As for injuries below the neck, Scott left his June 19, 2016 assignment due to a foul ball to the groin, June 24, 2015 game after being struck in the left hip by a line drive while umpiring inside at second base, and a March 5, 2015 Spring Training game after a pitch evaded the catcher and struck Scott's exposed hand/wrist.

Scott isn't the first Major League umpire to retire due, in part, to head injuries.

In 2013, we revisited Tim Tschida's retirement. Tschida, who, like Scott, suffered several concussions and neck injuries over the course of his umpiring career, elected to retire after hearing from multiple medical professionals and other experts who told him, "you're one hard foul tip [ball] away from quality-of-life issues."

Injury Scout Update After AS Break - Two Umps Return

Two injured umpires have returned to play following the 2017 All-Star Break, while a third remains absent.

2017 1st Half Injury Scout Review.

Kerwin Danley (head): Having left the July 9 Royals-Dodgers game in the 2nd inning as the result of a foul ball-head injury, Danley returned to play on Friday in Milwaukee, effectively missing no games as the result of his injury due to the four-day All-Star Break.

Andy Fletcher (head): After leaving June 21's Diamondbacks-Rockies game in the 7th inning after taking a deflected hit-by-pitch to the mask, Fletcher returned to play on Friday in Detroit, closing out a 22-day absence from the field.

Dale Scott (head): The only remaining umpire on staff who has not returned from injury, Scott's most recent umpiring appearance was April 14 in Toronto, when he was carted off after a foul ball head injury. CT scans were reportedly negative and Harold Reynolds reported a concussion had been diagnosed.

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Prior 2017 Injuries (Closed):
CB Bucknor (lower body): Bucknor briefly left the field June 2 after motioning toward his right leg and hamstring area. Though he was off the field for a few days following the apparent leg injury, he returned to the field on June 13.

Tony Randazzo (head): Hit in the head during the 5th inning of May 13's Reds-Giants game, Randazzo didn't leave the field until the game entered the 14th inning. He returned to the playing field after a 28-day absence, on June 9.

CB Bucknor (head): Before June 2, Bucknor had left his April 28 assignment due to a foul ball head injury, returning to play after a 13-day absence, on May 12.

Jeff Nelson (undisclosed/preseason): On March 14, Jeff Nelson left his Spring Training assignment in the middle of the 4th inning for an undisclosed reason, returning to the field on March 17.

Bruce Dreckman (return from pre-existing absence/preseason): Bruce Dreckman concluded his 522-day absence from the field when he officiated his first Spring Training game on March 10.

David Rackley (head): A foul ball facemask/head injury on March 5 sidelined Rackley for three days before his return to play on March 9.

Paul Emmel (upper body): Emmel was struck by an accidentally thrown bat on February 28, and returned to action on March 2, after just one day off the field.

[Undisclosed Reason for Absence]: Brian Knight has been missing from the field since June 13, 2017. He previously was absent from May 15 - June 11.

UEFL Invokes Injury Rule for Owners of Ump Scott

It is now two months since umpire Dale Scott suffered a game-ending foul ball head injury in Toronto, and he has not returned to the Major League field since. With no further status update from the League, we continue to wish him the best. His presence on the field is truly missed.

Dale Scott has not umpired since April 14.

At this time, the UEFL is invoking League Rules 1-2-b and 1-5-a for any team owner who has drafted Dale Scott and wishes to replace him on their crew. The membership voted during last year's Rules Summit to allow owners to replace an umpire who becomes injured or bereaved during the season. This is the first implementation of that rule.

Because Scott is a crew chief, two separate injury clauses have been invoked: one for Crew Chiefs and one for Crew Chiefs/Primary/Secondary umpires.

As mentioned in last month's A Look at the Dale Scott Crew Without Their Crew Chief, Scott's regular season crew consists of Jim Reynolds, Brian Knight, and Lance Barrett.

Reynolds, as the number two umpire on the crew, has served as acting crew chief in Scott's absence and has remained the senior-most umpire on the unit, with limited exception (e.g., Joe West joined the crew from May 16-21 to replace Brian Knight).

Meanwhile, Triple-A call-up umpire Stu Scheurwater has remained with Scott/Reynolds' crew ever since the day after West returned to captain his own crew on May 22.

UEFL Midseason Replacement Procedure
If your Crew Chief is Dale Scott and you wish to make a replacement, pursuant to UEFL Rule 1-2-b, you may select Jim Reynolds as your crew chief; OR,

If you own Scott in any capacity (Crew Chief, Primary, or Secondary), and you wish to make a replacement, pursuant to UEFL Rule 1-5-a, you may select any umpire who has fewer points than Scott for that classification.

