Verducci and King George on "the Bugs and Umps"

by John Amato on Oct 7, 2007 3:22 PM EDT in News

This is it on the bugs, but why is it that so many of us had the same opinion? As bad as Pinella is, he would have protected his players better.
SI's Verducci

Plenty of major league games with far less on the line have been stopped due to bug infestations. I can't believe both the Yankees and Indians didn't argue for a stoppage of play Friday night, but especially New York, when it was obvious that reliever Joba Chamberlain was severely compromised by those conditions. It was no different than playing a game in a deluge. Cleveland's pitching was fabulous, but the Yankees must live with knowing that insects helped cause their defeat. No way that should happen in postseason baseball.

And there is a Steinbrenner sighting:(h/t mickey07)

...ripping into umpire Bruce Froemming, the veteran crew chief from Friday night's Game 2 who declined to stop play despite an infestation of Lake Erie gnats.

"The umpire was full of [expletive]," Steinbrenner said of the retiring Froemming. "He won't umpire our games anymore."

In the wake of that Game 2 defeat, Steinbrenner said the Yankees had complained to baseball commissioner Bud Selig about the decision to play on. "[Selig] just said, 'That's in the umpires' hands,' " Steinbrenner said. "But Jesus Christ, it was terrible. It messed up the whole team, [Derek] Jeter, all of them."

We can only hope the Rocket comes out throwing hard and goes seven with the lead.

0 recs | Comment 10 comments

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

Nice to know

The Boss can still "dish it." Here's hoping that The Empire Strikes Back! Go Yanks!

"Sports don't build character, they reveal it." - Haywood Hale Broun.

by StrappedYankee on Oct 7, 2007 3:54 PM EDT 0 recs

Giambi is at 1B tonight

by matthaggs on Oct 7, 2007 3:59 PM EDT 0 recs

Good.

We need all the power we can muster. We will sacrifice defense but we need to jump on The Tribe early.

"Sports don't build character, they reveal it." - Haywood Hale Broun.

by StrappedYankee on Oct 7, 2007 4:19 PM EDT up 0 recs

I agree

about the bugs.

But I heard Selig speak in a very non-Yankee place a few years ago and he made veiled references to one team that thought it could buy championships and how the wild card and luxury tax have brought parity to baseball and how it is a joy to see a different team win the Series every year and how "dynasties" are a thing of the past. Clearly a lot of shots at the Yankees. Selig is no friend of the Yankees and is not going to listen to Steinbrenner of all people.

I agree the bugs were a problem but Selig isn't going to do anything.

The umpires weren't going to do anything either. The umpires' calls obviously were going against the Yankees so they weren't going to be any help. The umpires were no friend to the Yankees so they were not going to be any help.

Who should have helped?

Torre. Should have either tried to postpone the action officially through the umpires and if not, do stalling techniques such as throwing to the bases, equipment changes etc.
The Yankees. They should not have been that dependent on a half inning pitched by Joba to win the game or to tie the series. Everyone has to play and "pitch in" (pardon the pun) in both games. Game One was atrocious. There were no bugs.

They got bad calls, they got bugs, but there is no one in God's great universe who cares about the Yankees except for the Yankees and Yankee fans so it is up to them to win DEFINITIVELY, to win DESPITE the bugs and bad calls and the no-action manager and "I couldn't care less" commissioner of baseball.

Yes, they all say they play their hearts out for Torre. Where have their hearts been? Nowhere to be found.

I KNOW the bugs were a problem but to be blaming the whole series loss on stupid bugs is stupid.

Last year the rain changed the momentum of the series. That is true. And this year we can wail about the bugs if it ends the season and shoulda woulda coulda all over the place but the 26 time WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP Yankees have to SHOW UP and PLAY PLAYOFF BASEBALL.

You're going to get bad breaks and you're going to get bad calls and, obviously, you're going to get bugs.

I hate the whole thing about the bugs because it affected a young full-of-heart pitcher who probably could have nailed down the win. That is what I hate. I feel for Joba and what could have been...I feel for Andy Petitte who pitched a HELL OF A GAME....but comon....the Yankees have to play playoff baseball to stay in the playoffs. And had they played it in Game 1 or given Joba more than a 1 run lead in Game 2, the stupid bugs would just be some freak thing we would not be talking about 2 days later.

"The secret of managing is to keep the guys who hate you away from the guys who are undecided." -Casey Stengel

by bxgrl1 on Oct 7, 2007 5:00 PM EDT 0 recs

All I have to say about the Bugs is

if Billy Matin were the manager, he would have pulled the team off the field, yelled at the ump in his face and kick some dirt on him too. Torre has been a "nice" guy and that has been his downfall. We can't be pushovers anymore the entire baseball world is laughing at us. Lets be The Yankees!

"Sports don't build character, they reveal it." - Haywood Hale Broun.

by StrappedYankee on Oct 7, 2007 5:13 PM EDT up 0 recs