Umpire Jeff Kellogg Tackles Fan in Baltimore Field Intrusion

Home plate umpire Jeff Kellogg tackled a fan during a field intrusion incident at Baltimore's Camden Yards Friday night. Not suprisingly, the fan appeared intoxicated and was shirtless as he rounded third and slid into home plate. As the fan stood up and prepared to run elsewhere, Kellogg grew tired of waiting for ballpark secuity to apprehend the culprit and took matters into his own hands.

This is not the first time an MLB umpire has grown tired of waiting for Baltimore police officers to put an end to a field intruder's folly: In 2010, a drunken fan was permitted nearly two minutes of unadultered disruption before a clearly perturbed Bill Hohn yelled and gestured at the fan to stop.

In the end, that particular fan listened to umpire Hohn, while ignoring the officers.

Armed with Camden security's deplorable and embarassing history, Kellogg decided that enough was enough and it was time for an umpire to do a police officer's job. As for the game itself, the Oakland A's defeated the Orioles, 5-2.

Kellogg received a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from Ferris State University before becoming an MLB umpire.

Trivia: Other umpires who hold degrees or share experiences like Kellogg's that could relate to tackling criminal field intruders include crewmate (and first base umpire) Eric Cooper (Boardmember, Mentor Iowa, an organization that helps delinquent children), Ted Barrett (former amatuer boxer), Ed Hickox (Detective with the Daytona Beach Shores Police Department), Dan Bellino (J.D. holder, passed the bar exam), Mark Carlson (US Marine Corps, Ret.), Laz Diaz (US Marine Corps Reserve, Ret., who was attacked by a fan in Chicago in 2003), Doug Eddings (Would want to be a Secret Service agent if not an umpire), Andy Fletcher (Would be in law enforcement if not an umpire), Tim Tschida (Former Cadet Lt. Colonel, JROTC) and Joe West (East Carolina safety before becoming a three-year starting quarterback at Elon College).

Video: Kellogg tackles fan on the warning track against the backstop behind home plate
Video: HP Umpire Jeff Kellogg tackles Orioles field intruder fan behind home plate

Ejection 013: Joe West (1)

HP Umpire Joe West ejected Yankees Manager Joe Girardi for arguing a strike call in the bottom of the 7th inning of the Tigers-Yankees game. With none out and none on, Yankees batter Russell Martin took a 1-2 cutter from Tigers pitcher Octavio Dotel for a called strike three. Replays indicate that the strike three pitch was thigh high and over the outside corner of the plate.* The previously two called strikes were also both within the bounds of the strike zone, the call was correct.* At the time of the ejection, the Tigers led, 6-5. The Yankees ultimately won the contest, 7-6.

This is Joe West (22)'s first ejection of 2012.
Joe West now has 4 points in the UEFL (0 Previous + 2 MLB + 2 Correct Call = 4).
Crew Chief Joe West now has 1 point in the Crew Division (0 Previous + 1 Correct Call = 1).

*The strike three pitch had a px value of 0.727, within the always a strike horizontal range (< 0.768). Therefore, the call is correct pursuant to UEFL Rule 6-2-b-1, also known as the Kulpa Rule.

UEFL Standings Update
1) 12 pts: cyclone14
2) 7 pts: millerump18, TheGunsofHochuli
4) 6 pts: JRD
5) 5 pts: MSNUMP

6) 4 pts: BillMueller, nkcaump, Spence1222, Turducken, Blue1923, drjjulius, Radwaste50, RichMSN, Scuba29, Scumpire, Streetmedic, tt49, umpyours

This is the 13th ejection of 2012.
This is the 9th Manager ejection of 2012.
This is Joe Girardi's first ejection of 2012. 