Scott has two points in Primary and Secondary classifications, and -2 points in Crew Division.
Reynolds has 10 points in Crew Division. Pursuant to UEFL Rule 1-2-b, if you drafted Scott as your Crew Chief, you may replace him with Reynolds. If you wish to replace Crew Chief Scott with a Crew Chief other than Reynolds—or wish to replace Primary/Secondary Umpire Scott with any other umpire (other than those you already own)—you may do so, provided this alternate replacement has fewer than -2 points in Crew Division, or +2 points as a Primary/Secondary Umpire, as applicable.

List of Legal Replacements (as of June 14, 2017; Subject to Change After This Date)
Crew Division - Eligible Replacement Crew Chiefs (ranked by UEFL points, in parentheses):
Reynolds, Jim (10) [Rule 1-2-b replacement]
Nelson, Jeff (-3) [Rule 1-5-a replacement]
Cederstrom, Gary (-4) [1-5-a]
Meals, Jerry (-6) [1-5-a]
Davis, Gerry (-8) [1-5-a]

Primaries & Secondaries - Refer to UEFL Standings (umpires must have less than 2 UEFL points)

To effect a midseason replacement, post a comment to this announcement indicating your username, classification to be changed (Crew Chief, Primary, or Secondary), and proposed replacement name.

A Look at the Dale Scott Crew Without Their Crew Chief

Over a month has passed since Dale Scott sustained a game-ending head injury and concussion as plate umpire in Toronto on April 14, 2017, and the long-time veteran has remained off the field ever since.*

Dale Scott has suffered multiple recent injuries.

April's was Scott's second game-ending head injury in as many years (more info at: Injury Scout - Dale Scott Removed on Stretcher After Foul), and ever since, his 2017 regular season crewmates of Brian Knight, Jim Reynolds, and Lance Barrett have been without their full-time crew chief.

As a respected No. 2 umpire on the crew, Reynolds has served as acting Crew Chief, a position he also occupied in years past as a member of retired umpire John Hirschbeck's crew when Hirschbeck was absent.

Yet as the days continue to go by, MLB has had to find umpires to fill the void left by Scott's absence: this goes for both the assignment of acting Crew Chief(s) and for assigning a Triple-A umpire (or multiple call-ups) to fill out the crew.

Here is how Scott's absence has shaped his crew since April 14, based on box scores since that date:
April 14: Scott leaves mid-game due to injury. Reynolds, Knight, and Barrett finish as a crew of three.
April 15-16: Nic Lentz is called up to serve as the crew's fourth umpire to complete the Toronto series.
April 17-24: The crew either takes a vacation or is assigned to Replay Review duty in New York.
April 25 - May 14: Stu Scheurwater is called up to fill in as the crew's fourth umpire, replacing Lentz.
May 16-21: Joe West joins the crew to replace Brian Knight; Scheurwater remains onboard.
May 22-24: Greg Gibson joins the crew to replace West/Knight; Scheurwater remains on the crew.

As of May 24, there has been no status update given for Scott. The longest recent absence on the Major League staff belongs to Bruce Dreckman, whose 522 days between big league games spanned the entire 2016 season.

Tim Welke retired at the conclusion of the 2016 season (though he announced his plans for retirement in March 2016), following knee replacement surgery.

*Pursuant to CCS/UEFL Best Practices, any private information or rumors thereof gathered from information not available to the general public or media source thereof will not be disseminated in a CCS/UEFL-authored post. As specified in our Best Practices, "The 'Rumor' tag is reserved for operational information." The source for Scott's comments after his traumatic event last month was Harold Reynolds. This is not a discussion of Scott's current condition; please respect his privacy. this is a discussion of a crew working without a crew chief.

Injury Scout - Dale Scott Removed on Stretcher After Foul

Dale Scott was carted off on a stretcher after a foul ball head injury sustained during Friday's Orioles-Blue Jays game in Toronto.

With none out and none on in the top of the 8th inning, Orioles batter Mark Trumbo fouled a 95.4 miles-per-hour cutter from Blue Jays pitcher Ryan Tepera into the middle portion of Scott's traditional-style facemask.

Scott was replaced behind home plate by 2B Umpire Brian Knight, while base umpires Jim Reynolds (1B) and Lance Barrett (3B) shared the field for the rest of the contest.

