They’re calling it “umpiregate”
Let me set the scene.
It’s the fourth inning of a deciding game three between Stephens County and Cartersville for the Georgia Class AAA Championship. There’s a runner on second. Stephens County pitcher Cody Martin winds up and throws and, suddenly, the catcher ducks and the pitch sails by smacking off the umpire’s face mask.
What happened?
According to reports, the incident was retaliation against umpire Jeff Scott, who had called out nine Stephens’ players on strikes.
From the AJC:
The Georgia High School Association fined Stephens County $1,000 and placed the baseball program on “severe warning status” Wednesday for an incident in the Class AAA championship series last weekend in Cartersville.
In the fourth inning of Saturday’s third and deciding game, won by Cartersville 13-1, Stephens County catcher Matt Hill ducked and did not attempt to catch a pitch that struck the home plate umpire, who was not injured.
You be the judge…
Incidentally, Cartersville won the game 13-1, clinching the Class AAA championship.
June 4th, 2008 at 10:31 pm
It was definitely a retaliatory act by the catcher…very bush league
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June 5th, 2008 at 12:53 am
13 to 1 ballgames never are the umpires fault….. EJECTION/SUSPENSION
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June 5th, 2008 at 8:50 am
Pitcher put it right on the money. That’s about as deliberate as it gets.
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June 5th, 2008 at 2:26 pm
best episode of Growing Pains ever.
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June 6th, 2008 at 12:25 am
As a former catcher, I can understand wanting to get retribution against an ump that seems to be favoring the other team. But also as a former catcher I know the proper protocol is to call for a fastball, and then get up as if I had called for a pitch out. Then at least you can play it off as if there was a missed sign, and not as if I had suddenly grown deathly afraid of the ball
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