Wrap: Tigers at Yankees 4/27/12 Wrap

Video: Joe Girardi ejected by West after chirping too loudly from Yankees' third-base dugout

Ejection 012: Lance Barrett (2)

HP Umpire Lance Barrett ejected Padres Manager Bud Black for arguing a balk call in the top of the 6th inning of the Nationals-Padres game. With two out and one on and with Nationals batter Jayson Werth batting, Padres pitcher Clayton Richard was called for a balk advancing Nationals R1 Mark DeRosa to second base. Replays indicate Richard did not properly step directly towards first base as in Rule 8.05, the call was correct.* At the time of the ejection, the contest was tied, 0-0. The Nationals ultimately won the contest, 3-1.

This is Lance Barrett (94)'s second ejection of 2012.
Lance Barrett now has 3 points in the UEFL (-2 Previous + 3 AAA + 2 Correct Call = 3).
Crew Chief Gary Darling now has 4 points in the Crew Division (3 Previous + 1 Correct Call = 4).
*After review, the Appeals Board has summarily confirmed Quality of Correctness ("Correct" ==> "Correct).

UEFL Standings Update
1) 8 pts: cyclone14
2) 7 pts: TheGunsofHochuli
3) 6 pts: JRD, millerump18

5) 4 pts: BillMueller, nkcaump, Spence1222, Turducken

9) 3 pts: Jeremy, JohnShulockFan, UmpAtty

This is the 12th ejection of 2012.
This is the 8th Manager ejection of 2012.
This is Bud Black's second ejection of 2012.

Wrap: Nationals at Padres 4/24/12

Video: Barrett calls balk on Richard, ejects Black
Video: Black shown the door by Barrett after mound meeting

Ejection 011: Bill Welke (1)

2B Umpire Bill Welke ejected Cardinals Manager Mike Matheny for arguing a safe call in the bottom of the 10th inning of the Cardinals-Cubs game. With one out and one on and with Cubs batter Starlin Castro batting, Cubs R1 Tony Campana stole second base. Replays indicate that the throw from Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina to second basemen Tyler Greene was in time and Greene successfully applied a tag to Campana prior to Campana touching second base, the call was incorrect.* At the time of the ejection, the contest was tied, 2-2. The Cubs ultimately won the contest, 3-2, in 10 innings. 

This is Bill Welke (52)'s first ejection of 2012.
Bill Welke now has -2 points in the UEFL (0 Previous + 2 MLB + -4 Incorrect Call = -2).
Crew Chief Tim Tschida now has 0 points in the Crew Division (0 Previous + 0 Incorrect Call = 0).
*After review, the Appeals Board has confirmed Quality of Correctness (5-0) ("Incorrect" ==> "Incorrect")
*The Appeals Board's historical decisions may be consulted via the UEFL Portal
nwsquid is awarded two points for the prop prediction for date of first non-HP ejection

This is the 11th ejection of 2012.
This is the 7th Manager ejection of 2012.
This is Mike Matheny's first career ejection as a manager.
This is the first non-plate umpire ejection of the year.

Wrap: Cardinals at Cubs 4/24/12

Video: Welke calls Campana safe, ejects Matheny
Related Video: In the 1st, Conroy rules DeJesus safe

Umpire Odds & Ends: Rangers Squeeze Bunt or Foul Ball?

The Texas Rangers defeated the Detroit Tigers in 11 innings on Sunday, thanks in part to a crafty 11th inning bunt from second baseman Alberto Gonzalez that scored baserunner Nelson Cruz to break a 2-2 tie and put Texas in front for good.

HP Umpire Tim Welke (#3) confers with his crew

With no Tiger covering first, Detroit stood in awe as the Rangers celebrated a go-ahead score. Meanwhile, Tigers manager Jim Leyland exited Detroit's third base dugout and headed straight for home plate umpire Tim Welke, claiming that Gonzalez's bunt had hit the batter's right thigh and should have been ruled a foul ball.

After umpire consultation, Welke and his crew of Paul Schrieber and Mikes Estabrook and Everitt determined the ball did not strike the batter and the play stood as an RBI, infield single. After the game, Welke explained his call: "We did not see the ball hit anybody on the field. You can decide whatever you want and deduce from that. We called what we saw and we didn't see him get hit."