Relevant Injury History: Prior to Friday, Dale Scott's most recent game-ending head injury was a similar foul ball to the facemask event, sustained on July 16, 2016 on a foul ball from a 91-mph fastball during the first inning of that day's Dodgers-Diamondbacks game. Scott also experienced a foul ball injury during a Mariners-Jays game on August 7, 2013.

The minimum amount of time a player or umpire may be placed on the concussion list is seven days; Scott was absent for a total of 16 days following his July 16, 2016 head injury; he has not officiated over 108 games in the regular season (a full-time MLB umpire generally officiates about 120 games during the regular season) since 2014.

*UPDATE*: Scott to MLBN's Harold Reynolds:

Just got back to my room from the hospital, CT scan was negative, everything looks okay except for the nasty headache and another concussion. I'll be fine, but off the field for a couple of weeks.

Last Game: April 14, 2017 | Return to Play: TBD | Total Time Absent: TBD

MLB Ejection 164 - Dale Scott (8; Martin Prado)

HP Umpire Dale Scott ejected Marlins 3B Martin Prado for arguing a strike three call in the top of the 3rd inning of the Marlins-Phillies game. With two out and one on, Prado took a 0-2 curveball from Phillies pitcher Alec Asher for a called third strike. Replays indicate the pitch was located off the outer edge of home plate and knee high (px .999, pz 1.699 [sz_bot 1.470]) but that Prado attempted to strike the pitch (Play was reviewed by UEFL Appeals Board, which determined strike three was the proper outcome as a result of Prado's swing), the call was correct.* At the time of the ejection, the Phillies were leading, 3-0. The Marlins ultimately won the contest, 5-4.

This is Dale Scott (5)'s eighth ejection of the 2016 MLB regular season.
Dale Scott now has 12 points in UEFL Standings (8 Previous + 2 MLB + 2 Correct Call = 12).
Crew Chief Dale Scott now has -4 points in Crew Division (-5 Previous + 1 Correct Call = -4).
*See UEFL Rule 6-2-b-6-a, which explains why QOC is Correct by virtue of the charged third strike.

This is the 164th ejection report of the 2016 regular season.
This is the 75th player ejection of 2016. Prior to ejection, Prado was 0-2 (SO) in the contest.
This is Miami's 9th ejection of 2016, 1st in the NL East (MIA 9; ATL 8; NYM 5; WAS 4; PHI).
This is Martin Prado's first ejection since July 18, 2014 (Cory Blaser; QOC = Y [Balls/Strikes]).
This is Dale Scott's first ejection since September 9, 2016 (Welington Castillo; QOC = Y [Balls/Strikes]).

Wrap: Miami Marlins vs. Philadelphia Phillies, 9/18/16 | Video available via "read more."

MLB Ejection 154 - Dale Scott (7; Welington Castillo)

HP Umpire Dale Scott ejected Diamondbacks C Welington Castillo for arguing a strike three call in the bottom of the 12th inning of the Giants-Diamondbacks game. With one out and two on, Castillo took a 3-2 sinker from Giants pitcher Cory Gearrin for a called third strike. Replays indicate the pitch was located over the outer edge of home plate and knee high (px .796, pz 1.794 [sz_bot 1.43]), the call was correct. At the time of the ejection, the Giants were leading, 7-6. The Giants ultimately won the contest, 7-6, in 12 innings.

This is Dale Scott (5)'s seventh ejection of the 2016 MLB regular season.
Dale Scott now has 8 points in UEFL Standings (4 Previous + 2 MLB + 2 Correct Call = 8).
Crew Chief Dale Scott now has -6 points in Crew Division (-7 Previous + 1 Correct Call = -6).

This is the 154th ejection report of the 2016 regular season.
This is the 71st player ejection of 2016. Prior to ejection, Castillo was 0-6 (3 SO) in the contest.
This is Arizona's 6th ejection of 2016, 1st in the NL West (ARI 6; COL 5; LAD, SF 4; SD 3).
This is Welington Castillo's first career MLB ejection.
This is Dale Scott's first ejection since May 21, 2016 (Yunel Escobar; QOC = N [Balls/Strikes]).

Wrap: San Francisco Giants vs. Arizona Diamondbacks, 9/9/16 | Video available via "Read more"

Injury - Dale Scott Exits Game on Foul to Lower Mask

Umpire Dale Scott exited Saturday's game on a foul ball to the lower facemask in Arizona.

