Deep Thought

Cecil Cooper may soon be on double secret probation or something:

Astros manager Cecil Cooper received a call Tuesday from baseball disciplinarian Bob Watson, who will review Cooper’s conduct after he was ejected Saturday by plate umpire Mike DiMuro.

According to Cooper, Watson told him DiMuro wrote in his incident report that Cooper kicked dirt at him during an argument that occurred after DiMuro tossed Ivan Rodriguez in the eighth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Minute Maid Park.

“He did tell me he was going to review it again and look for something,” Cooper said of Watson. “The umpire reported that I did something.”

Maybe I’m just blowing a couple of long-ago, isolated, videotaped incidents out of proportion, but didn’t it used to be pretty routine for managers to kick dirt during an argument with the ump? I’m not saying doing so is a good thing — it’s really disrespectful when you think about it — but I don’t recall it being a matter of special discipline.

I’m going to blame Pete Rose for making this a bigger deal than it used to be. If he doesn’t cross the line and shove Dave Pallone, I think we’d have much more exciting manager-umpire arguments these days.


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Jim
14 years ago

Bob Watson is an ass.

RoundRock15
14 years ago

My not-so-secret hope is that they’ll recommend firing him and replacing him with Tim Bogar.  Seems feasible.

Richard in Dallas
14 years ago

Back when the Orioles were good (late 60’s early 70’s), I used to look forward to the NBC game of the week on Saturday afternoon with Joe Garagiola JUST so I could maybe see Earl Weaver kick some clay when he got pissed.  He seemed to be willing to pay the $50 fine just so he could leave the field having had the upper hand.  It was not really a big deal then,just part of the entertainment value of the game.  But, political correctness what it is, there goes another mole hill shooting up through the clouds…….

ElBonte
14 years ago

Isn’t it about time that baseball gets rid of the whole manager argument thing anyway?  Of all the stupid traditions that stick around because they’re tradition, this has to be the worst.  It’s totally juvenile, it doesn’t accomplish anything and everyone knows it’s just for show.

If the manager has something to say to the ump, make him voice it between innings.  If he takes one step out of the dugout to argue with an umpire during an inning, he should be ejected immediately and suspended for a game.

Michael
14 years ago

I’m so sick of so many things being such a big deal.  They’re not having tea together, they’re playing a competitive sport with lots of emotion, and I love seeing managers step up for their team.  It’s childish, it’s in poor taste, and I LOVE IT!

Ron
14 years ago

I’ve been umpiring for 30 years, and limiting a manager to questioning something between innings is absurd.

Mistakes do get made, and there is confusion. I have never kept a manager from coming to ask a question.

Sometimes it’s a simple issue, and sometimes they want to argue.  And sometimes, just sometimes, they are right.

Some of them go overboard. Who cares. It’s the prima donna umpires that want to put on a show or feel they can’t be questioned on anything that are the problem.

ElBonte
14 years ago

I agree that the umpires are often way too confrontational and are often the real problem when they provoke these kind of reactions from players and coaches.  They definitely need to realize (or be made to realize) that they aren’t the show.

I also agree that mistakes happen and I’ll invoke my right to back off my earlier point just a bit.  There are times when a manager should have the right to question calls and waiting for the end of an inning may not be reasonable.

My larger point is that there is absolutely no reason for managers to be able to throw a 5-minute temper tantrum on the field because they thought that the ump missed a (very difficult and subjective) ball/strike or safe/out call.  It doesn’t accomplish anything positive and makes the manager look like a fool and a child.

Richard in Dallas
14 years ago

Sweet Lou stealing a base is one of the best video clips ever!  Anyone that thinks there is no place in baseball for theatrics needs to quit watching baseball and become a chess fan!

As for that kind of behavior being juvenile, GREAT!  We need for more kids to be fans of the game in order for it to reclaim its rightful place as THE American pastime!

Richard in Dallas
14 years ago

And one more thing, Craig, Pete didn’t “shove” Pallone, he “bumped” him……….