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Thursday, June 14, 2012

Ejection 067, 068: Dan Iassogna (1, 2)

HP Umpire Dan Iassogna ejected Royals right fielder Jeff Francoeur for arguing a strike three call in the bottom of the 2nd inning and Royals Manager Ned Yost for arguing a foul ball (no interference) call in the top of the 4th inning of the Brewers-Royals game. In the 2nd, with none out and none on, Francoeur took a 0-2 cutter from Brewers pitcher Shaun Marcum for a called third strike. Replays indicate the pitch was located belt high and off the inside edge of home plate (px of -1.21), the call was incorrect. In the 4th, with none on and none out, Brewers batter Nyjer Morgan attemped to bunt a 0-1 sinker from Royals pitcher Luke Hochevar before the ball struck him in fair territory. Ruled a foul ball by Iassogna, replays indicate Morgan was in a legal batting position as prescribed by Rule 6.03 when he contacted the fair batted ball, the call was correct.* At the time of both ejections, the Brewers and Royals were tied, 0-0. The Royals ultimately won the contest, 4-3.

These are Dan Iassogna (58)'s first and second ejections of 2012.
Dan Iassogna now has 2 points in the UEFL (0 Previous + 2*[2 MLB] + -4 Incorrect + 2 Correct Call = 2).
Crew Chief Dale Scott now has 3 points in the UEFL's Crew division (2 Previous + 1 Correct Call = 3).
*This call was correct per Rule 6.05(g), which was featured in a recent UEFL rules article.


These are the 67th and 68th ejections of 2012.
This is the 25th player ejection of 2012.
This is the 35th Manager ejection of 2012.
These are the Royals' 2nd and 3rd ejections of 2012, last in the AL Central (DET 7, MIN 4, CLE 4, CWS 3).
This is Jeff Francoeur's first ejection since April 24, 2011 (Brian Knight; QOC = Incorrect).
Jeff Francoeur was also ejected during Spring Training on March 25 (John Tumpane; QOC = Incorrect).
This is Ned Yost's first ejection since August 16, 2011 (Kerwin Danley; QOC = Correct).

Pitch f/x courtesy Brooks Baseball

42 comments:

  1. He's gotten Yost too now.

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  2. Clearly not a strike, too bad. Iassogna's a good umpire and I think his call on Morgan was a great testament to his ability to come back and get the calls right.

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  3. Ned Yost has had a tough time with his team. Of course, espn's game notes credited Yost as "brewers manager" but these days, i suppose that's wishful thinking for Kansa city fans. Iassogna nailed that second call after missing the first.

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  4. ian kindler just got ejected

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  5. Cooper just ejected Kinsler

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  6. As I recall, Cooper has tossed Kinsler before.

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  7. Iassogna just missed with his first ejection, but that second one was a great call, ball clearly hits Morgan while he's still in the box, feet have barely moved and his inner leg was still planted on the bunt. Yost went out to protect his players after pitcher & catcher started arguing the call.

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  8. Slightly off-topic, but should Morgan have been called out here?

    http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=16963189&c_id=mlb

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    1. I'm guessing you feel that Morgan had his foot out of the box when he made contact with the ball. From the video, it may be possible that he was out of the box but I don't think one can say so conclusively. Also, this play allowed the Brewers to take the lead late in the game. If the Rockies' catcher or manager felt that Morgan was out of the box, I'm sure they would have argued vociferously.

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  9. Morgan seems to push that batters box boundary when he bunts, it certainly looked like he had heels on the line, in the box so to speak. Also helps when the lines get wiped out later in the games...

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  10. That ain't been a strike since Eric Gregg retired. At least Gregg was man enough to take a little butt chewing when blew one like this.

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  11. No Major League umpire is going to tolerate a batter drawing a line. No umpire at any level should. Being wrong doesn't mean the player gets to do that.

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  12. Give the catcher some credit for a pretty good job job of framing the pitch, very little movement in receiving the ball. Stole one for his pitcher.

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  13. Its funny. In the clip I thought it looked like a strike. Goes to show how a camera angle can influence ones view.

    @Rich and Curt; happened to me in the first round of our state playoffs. Bottom 2nd, first pitch kid draws line. Auto EJ. First one in three years but one if my easiest.

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  14. Arik, don't bother with Curt... waist of your time. If the pitch missed a foot outside he'd say a player shouldn't get run after drawing a line. Sometimes you just miss one. Players do it all the time, they swing at pitches over their head. If an umpire missed that pitch though as badly as players do sometimes then it would be ok for the player to go off in FanCurt's opinion. There are some things he will just never get. -SATWBUYAOEDPOY

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  15. Come on guys.. we should know you can't show up the umpires! Only they are allowed to show up players and managers!

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  16. "The replay showed the ball was probably five inches inside for strike three," Yost said. "He got called out on a pitch last night that was four or five inches inside. [Francoeur] made the mistake of pointing to where the ball [was], and that's an automatic ejection."

    Sounds like Yost gets why Francoeur was tossed. Iassogna *had* to toss him -- if he hadn't, I couldn't imagine how badly the rest of the crew would fine him at dinner after the game. :)

    On the second one...

    "From my vantage point, it looked like Morgan was out of the box when he bunted the ball, but upon further review, watching the replay, the umpire got it right. I was wrong," Yost said.

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  17. AnonCoward @155am, Francour didn't draw a line. He pointed. Pay attention, then attack.