While this type of play and call is sure to get proponents of expanded instant replay review riled up, Leyland remains firmly in the umpires' corner, even if the call did ultimately hurt his squad: "I've always liked the fact that we don't have replay."

Leyland has been adamently opposed to the expansion of replay, even after Armando Galarraga lost his perfect game on June 2, 2010, after the Indians' 27th batter—Jason Donald—was ruled safe on an infield single by first base umpire Jim Joyce. After the game, Joyce admitted he had blown the call, kicking off a series of tremendous sportsmanship by the Galarraga, the Tigers and Joyce, culminating in the book Nobody's Perfect, penned by Galarraga and Joyce and released in 2011.

Wrap: Tigers at Rangers 4/22/12
Video: Squeeze play scores eventual winning run, turns into base hit for Texas' Gonzalez

Ejection 010: Angel Campos (1)

HP Umpire Angel Campos ejected Orioles Manager Buck Showalter for arguing a strike call in the top of the 6th inning of the Orioles-Angels game. With one out and one on, Orioles batter Nick Markakis took a 0-0 fastball from Angels pitcher Dan Haren for a called first strike. Replays indicate the pitch was located belt high and outside (px value of -1.118), the call was incorrect.* At the time of the ejection, the Angels were leading 1-0. The Orioles ultimately won the contest, 3-2, in 10 innings.

This is Angel Campos (84)'s first ejection of 2012.
Angel Campos now has -2 points in the UEFL (0 Previous + 3 AAA - 1 Penalty - 4 Incorrect Call = -2).
Crew Chief Dale Scott now has 0 points in the Crew Division (0 Previous + 0 Incorrect Call = 0).
*The call is incorrect pursuant to UEFL Rule 6-2-b-1, also known as the Kulpa Rule (|px| = |-1.118| > 0.935).

UEFL Standings Update - Campos is not owned in the Umpire Ejection Fantasy League; Unaffected.

This is the 10th ejection of 2012.
This is the 6th Manager ejection of 2012.
This is Buck Showalter's first ejection of 2012.

Wrap: Orioles at Angels 4/22/12

Video: Campos calls strike one against Markakis, Showalter exits dugout, warned & ejected

Umpire Odds & Ends: Perfect Game 21

Baseball and the UEFL saw a perfect game for the first time this season and 21st in MLB history today, April 21, when Brian Runge (18) umpired the plate for White Sox pitcher Phil Humber's first career no-hitter and perfect game against the Seattle Mariners. Humber threw 95 pitches, though only 51 were callable, with 28 balls and 23 called strikes

Did Ryan swing?

Watch the following video to see Humber complete the perfect game and decide for yourself whether Brian Runge's game-ending swing call on Mariners batter Brendan Ryan's attempted check swing was the correct or incorrect call.

Video: Humber strikes out Ryan on close check swing call to secure the 21st perfect game in MLB history
Video: Final Out - Side angle of Ryan's attempted check swing (Thanks to TheGunsofHochuli for the link)


Here is a quick look at the statistics of how Brian Runge called Phil Humber's perfect game & no hitter:
Total Pitches: 95
Swinging Strikes: 14
Foul Balls: 12
In Play, Out: 18
Callable Pitches: 51
Balls: 28
Called Strikes: 23

Correct Called Balls: 25
Incorrect Called Balls (Called balls within the strike zone): 3 (1 additional was in the borderline range; correct)
Correct Ball %: <90.0%

Correct Called Strikes: 21
Incorrect Called Strikes (Called strikes outside the strike zone): 2 (3 others were in the borderline range; correct)
Correct Strike %: 91.3%

Correct % of Called Pitches: 90.2%

Pitch f/x courtesy Brooks Baseball

Umpire Odds & Ends: Hickox Takes Wilson to Court Again

For the second time, Major League umpire Ed Hickox is filing suit against Wilson Sporting Goods claiming damages he sustained while using one of their products. Hickox previously was injured on May 14, 2005 while using an umpire mask that was given to him by a Wilson representative at RFK Stadium. A ball struck Hickox's jaw, which caused the mask to flip up upon impact. As a result, Hickox suffered a concussion and broken bones. He successfully sued Wilson and was awarded $775,000 by a District of Columbia Superior Court jury in April of last year.

