HP Umpire Marty Foster ejected Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Henderson Alvarez for throwing at Texas Rangers batter Ian Kinsler in the bottom of the 6th inning of the Blue Jays-Rangers game. With
two out and none on, Rangers batter Ian Kinsler took a 1-2 fastball from Alvarez for a ball. Replays indicate the pitch was
located inside and waist high. Prior to the Kinsler at bat, the Rangers hit back-to-back-to-back home runs, the call was irrecusable.*^ At the time of
the ejection, the Rangers were leading, 5-4. The Rangers ultimately won the contest, 8-7, in 13 innings on a walk-off home run by Josh Hamilton.
This is Marty Foster (60)'s third ejection of 2012.
Marty Foster now has -2 points in the UEFL (-4 Previous + 2 MLB + -0 Irrecusable Call = -2).
Crew Chief Jeff Kellogg now has 1 point in the Crew Division (0 Previous + 1 Irrecusable Call = 1).
*This call is irrecusable under UEFL Rule 6-2-b(5)
^Prior to the Kinsler at bat, Rangers batters Nelson Cruz, Yorvit Torrealba, and Mitch Moreland hit back-to-back-to-back home runs (all solo home runs).
UEFL Standings Update
This is the 49th ejection of 2012.
This is the 18th player ejection of 2012.
This is Henderson Alvarez's first ejection of 2012.
Prior to his ejection, Alvarez's line was 5.2 IP, 9 H, 4 ER, 1 BB.
This is the Toronto Blue Jays' fourth ejection of 2012.
This is Marty Foster's first non-Dale Sveum ejection of 2012 and first ejection since May 18, 2012.
Wrap: Blue Jays at Rangers 5/26/12
Video: Alvarez throws inside to Kinsler on 1-2 pitch, gets ejected by Umpire Foster
Related Video: Nelson Cruz homers
Related Video: Torrealba goes back-to-back with Cruz
Related Video: Moreland goes back-to-back-to-back with Torrealba, Cruz
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59 comments :
That was terrible by Foster. If this was 15-4 game and not a 5-4 game it would only make sence if there was a warning.
umpires are human and make errors in judgment all the time, but in my opinion, this was an egregious error in judgment by marty. there has been a collective 'chip' on the umpires' shoulders towards the jays since the brett lawrie incidents.
Keep in mind this ejection is coming from the man who used the reasoning "the ball beat him to the bag" against the yankees a year or so ago.
In his defense, intent is so hard to determine, but without warnings given, on a 2-2 pitch, it is unlikely there was any bad intent.
He took a long time to make that decision. WOW.
There's no way Alvarez was intentionally throwing. Pitchers will have an off day once in a while. It just looked like it got away. In a one-run game, how does that justify him getting ejected?? No warnings were issued prior to it. Marty Foster is one of those "I don't give a crap what you think, I'm going to make myself look good in front of the crowd" umpires. This is definitely two huge blown calls by him in the last week.
Even Bob Davidson would eject alveraz, unless he through behind the hitter the first pitch and hit him the second pitch in the back. That's another story. I.E Lackey V kinsler. 5/16/09 Marty foster loves the attention.
Imagine how Luke Scott must feel. It took the BoSox pitcher three tries to intentionally ail h last night. I guess the umpires enforce the rule that you can't diss Fenway/. Perhaps the umps were intimidated by the Fenway Faithful and thought an ejection would have only made things worse
That was the worst call, didn't even hit him, and no warning, awful.
Idk what's worse, jim joyce's blunder in galaragga's perfect game, or this call by foster, prob this, cuz of the way joyce handled the situation the next day. Foster won't apologize
Foster did lead the league in ejections in 2004 and 2005. And his ejection rate is nearly twice the average umpire.
Ouch. This is not a good ejection.
It is difficult to determine what, if anything, was said. Foster is down there on the field in the midst of the game environment. Even in this day and age of 50 camera angles and field mics, there are some game subtleties that go unnoticed. With all that being said, ejection does look out of place given what could be seen on the clips. It just doesn't seem intentional. Also, taking into account Foster's track record, it does look more egregious.
Now with that being said, I would like to have seen Foster behind the plate last night in the Rays v. Red Sox game. Would he have issued warnings? Would he have dumped Morales, or even Badenhop earlier?
Interesting to see the contrasting styles handing these bean-ball situations.