With none out in the bottom of the 1st inning of the Dodgers-Diamondbacks game, D'Backs batter  Jean Segura hit a foul ball off a 91 mph fastball from Dodgers pitcher Brandon McCarthy back into the lower jaw/throat portion of Scott's traditional-style facemask.

Scott left the contest and was replaced behind home plate by 1B Umpire Lance Barrett alongside 2B Umpire Bob Davidson and 3B Umpire Dan Iassogna, as Davidson moved over to handle first-base duties and Iassogna assumed the role of acting crew chief. Scott was replaced by AAA call-up Stu Scheurwater on Sunday.

Scott most recently left a game due to injury on June 19, 2016 as the result of a foul ball to the groin during the Blue Jays-Orioles Father's Day tilt. He also suffered a game-ending hand injury on a pitched ball during a 2015 Cubs-Giants Spring Training game and a foul ball-to-mask injury in August 2013.

Injury - Dale Scott Exits Father's Day Game on Foul Ball

Umpire Dale Scott left the Father's Day Blue Jays-Orioles game due to a groin injury suffered as the result of a foul ball to bottom of the second inning.

With two out and none on, Orioles batter Ryan Flaherty fouled a curveball from Blue Jays pitcher Marcus Stroman into the ground, whereupon the baseball bounced and struck Scott, resulting in a game-ending groin injury.

Umpires Bob Davidson (1B), Lance Barrett (2B), and Dan Iassogna (3B) officiated the remainder of the game in a three-person alignment, as Davidson replaced Scott behind home plate and Barrett moved to first base. On the very first pitch following the 15-minute injury delay, and with only two field umpires, the Blue Jays challenged Barrett's safe call at first base made from the middle-infield, resulting in an overturned ruling.

MLB Ejection 055 - Dale Scott (6; Yunel Escobar)

HP Umpire Dale Scott ejected Angels 3B Yunel Escobar for arguing a strike three call in the bottom of the 9th inning of the Orioles-Angels game. With none out and one on, Escobar took a 1-2 fastball from Orioles pitcher Zach Britton for a called third strike. Replays indicate the pitch was located over the inner edge of home plate and below the hollow of the knee (px -.879, pz 1.363 [sz_bot 1.570 / MOE 1.487]), the call was incorrect. At the time of the ejection, the Orioles were leading, 3-1. The Orioles ultimately won the contest, 3-1.

This is Dale Scott (5)'s sixth ejection of the 2016 MLB regular season.
Dale Scott now has 7 points in the UEFL Standings (9 Previous + 2 MLB - 4 Incorrect Call = 7).
Crew Chief Dale Scott now has 8 points in Crew Division (8 Previous + 0 Incorrect Call = 8).

This is the 55th ejection report of the 2016 regular season.
This is the 28th player ejection of 2016. Prior to ejection, Escobar was 1-4 (2 SO) in the contest.
This is Anaheim's 2nd ejection of 2016, T-2nd in the AL West (TEX 4; HOU, LAA 2; OAK, SEA 0).
This is Yunel Escobar's first ejection since May 30, 2015 (Andy Fletcher; QOC = Y [Balls/Strikes]).
This is Dale Scott's first ejection since May 15, 2016 (Rougned Odor; QOC = U [Fighting]).

Wrap: Baltimore Orioles vs. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, 5/21/16 | Video available via "Read more"

MLB Ejections 040-047 - Scott & Iassogna (TOR-TEX Fight)