At new Yankee Stadium on April 18, 2009, Hickox was calling balls and strikes when a foul ball struck him in the mask. Hickox did not immediately leave the game, but did so two innings later and did not umpire the rest of the 2009 season. He had suffered another concussion and a left ear injury from the hit. Now, Hickox claims that Wilson is liable for those injuries because the mask did not do what Wilson claimed it would do—protect him.

Howard Richman and Patric Regan, personal injury attorneys representing Hickox, have filed a complaint in New York in the State Supreme Court. The claims Hickox makes is that the umpire's mask “cracked into pieces upon impact and didn’t protect an umpire in the way it is reportedly designed to do.” Additionally, Hickox claims he has suffered "mental anguish" from the injury, surgeries and medical costs. Ed Hicox's wife, Lisa, is also listed as a plaintiff in the suit claiming damages for “considerable time caring for and assisting her husband.”

The suit does not ask for a specific monetary amount in damages, but Hickox is looking for punitive damages because they claim that “actual malice or acting under circumstances amounting to a willful and wanton disregard of the plaintiff’s rights" occurred. However, this will not be such an easy suit to win for Hickox. Darren Heitner, a sports attorney, has said that "it's very difficult to prove" and that since he has already previously sued Wilson and no other incidents with Wilson have occurred, it will probably help Wilson's defense. Major League Baseball nor Wilson has released a statement concerning the filed complaint.

News: http://www.forbes.com/sites/tomvanriper/2012/04/19/major-league-umpire-hurt-three-years-ago-wants-wilson-sporting-goods-to-pay-up/

UEFL 2012: Strike Three Call - Ear Training Challenge

An umpire is most human on strike three calls: mechanics vary widely across baseball when that two-strike pitch catches the zone with nary a wave from the batter.

In preparing our yet-to-debut Umpires' Guide, which will feature strike three mechanics as part of the experience presently found on the UEFL Portal's Umpire Roster page, we couldn't help but notice the great variety of sounds emanating from behind home plate on those strike three calls: from the booming to the guttural, the nonchalant drawl to the vigorous bawl, strike three is certainly unique.

So in anticipation of the Umpires' Guide project, we present the Umpire Ejection Fantasy League Strike Three Call / Ear Training Challenge. To begin, reference the following video.

The Ear Training Challenge tests your ability to identify an umpire by his vocal strike three called mechanic. Listen carefully to the following ten items, writing down the umpire's name you believe has produced each numbered vocalized strike three call. The first nine items are worth one point each while item number 10 is worth two points.

When you are finished, you may either e-mail or post a reply here. All posts will remain in moderation (screened) for the duration of the challenge.

The UEFL Strike Three Call / Ear Training Challenge runs through Sunday, April 29, 2012. Good luck.

NBA Referee Nick Buchert Reminds us to Always Carry a Backup Whistle

In Tuesday night's laugher of a basketball game in which the Detroit Pistons thoroughly trounced the Cleveland Cavaliers, 116-77—which at one point had been a 100-50 ballgame—NBA referee Nick Buchert took a wayward pass from Cleveland's Antawn Jamison square in the jaw, giving us one of those ever-popular "teachable moments."

Though as far as teachable moments go, this is one of the least controversial, most tame and, yes, most amusing. With Detroit leading 48-29 in the second quarter, Jamison rifled a no-look pass directly at absolutely no one on either team, hitting Buchert with such force that the official lost his whistle.

One of several notable officials that forgoes the lanyard, Buchert saw his whistle tumble to the floor before alertly reaching into his pocket and pulling out a backup whistle to kill the play (Buchert had a foot out-of-bounds when the basketball hit his face).