Spring Training doesn’t count for anything. It doesn’t. It is practice. Warm up for the long regular season. Training. Reherseal.
In the spirit of preparing for the regular season, here is third base umpire Bill Welke getting into mid-July “Ump Show” form. What might seem like a harmless move by Orioles catcher Luis Exposito, stopping a slow rolling baseball with his catching mask, is actually an INFRACTION OF THE RULES.
Welke catches this heinous act from his third base perch and immediately signals the runner on third base, Wil Myers, home; punishing Exposito for his indiscretions.
Rule 7.04 (3) clearly states:
Each runner, other than the batter, may without liability to be put out, advance one base when — A fielder deliberately touches a pitched ball with his cap, mask or any part of his uniform detached from its proper place on his person. The ball is in play, and the award is made from the position of the runner at the time the ball was touched.
Which is precisely what Exposito did, I suppose. Orioles manager let his feelings be known, exhorting Welke to “relax.” Why? Because it’s Spring Training. The ball was barely moving, Myers wasn’t moving off third base.
But rules are rules. The Orioles broke them and it cost them a run, the go-ahead run in a Grapefruit League game. I’m sure they’re heartbroken. Poor Dylan Bundy, a loss on his resume. At least Bill Welke taught him a valuable lesson: Bill Welke would not be fun to hang out with at a party.
To be fair, Spring Training is practice time for the umpires too. Kudos to William Welke for showing us that he, too, knows the rules of Base Ball.
+1
It’s spring training for Umps too.
I have no problem with this… I don’t really see that as an act worthy of the term “ump show”.
Umps are dicks. Just like Cops. They’re like baseball 5-0.
“Reckless, arrogant, stupid dicks…”
Yeah, umps should just follow some of the rules in spring training …. that’s your point, right?
I’m more interested in Dylan Bundy throwing what appeared to be a 50 foot pitch.
Seriously its a rule…. SO the next pitch gets sent right down the pipe for a strike and the plate ump yells ball just for the shits and giggles because he feels like relaxing and giving the batter a break ?
Get the fuck over yourself, its a game – there are rules that govern it.
Feel free to take your own advice.
lol
this post should have been about that “strike?” call last night in the ninth of the US/DR game………whats the rule on umps being fuck ups?
When I think of baseball, I think of a rigorous adherence to each and every arcane rule at all times. Like the neighbour calls, balks, I expect this call made during an insignificant game.
By the way, the Angels use a “courtesy runner” for Albert Pujols during Spring training games. So yes, by all means, lecture me on the integrity of the game.
+100,000,000,000,000.11111
Plus there’s all those rules that don’t get applied even during the regular season, like batters not stepping out of the box, phantom double plays…
Come on guys, this is Spring Training for Drew too. He needs to get into form before the regular season starts just as much as players and umpires (apparently) do!
It’s as if Drew doesn’t think there is no point in rules..
If you don’t want enforce them, then why have them?
It’s Spring Training, it literally doesn’t matter AT ALL.
yeah like why are 3 strikes an out in SPRING TRAINING
like get over it every body