Foster has had ejections for throwing at each of the last three seasons. Not sure how many of you remember when he ejected Terry Francona, Buck Showalter, Kyle Weiland and Mike Gonzalez the day before the all star game last season. Keep in mind this did happen 2 days after the David Ortiz-Kevin Gregg fiasco. His ejection of Weiland was horrible in that situation also. Weiland was making his MLB debut and had been wild all day.But why would a Pitcher making his MLB debut decide in the 5th inning to throw at a guy?
This ejection also looks bad. I am not sure who would possibly throw at a person on a 2-2 count in a 1 run game. I am going to try and read between the lines and guess Alvarez was a little rattled after giving up three straight homers and held on to the ball too long. It sounds like a bush league excuse but it may be the case.
I am usually not someone who likes to bash umpires, but when we talk about bad umpires usually the same names come up. Bob Davidson, Bill Hohn, Phil Cuzzi, Angel Hernandez, Hunter Wendlstedt. I would put Foster right up there with him. It seems like he is just consistently guessing on palys on the bases and his strike zone is as inconsistent as it guys. I am also not really a fan of his attitude. It seems like he is trying to show everyone who is boss. He doesn't swear as much as a guy like Davidson but it seems like if you argue with him you will be gone. Look at the track record in the UEFL portal of all of his ejections. Many of them are because of incorrect calls. I know this is technically a correct call, but it just seems like poor judgement by Foster.
Marty needs to be taken down a notch after such a blatant incorrect call. Too bad he won't be held accountable!
I agree that Foster probably screwed up here.
However, what may be worse is when the Toronto announcer says that Ogando should be tossed if he throws a pitch on the inside part of the plate. When a (supposedly) Major League-level broadcaster claims that a pitcher should be thrown out if he throws a pitch that would be in the strike zone, that's when you have to question anything else he says.
@umpsrule check out buckblunders.com and you will see a lot of mistakes Buck Martinez (blue jays play by play broadcaster) makes
It wasn't even Buck who made that statement re: Ogando, it was Pat Tabler.
does anyone have the link to that "ball beat him to the bag" ejection...i think it was the yankees??
Foster has no feel for the game. This and the Red Sox silly ejections from last year show this. Foster should be held accountable for his actions.
^^^^ it was the yankees 7/6/09, threw Girardi out first inning
I like how the announcer says, "No way in the world you can throw Alvarez out for that pitch" after he was clearly able to be thrown out for that pitch. Now, I'm not saying I think he threw at him either, I don't. Even if that had been the first pitch of the at-bat I wouldn't. (If it had been the first AND second pitch...maybe.)
Funny how I agree with the announcers and they still are annoying me...
Somebody earlier was questioning the job Foster did on Balls and strikes.... Well it's yucky. If you think you may puke... or you don't like horror movies DO NOT LOOK AT THIS CHART!!
http://www.brooksbaseball.net/pfxVB/cache/zoneplot.php-pitchSel=all&game=gid_2012_05_26_tormlb_texmlb_1&sp_type=1&s_type=7.gif
And you wonder why the guy rarely recieves playoff assignments. That pitch fx is ghastly as was his one in Chicago a few weeks ago. There is no consistency at all and he refuses to call low strikes yet calls them a foot outside/inside depending on the hitter a strike.
This is the Foster-Girardi ejection from 2009
http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=5436713&c_id=mlb
To further show Foster's consistently horrencous strike zone. OT, I didn't know Foster used to wear a hockey style mask.
http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=3196123&c_id=mlb
Here is the 4 ejections from Boston last season. Weiland hits him on the freakin' hand and Foster thinks its intentional? Give me a break.
http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=16850001&c_id=mlb
None of the posters on this thread was there. Good for Marty.
Finally, someone pops in with the voice of reason. You weren't there. You don't know if they received a heads up before the game about something that the teams were going to settle on the field... something that wasn't public knowledge. You don't know what was said. You don't know a thing. And yeah, YOU have a much better 'feel for the game' than Marty effing Foster {insert sarcastic tone here}. Figure it out. This site is going downhill fast, at least the comments section. But that makes sense, its becoming more popular and more people who don't know a thing about how professional baseball works are commenting.
I agree. Only umpires should be able to have an opinion about anything an umpire does (insert sarcastic tone here).
Should someone outside of your line of work (we'll use logging as an example), something you've done for maybe 30 years, have an actual respected opinion in your field of work because maybe they saw a reality show about logging? I think not. Watching on TV or playing at any level does not give you any knowledge about umpiring. Umpiring amateur ball helps a little, but this is a business, not a game.
