Umpires and Suspensions

Umpires and Suspensions

Both Cubs manager Dusty Baker and pitcher Kerry "I Kill You Umpires With Baseball" Wood were handed suspensions for their behavior during altercations with the umpiring crew during the Reds series a little while back.

Now, Dusty's tirade after not being allowed a double switch really turned out quite funny, from my point of view. Lots of great pictures. Lots of screaming. For a mind like mine, which is often confused by the subtleties of human emotions, I appreciate it when somebody goes out of their way to let people know how they feel.

Dusty was embarrassed by it, though. He's not arguing with his suspension.

I'd like to address Kerry Wood's suspension, which he is appealing, and the altercation in general with umpire Eric Cooper.

I didn't get to see the game live. That was the day a bunch of us were watching the Braves at Turner Field. So we didn't really know what the deal was, we knew only that the Cubs had lost earlier in the day to the Reds, 3-2.

But watching tape of the event, complete with Kerry losing his shit and going screaming after umpire Eric Cooper, I want to say that while Kerry should have kept his cool instead of ranting and screaming WWF-style, homeplate umpire Eric Cooper is at least as culpable as Kerry.

And his responsibility for his actions on the playing field should be made just as public as Kerry Wood's.

And I'm not even really talking about his calling balls and strikes, necessarily.

All I'm saying is this: the better an umpire's doing, the less you notice him.

But when I see the tape of Kerry Wood going ballistic, just prior to that, while Kerry's being taken out of the game, I see home plate umpire Eric Cooper, with his mask off, out from behind the plate, and inserting himself into a situation that didn't require his presence.

I say that if Cooper had stayed behind the plate while Kerry was getting taken out, and made it a point to stay professional, there never would have been any altercation.