1B Umpire Dale Scott ejected Blue Jays First Base Coach Tim Leiper for arguing a balk non-call in the top of the 3rd, HP Umpire Dan Iassogna ejected Blue Jays Manager John Gibbons for arguing a ball one call in the bottom of the 3rd, 1B Umpire Scott ejected Blue Jays RF Jose Bautista and 3B Josh Donaldson, and Rangers 2B Rougned Odor and Bench Coach Steve Buechele for fighting in the top of the 8th inning, and HP Umpire Iassogna ejected Blue Jays P Jesse Chavez and Acting Manager/Bench Coach DeMarlo Hale for throwing at Rangers batter Prince Fielder in the bottom of the 8th inning of the Blue Jays-Rangers game. In the top of the 3rd with none out and one on (R1), Blue Jays batter Donaldson hit a 3-2 slider from Rangers pitcher Cesar Ramos to left field for a fly out. Replays indicate Ramos stayed true to his natural motion in delivering his pitches and did not commit a balk, the call was correct. In the bottom of the 3rd, with one out and one on, Rangers batter Odor took a 0-2 fastball from Blue Jays pitcher Aaron Sanchez for a called first ball. Replays indicate the pitch was located over the inner edge of home plate and thigh high (px 0.681, pz 1.977 [sz_bot 1.340 / MOE 1.423]), the call was incorrect. In the top of the 8th, with one out and one on, Blue Jays batter Justin Smoak hit a 2-0 fastball from Rangers pitcher Matt Bush on the ground to third baseman Adrian Beltre, who threw to second baseman Rougned Odor, who attempted to throw to first baseman Mitch Moreland as Blue Jays baserunner R1 Jose Bautista arrived at second base. Replays indicate Bautista's slide violated the bona fide slide rule concerning interference at second base, prompting a bench-clearing incident and an automatic double play, the call was irrecusable. In the bottom of the 8th, with none out and none on, Rangers batter Fielder took a first-pitch fastball for a hit-by-pitch. Replays indicate the pitch was located inside and struck fielder on the backside, the call was irrecusable. At the time of the Leiper and Gibbons ejections, the Blue Jays were leading, 1-0. At the time of the Bautista, Donaldson, Odor, Buechele, Chavez, and Hale ejections, the Rangers were leading, 7-6. The Rangers ultimately won the contest, 7-6.

These are Dale Scott (5)'s 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th ejections of the 2016 MLB regular season.
These are Dan Iassogna (58)'s first, second, and third ejections of the 2016 MLB regular season.
Dale Scott now has 9 points in the UEFL Standings (-1 Prev + 4*2 MLB + 2 QOCY + 4*0 [U] = 9).
Dan Iassogna now has 1 point in the UEFL Standings (-1 Prev + 3*2 MLB - 4 QOCN + 2*0 [U] = 1).
Crew Chief Dale Scott now has 8 points in Crew Division (1 Previous + 7 Correct & [U] Calls = 8).
*This is the longest ejection report in the history of the Umpire Ejection Fantasy League.
**These are the most ejections in one game since April 22, 2000 (11; DET-CWS, 2-brawl game).

These are the 40th, 41st, 42nd, 43rd, 44th, 45th, 46th & 47th ejection reports of the 2016 regular season.
This is the 19th Manager ejection of 2016.
These are the 21st, 22nd, 23rd and 24th player ejections of 2016.
This is Toronto's 2/3/4/5/6/7th ejection of 2016, 1st in the AL East (TOR 7; BOS 3, BAL, NYY, TB 1).
This is Texas' 3/4th ejection of 2016, 1st in the AL West (TEX 4; HOU 2; LAA, OAK, SEA 0).
This is Tim Leiper's first career MLB ejection.
This is John Gibbons' 2nd ejection of 2016, 1st since April 27 (John Tumpane; QOC = Y [Check Swing]).
This is Jose Bautista's first ejection since July 12, 2015 (Jerry Meals; QOC = Y [Balk]).
This is Josh Donaldson's first ejection since June 14, 2014 (Tripp Gibson; QOC = Y [Balls/Strikes]).
This is Rougned Odor's first career MLB ejection.
This is Steve Buechele's first ejection since June 11, 1995 (Jerry Meals; QOC = N/A [Balls/Strikes]).
This is Jesse Chavez's first ejection since September 18, 2012 (Jerry Meals; QOC = U [Throwing At]).
This is DeMarlo Hale's first ejection since August 2, 2015 (Jim Wolf; QOC = U [Throwing At]).
This is Dale Scott's first ejection since October 14, 2015 (Mark Buehrle; QOC = U [Also TEX-TOR]).
This is Dan Iassogna's first ejection since August 22, 2015 (Terry Francona; QOC = N [Out/Safe]).

Wrap: Toronto Blue Jays vs. Texas Rangers, 5/15/16
Video: 8 Non-Balk, Balls/Strikes, Bench-Clearing Brawl, and Intent HBP ejections ("Read more")

2015 Honorable Umpires - John Hirschbeck & Dale Scott

John Hirschbeck and Dale Scott are 2015's Honorable Umpires of the Year [2014: Hirschbeck & Ted Barrett]
Voting Results (Top 5): Hirschbeck (15%), Scott (14%), Ted Barrett (13%), Sam Holbrook (9%), Will Little (8%).

John Hirschbeck and Dale Scott are the Umpire Ejection Fantasy League's 2015 honorable umpires of the year, which marks Hirschbeck's second consecutive season receiving this award. UEFL'ers noted that Hirschbeck dedicated the 2015 season to the memory of his son as driving his receipt of this award: "It's tough to top a father honoring his late son and Hirschbeck's motives for the 2015 MLB season are the definition of honorable." Said another regarding Hirschbeck's return to baseball: "Like or not for how he handles things on the field, for him to come back after a year removed from losing another child should give hope to all of us battling things off the field in our lives."