That was a perfect pitch by Alvarez. I have seen dozens just like it, and pitchers need to pitch there in order to move a batter back off the plate.I have absolutely no doubt that he intended to throw it right there, then go back outside with the next pitch. Kinsler has a habit of leaning out over the plate, and even he looked non-plussed at the call. Marty Foster is trying to change the game of baseball all by his lonesome.
I'd ignore the comments from the "umpires" above. If you look around umpire message boards you will see them refer to players and managers as "rats". The disdain these "Internet umpires" show for the exact people they are their to serve really just demonstrates a disrespect for the game.
The call here was bad, and we have every right to criticize. MLB knows the fans will keep coming so they do nothing abut it.
1-2 count, 2 out, 5-4 ball game. *No way* that was intentional.
11:34, 11:54 and logger boy are probably the types who have studied the rules relentlessly, gone to all the right schools and clinics, worked their butts off to become more technically proficient, yet can't quite figure out why their career advancement is not keeping pace with their effort.
Too bad there's not an umpire school that can perform arrogance exorcisms. If there was, these guys would be MLB crew chiefs by now.
This is a tough decision - bunch of things in favour of ejecting, bunch of things against it.
For it - the situation, 3 straight dingers?! Catcher set up outside (this was NOT an inside pitch)
Don't know abou the delay but I suspect pitcher did something to suggest it was intentional.
Against it - pitch was low
pitch tailed into the batter
score in the game
2-2 count
Gotta go with your gut and on this one, my gut tends toward a warning on this one, but I think there's enough there for a borderline ejection.
#1, there is no 11:34. #2, 11:54 and logger boy are one in the same. Only went to one school, that's all it took, and I am incredibly happy with my career. It's guys like Marty that we should be learning from.
Anon 5:34, absolutely you have a right to criticize, but I am sick and tired of people on here posting their opinion in the manner they do with absolutely zero intent to learn from the situation. They simply want to criticize because, of course, they could have done better. Again, no one truly knows the whole situation except the crew on that field. Also, we are not there to 'serve' the players and managers, and only some of them are rats. If you disagree then you haven't worked at a level where they will turn on you like that. Congratulations, baseball is still pure in your eyes and not a business.
12:41, the reference to 11:34 was meant to be 11:35. But I suspect you already knew that (see previous comment regarding your nasty attitude). Pointing out that there was no 11:34 was so very helpful and added soooo much to the conversation.
That being said, did you have something relevant, meaningful and nonp-frivolous to add to the conversation about 11:35?
"They simply want to criticize because, of course, they could have done better."
Maybe, but did you ever consider the possibility that perhaps they criticize because the fans, players and managers DESERVE better, not necessarily because they personally think they could do a better job?
"If you disagree then you haven't worked at a level where they will turn on you like that."
Oh yes. Anyone who disagrees with you is beneath your level, and too inexperienced for his opinion to mean anything.
Pure arrogance. Do the schools teach this attitude now, or is the league seeking out the most ill-tempered, arrogant people they can hire?
"Hello... pot? This is kettle. You're black."
Figure it out.
Another terrible 'throwing at' ejection. When are these umpires going to figure out how baseball works and when it is logical for beanball?
I think many of the commenters on here from both sides of the argument on this board (umpires vs. fans) could use a lesson in humility and common sense.
Comments suggesting that umpires should be fired or fined for missed calls are absurd. That's like saying a player should be sent to the minors for one bad at-bat. A lot of the people who bash umpires should umpire a little league or American Legion game sometime and see what it's like. Take the close calls and tricky judgment calls you have to make there, multiply the stakes and the pressure of making those calls by a million, and you might have an idea what major league umps go through. Most MLB umpires do a great job, there are a few who maybe aren't so great but there are bad apples in any profession.
That being said, a few of the umpires commenting on here have a real attitude towards anyone who dares say anything negative about a fellow umpire. The "logging" comment in particular does not make sense. If I were a logger, and I cut down a tree in the wrong direction, and someone who wasn't a logger pointed it out to me...would that make their opinion wrong?
As for this call, the thing I don't understand is why Alvarez would wait until the count was 2-2 if he was throwing at Kinsler intentionally.
Anonymous rat posters VS Marty Foster. I like Marty's side, if he thought Alvarez was throwing at Kinsler, good enough for me.
Although MLB could institute a policy where the umpires could quickly check the UEFL website when their in need of anonymous expert opinions regarding bean ball incidents.
