The manager of a Single-A team threw a conniption fit onfield after a call went against his team.
This is making huge headlines, but this sort of thing happens every day. I personally witnessed a very similar explosion by a manager from a visiting team here in our Independent league when the 1B umpire called not one but two of their guys out at First when they were CLEARLY safe (neither call was even very close). The guy went ballistic and tossed the bat rack, helmets, spare gloves, bottles, etc. out on the field. He took up almost ten minutes with his tirade, and we all loved it.
You can see video of the Single-A guy here. There's no video of the guy I saw. Too bad, too - it was great.
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) -- Minor league manager Joe Mikulik had a major league tantrum Sunday night.
The manager of the Asheville Tourists, a Class-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies in the South Atlantic League, turned Applebee's Park into a one-man show following a close call at second base in the fifth inning of a 5-2 loss to Lexington Legends. (Click here for video of the incident.)
Lexington's Koby Clemens -- whose famous father Roger made a tuneup start for the Legends this month after re-signing with the Houston Astros -- was leading off second base after hitting an RBI double when Asheville pitcher Brandon Durden tried to pick him off.
Umpire Andy Russell called Clemens safe, sending Mikulik roaring out of the dugout and setting off a prolonged tirade that he carried all over the infield and into the dugout.
"I thought the strike was over," Mikulik told the Lexington Herald-Leader. "When will the real umpires show up? That's what I want to know. Because that was an abortion. That was bad. The whole series was awful."
Mikulik's antics started innocently enough with an animated argument with Russell, who then threw Mikulik out of the game.
Things quickly escalated after his ejection. Mikulik dove into second base, ripped up the bag and hurled it onto the infield dirt. He threw a resin bag into the bullpen, covered home plate with dirt and then cleaned it with a water bottle, which he finally spiked onto the plate.
Back in the dugout, he tossed several bats onto the field. And he didn't stop once he got to the clubhouse, according to team officials. Mikulik pushed a couple of water coolers, a chair and a batting practice screen in front of the umpires' locker room.
"I just wish the umpire's association would train their young men to have a personality," he said. "I could get two mannequins at Sears and umpire better than what I saw this whole series."
Despite redecorating half the infield, Mikulik said he's not worried about running into trouble with South Atlantic League president John Henry Moss.
"I already talked to John Henry, I've got that covered," he said. "This ain't my first rodeo. ... I didn't touch anybody. I never bumped anybody. ... I actually cleaned home plate for them, so they should give me a tip for that."
The_Captain wrote:Never saw an adult man throw a temper tantrum a 2 year old would be proud of......
You must not watch much baseball, then. This happens somewhere in baseball once a week.
This guy took it to another level though. He was drying to make mud pies on the dish.
Not kidding - I saw a tantrum to rival that (aside from the mud pie on home plate) last week at the Lincoln Saltdogs game. Somewhere in baseball someone has a meltdown just like this all the time.
It makes the game fun. The guy in the game I saw kicked dirt everywhere, tossed First base, threw out bats and helmets and water bottles and screamed at every umpire from about an inch from their face at least once before leaving by the exit furthest from his dugout.
I can't say because I didn't see this play, but the guy who got tossed in the game I saw had a legitimate gripe - both of his guys were safe but both were called out.
Every guy that pulls a stunt like this should be canned. It's childish and immature, and at times dangerous, and if you and I can't do it at work and still have a job, neither should these guys. Get a life and grow up.
Sixxgunn wrote:Every guy that pulls a stunt like this should be canned. It's childish and immature, and at times dangerous, and if you and I can't do it at work and still have a job, neither should these guys. Get a life and grow up.
The umps are not the manager's bosses. That's how it's different. As a matter of fact, throwing tantrums (maybe not quite to this extent) is part of a manager's job.
Sixxgunn wrote:Every guy that pulls a stunt like this should be canned. It's childish and immature, and at times dangerous, and if you and I can't do it at work and still have a job, neither should these guys. Get a life and grow up.
No, no, no. I totally disagree. I can't spit chew all over the floor at my job, either. We shouldn't can guys for doing that in a dugout.
This is part of the game. They'll fine him $100 or something but the bottom line is the league is happy about it because it's entertaining, and as long as nobody gets hurt it's all good.
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by knapplc » Mon Jun 26, 2006 12:42 pm 
