[Willie Bee]

While hypocrisy among members of the Fourth Estate runs rampant over the Keith Hernandez situation, the same pundits of perfection and politically correct comportment are a bit slow out of the gate this morning regarding this story.

Delmon Young should be suspended for a minimum of a month. And while he's on vacation, his community service should be to go umpire youth league games. Don't care if the call was bad or not. This act reeks nothing short of utter cowardice and total contempt.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/minors/2006-04-26-delmon-young-ump-incident_x.htm

PAWTUCKET, R.I. (AP) — Durham Bulls outfielder and top overall 2003 draft choice Delmon Young threw a bat into the chest of the home plate umpire after being called out on strikes in the first inning of Wednesday night's game at Pawtucket.

Young took a third strike on a 1-and-2 pitch. When Young delayed leaving the batter's box, the umpire ejected him. Young then flipped his bat underhand. It sailed end over end and hit the umpire in the chest.

Pawtucket catcher Corky Miller said he didn't hear Young say anything to the umpire. "I heard the umpire say, 'You better get going,'" Miller said.

"It was hard to say what was going through his mind. Guys have emotions. But you try to learn how to control them. I'm sure as the bat left his hands he knew it was a bad decision," Miller said.

Young left during the game and wasn't available for comment afterward. The Tampa Bay Devil Rays said they would have no comment until they review the situation.

Replacement umpires have been working all minor league games this season because the regular umpires are on strike. Bill Wanless, a spokesman for the Pawtucket Red Sox, said minor league teams are not releasing the names of umpires while the regulars are on strike.

"It's an unfortunate incident and there should be no place for actions like that in the game of baseball," the umpire said in a statement released by Pawtucket. "Any official should not be treated like that. He embarrassed himself and his teammates."

Young, 20, is the younger brother of Detroit Tigers outfielder Dmitri Young. He was voted the Tampa Bay Devil Rays' minor league player of the year last season and the 2005 minor league player of the year by Baseball America.

"It was unfortunate and until I speak with the organization and see what they have in mind, maybe I can comment on it later," Durham manager John Tamargo said. "It's a tough situation right now.

"I haven't spoken with (Young) and haven't gotten his side of it. We've had some problems with different umpires and it's tough. But I can't say any more."

According to International League policy, the umpire will file a report with president Randy Mobley on Thursday. Mobley will read it, interview parties involved in the incident and decide what penalty should be assessed.

[The Great One]

Yeah, I'd have to agree on this one or next time The guy will take a 3rd strike, turn around and just start beating the umpire with his bat to a bloody pulp. That would be great to see though.

Although i don't see why the media explosion over this. It's just disrespect is all. Like with Udonis haslem through his mouthpiece at the official. No chance of any injury, just disrespectful to officials who already have a tough time getting any to begin with.

[Willie Bee]

Lobbing a mouthpiece at an official is one thing; throwing a bat, underhand or not, at an umpire who was probably no more than a few feet away is quite another.

A similar incident took place in one of our Little League games the other night. Yes, Little League I'm umping the field, kid strikes out swinging, comes back to 1B dugout where I'm positioned just beyond 1B, exits through gate then turns around and takes a big swing with his bat at the fence, narrowly missing his coach's arm. The kid never swings that hard when he's at the plate. Then he throws his bat and helmet.

Rules say this kid is supposed to be ejected. But I pride myself on never ejecting anyone, so I just walk over to the kid's 1B coach and tell her --- Yes, her, take that Keith Hernandez --- to "get a substitute for that kid."

After the game, the parent confronts me about the incident claiming I violated the rules. This kid didn't start the game and, according to the rules, all subs have to play a minimum of six (6) consecutive outs in the field and get at least one at bat. Technically, the parent was correct. But I also let him know that the rules state his son should've been ejected which would mean an automatic 1-game suspension on top of missing the rest of that game.

If an umpire is bad and consistently makes bad calls, that umpire should be replaced. But there's never any call to throw anything at an umpire, spit on them, debate their mother's species, etc.

[tacomax]

I think the fact that the parent came to see you after the game to dispute the rules of the game is a damn site worse than the kid's actions in the first place. You would have thought that any normal parent would be embarassed in to keeping their mouth shut and disciplining their thug of a son. But maybe that's just me.

[bigboydan]

Yeah, I'd have to agree on this one or next time The guy will take a 3rd strike, turn around and just start beating the umpire with his bat to a bloody pulp. That would be great to see though.

the sick part is nowadays i can see that happening at some point

[Willie Bee]

The IL suspended him indefinitely this afternoon.

[presley177]

I think the fact that the parent came to see you after the game to dispute the rules of the game is a damn site worse than the kid's actions in the first place. You would have thought that any normal parent would be embarassed in to keeping their mouth shut and disciplining their thug of a son. But maybe that's just me.

Being really not too far from being in little league myself...you'd seriously be surprised. The teams I was on...all the way up into one of my community college teams had a psychotic parent who would scream, curse, throw stuff and then promptly be taken away by security. When I was 13 one game was forfeited because it was getting so hostile. ..and these weren't "thug" parents...but upper-middle class dads and soccer moms freaking out and challenging umpires, coaches, opposing player's parents, etc.

Not to mention..kids see this kind of stuff..they see the professionals doing it and they start to do it. Kids will come into the dugout after striking out throwing gloves,helmet,bats all over the place...and for what..A LITTLE LEAGUE GAME! on my 8th grade team this maniac even punched a solid concrete dugout wall after striking out(obviously breaking/shattering his hand)

I'm sure Willie Bee can verify most of these instances but it truly has gotten way out of control...and pricks like Delmon Young, Milton Bradley and cry-baby hot tempered prick pros are the 2nd biggest reason for this next to obviously the parents who can't teach discipline to their children. Young should be sent home for the rest of the season. Somebody needs to take a strong stance against this.

[Willie Bee]

I'm sure Willie Bee can verify most of these instances but it truly has gotten way out of control.

Sadly, I can.

We've had a couple of instances this season, one of them precipitated by our most ultra-competitive manager in the league. It just amazes me, though I guess it shouldn't given the general decline in western civility. We instituted pitch counts this year to keep a couple of the managers from totally ruining kids' arms. Had one last year who left a kid in for 140+ pitches (5 innings, mind you). And it was his own son! Just can't think of any reason why a dubya in a Little League win column is so damn important.

I've been told that I 'work the crowd' pretty well when I'm behind the plate. I'm very vocal, nobody at the park has any doubt what the count is, number of outs, etc. I don't mind moans and groans on close pitches, or the old, "That was close, Jimmy, throw it again!" But when an adult yells something like, "Where was that? The catcher never moved his glove!" or "That was right down the middle! How can you NOT call that a strike?" ... I will go over to them between innings and ask for their name and phone number. They usually go jellyfish on me when I do that, but they will always ask why I want the info.

"Because," I tell them, "as good as you're calling this game from a 90-degree angle to the plate and 45 feet away, you should be perfect behind the plate at next week's game." So far, I've yet to hear another peep out of anyone I give that speech to

[Illusion]

Does anybody know if he "threw" or tossed" the bat at the ump. I just saw the replay and couldn't tell. He'll be lucky if he only gets a 30 game suspension.

[Razz]

I don't think the nickname will stick.