Your brainless anonymous posts, on umpiring, are only exceeded incontent by your lack of fundamental sports knowledge.
Fundamentally you should understand how hard this call is. Fundamentally you should understand that Marty cannot be wrong.
The rule doesn't day Marty has to figure out what the truth is. It's a judgement call, he got 4 seconds to decide. He could have not ejected and been correct.
More unnecessary hostility and attitude. I hope you are young and that you grow out of it.
@ Big Marc
Do you really think calling people rats is going to help anything?
Big Marc, you're not in the league. You don't like the website, leave. No need to lecture us lacking fundamental sports knowledge rats, hot shot.
The question why would they hit him on a 2-2 count is easy. Pitchers are smart and will hit people when it is unexpected for no better reason than to hit someone and try to stay in the game. Marty did an excellent job here handling this situation.
Quote of the day from Big Marc: "Fundamentally you should understand that Marty cannot be wrong."
Non-umpires reading this thread, please don't be alarmed. Most of us umpires don't have our heads shoved this far up our asses.
Do you really not understand what fundamentals are?
Marty doens't have to gather all the facts, and find the truth. As long as he thinks there is intent he can eject. That's why I say he cannot be wrong.
Just like the cop who can shoot you if he "thinks" you have a gun, you need not have gun, but as long as he can prove to a jury he really believed you had one, he cannot be wrong.
Quote of the day
Anonymous said...
Non-umpires reading this thread, please don't be alarmed. Most of us umpires don't have our heads shoved this far up our asses
Your speaking for umpires? Your an umpire? I know what a real umpire would have said if he disagreed with me.
Thanks for your input, your insight has added greatly to this thread. Kudos to you, and Kudos again.
Not that it matters, but it was 1-2 pitch and not a 2-2 pitch like many here have said
"As long as he thinks there is intent he can eject. That's why I say he cannot be wrong. "
No, he can still be wrong, because he can be wrong about the intent. Since it's a judgement call it can't be argued, but that's different from "cannot be wrong".
And your example about a cop shooting you because he or she "believed you had a gun" is wrong as well.
First, simply because you possess a gun does not give the cop the right to shoot you. If the cop is wrong about your "intent" (there's that word again) and shoots you when it's not justified, a jury can find the officer guilty, and they'll end up doing time in prison.
unknown, your changing my point.
And you missed the total point.
I'm not explaining when a cop is justified to shoot.
What I am doing is explaining how in a small particular, little slice of an example how a cop could be mistaken and think someone has a gun, and a jury would find him innocent, because the law covers him based upon his belief that there was indeed a gun.
Follwo me now.
I'm not saying all the other examples are with me, I'm using this one alone.
The same thing with the umpire. The rule covers the umpire in the same manner as the cop. If the umpire thought there was intent, he can eject. It mght be possible that he would be 100% wrong, but the rule still would cover him.
And btw, I'm fully aware of police protocol. And you need to check your local laws. Police do not have to determine "intent". If you think you can hold a gun and try to say, "Yeah but I was never going to raise it". And the police are suppose to figure out your intent, while your holding a weapon, I think your mistaken, I could be wrong........ better check yourself.
Somebody wondered what was said. It doesn't matter, and here's why: Foster took an earful from Ferrell. If Alvarez did anything that deserved an ejection, then Foster would have tossed Ferrell too for the argument. Foster had to take it because he'd get a Davidson if he ran the manager for no good reason.
I wonder, though, if Alvarez will hear from the league about not leaving the field right away...
Let's put some thought into Big Marc's rather asinine example of an officer shooting a suspect. If any officer were to show such bad judgment then, whether or not they truly believed the suspect had a gun or not, they should be removed from the force.
Foster had the right to eject, which is why Alvarez was ejected, but that doesn't excuse his extremely poor sense of judgment.
There is a quote from John Conlan, an umpire in the 60s, that demonstrates the problem quite well:
"I demand respect on the field from managers and players. To me, thats 75% of umpiring." - Jocko Conlan
Really? Respect is earned. If you disrespect the players and the game by making bad calls, and letting your ego override objectivity, you don't deserve anyone's respect. Do your job properly, and you will get the respect.
There is a quote from John Conlan, an umpire in the 60s, that demonstrates the problem quite well:
"I demand respect on the field from managers and players. To me, thats 75% of umpiring." - Jocko Conlan
Really? Respect is earned. If you disrespect the players and the game by making bad calls, and letting your ego override objectivity, you don't deserve anyone's respect. Do your job properly, and you will get the respect.
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