Support for Dale Scott as Honorable Umpire of the Year referred to "another solid season in what could have been a shit show of both positive and negative publicity coming off his disclosure," which refers to the December 2014 Outsports feature, "MLB umpire Dale Scott comes out as gay in quietest way possible," which itself referred to an October 2014 Referee Magazine feature. Both Scott and Hirschbeck worked postseason baseball, Scott the Division Series and Hirschbeck the League Championship Series.

Other than Hirschbeck, umpires who recently experienced immediate loss include Holbrook (9%) and Little (8%).

John Hirschbeck now has 17 points in the Umpire Ejection Fantasy League (15 Previous + 2 Award = 17).
Dale Scott now has 8 points in the Umpire Ejection Fantasy League (6 Previous + 2 Award = 8).
The next postseason award, Noteworthy Umpire(s) of the Year will be released later tonight.

MLB Ejection P-2|3: Carapazza, Scott (5, 2; Saunders, Buehrle)

3B Umpire Vic Carapazza ejected Blue Jays OF Michael Saunders for arguing an interference no-call in the top of the 7th and HP Umpire Dale Scott ejected Blue Jays P Mark Buehrle for Unsportsmanlike-NEC in the bottom of the 7th inning of the Rangers-Blue Jays game. In the top of the 7th, with two out and one on, Rangers batter Shin-Soo Choo took a 1-2 fastball from Blue Jays pitcher Aaron Sanchez for a called second ball as catcher Russell Martin's return throw inadvertently hit Choo's bat while Choo was in a legal position within the batter's box. In the bottom of the 7th, Blue Jays batter Jose Bautista hit a 1-1 fastball from Rangers pitcher Sam Dyson for a three-run home run. Bautista subsequently flipped his bat as Blue Jays players exited their dugout to celebrate, resulting in a bench-clearing incident after Texas recorded the final out of the inning, during which Buehrle was ejected. Neither player was on the Blue Jays' active roster at the time of the ejections, the calls were irrecusable.* At the time of Saunders' ejection, the Rangers were leading, 3-2. At the time of Buehrle's ejection, the Blue Jays were leading, 6-3. The Blue Jays ultimately won the contest, 6-3.

This is Vic Carapazza (19)'s fifth ejection of 2015.
This is Dale Scott (5)'s second ejection of 2015.
Vic Carapazza now has 8 points in the UEFL Standings (5 Previous + 3 MLB-PS + 0 Irrecusable = 8).
Dale Scott now has 1 point in the UEFL Standings (-2 Previous + 3 MLB-PS + 0 Irrecusable  = 1).
Dale Scott now has 1 point in Crew Division (-1 Previous + 2 Irrecusable Call = 1).
*UEFL Rule 6-2-b-5-a states, "All ejections of players/coaches not on the active roster (e.g., Disabled List) shall be associated with a reason listed under aforementioned UEFL Rule 6-2-b-5 [irrecusable ejections]."
Related Discussion: Carefree Throw, Extended Bat, Blue Jays Protest (Martin's throw hits Choo's bat)

These are the second and third ejections of the 2015 MLB Postseason and 213th overall ejection.
These are the 98th and 99th player ejection of 2015. Prior to ejection, neither player was on the active roster.
This is the Blue Jays' 12/13th ejection of 2015, 1st in the AL East (TOR 13; BOS 10; NYY 9; BAL, TB 5).
This is Michael Saunders' first ejection since September 18, 2012 (Jordan Baker; QOC = N [Balls/Strikes]).
This is Mark Buehrle's first ejection since August 22, 2013 (Ted Barrett; QOC = N-C [Catch/Trap]).
This is Vic Carapazza's first ejection since July 22, 2015 (Dominic Leone; QOC = U [Throwing At]).
This is Dale Scott's first ejection since April 25, 2015 (Ron Roenicke; QOC = N [Balls/Strikes]).

Wrap: Texas Rangers vs. Toronto Blue Jays (2015 MLB Postseason: AL Division Series Game 5), 10/14/15
Video: Odor's run counts following consultation amongst the six ALDS umpires, Replay Review (FS1)
Video: Benches clear after Tulo pops out to end the frame, non-roster player Buehrle is tossed (FS1)