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  18. Pointing is still grounds for ejection Curt. That is directly showing up an umpire. Read a rulebook once in awhile. I am also wondering why you are on this site, you are clearly against anything that has to do with umpiring and in case you haven't figured it out, this is a PRO UMPIRING SITE. Most of the posters on here are Umpires or former Umpires at one level or another. It seems like you are just a fan who has no clue about the intricacies of the game. I'm not saying that all non-umpires who post on this site are bad posters, ie.umpsrule, but at least try to see both sides of these argumetns Curt. The Umpire is not always wrong. While Iassogna clearly missed this pitch, pointing to where the location was is just unacceptable and most of the language Yost used during his ejection is also unacceptable.

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  19. Arik, I agree with you that in the example you cited, you were justified in making that ejection. Drawing a line outside the plate should result in an ejection.

    The problem is that Francour didn't draw a line. He pointed for about a second. Big difference between that and drawing a line.

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  20. Frankly, I see no difference between pointing and drawing a line. Ryan Lefebvre also didn't seem to see any difference. Either way, you are showing the umpire where you think the pitch was and you are doing in front of everyone.

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  21. The camera angle definitely makes the pitch look like a strike. I'm surprised that the Brooks box shows it so far out. Or in. Whatever.

    Morgan had his foot on the line. It's a surprising argument. Last year, when an umpire correctly called a batter out of the box, and then dumped the manager for arguing, all we heard was how unusual a call that is.

    Strangely, when ever I see an umpire make that call, all I hear is how it's impossible to see that and the pitch. Until, of course, the manager wants that call, then suddenly the umpire should see everything . . .

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  22. @ Jon Terry

    Just out of curiosity, was that the Tichenor ejection of Jim Riggleman?

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  23. No difference between pointing and drawing. Especially since Frenchy used the bat, especially since he stepped into the point. The more obvious the action is, the more objectionable it is.

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  24. "you are clearly against anything that has to do with umpiring...."

    My goodness. Take a look around, read my other comments, then come back and tell me that I am against umpires. If you bother to look, you might actually find comments that are complimentary of umpires.

    "at least try to see both sides of these argumetns Curt."

    I do. When the umpire looks like crap, I say so. When the umpire looks good, I say that too. It appears that "both sides" really means "our side and our side only."

    "The Umpire is not always wrong."

    Agreed. And if you find a statement by me that says otherwise, please post it skewer me accordingly.

    Your comments are a indicative of the the thin-skin attitude of some umpires. You see one comment that doesn't glorify an umpire, and you claim that the commenter thinks all umpires are bad. Seems like a classic case of denial/distortion.

    "Most of the posters on here are Umpires or former Umpires at one level or another."

    You have no idea of my experience. What I am *not* is an apologist.

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  25. Curt, I have read most of your posts on this site and you very rarely have anything good to say about them. Even when you try to compliment Joe West, you deflect it by bringing up a proposition he should be fined for having a publicist. That doesn't sound too positive to me.

    Do you really think Iassogna looked like crap during these arguments. He was about as calm as could be. Umpires will miss pitches sometimes and it happened during the Francoeur at bat. Francoeur has been around long enough to know you cannot point to where the ball was. Also notice how Ned Yost understood why Frenchy was tossed. And during the Yost argument Yost called Iassogna an f'ing b&*%$ and a mother f@$&*!. Now tell me a time that would be acceptable.

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  26. I'm not sure you can say that Curt specifically referred to Iassogna as looking like crap. However, the Eric Gregg part was quite a stretch and both ejections were more than deserved.

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  27. "the Eric Gregg part was quite a stretch"

    Just like his pants. *rimshot*

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  28. No difference between pointing and drawing a line whatsoever. Or holding a hand in a particular location. Or any gesture to show where you *think* a pitch was -- all of them are going to end with an ejection.

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  29. Russ, I don't think Iassogna looked like crap, and never said he did. Given the circumstances, however, I thought he should have given Francour a little more leeway.

    As UmpsRule stated, the Eric Gregg part was a stretch. It was hyperbole.

    Re: West, as I recall, I stated that he was "one of the best umpires baseball has ever known," (which I believe to be true), but that he needed to be jerked back into line for some off-the-field actions. If you find such a comment offensive, then it appears that you don't believe an umpire should EVER be criticized for ANYTHING he does.

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  30. I do not think that Umpires should never be criticized. In fact, I am not a very big Joe West fan myself. He can come across as arrogant and trying to be the show sometimes. But I don't there is anything wrong with having a publicist since he also has a singing career. And did you want Iassogna to just ignore the bat point. That is completely showing him and I can gurantee you 62 out of the 68 umpires eject every time on that. Iassogna is not someone who racks up ejections and goes looking for fights, He usually has about 1-2 per year so you really have to step the line to get run by him and certainly Francouer did here.

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  31. @ Russ

    Did you have six specific umpires in mind (i.e. Culbreth or Diaz perhaps) or was that a random number?

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  32. Kind of random, but if I had to pick I would say Culbreth, Gorman, O'Nora, Kellogg, T.Welke and Diaz. Maybe Demuth and Davis but I could see those two not appreciating a point at location also. Realistically every umpire would throw out for that, but those are the least likely IMO.

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  33. @ Russ

    Ok. As I recall, DeMuth once tossed Jorge Posada for arguing balls and strikes, and I believe there was some pointing going on.

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  34. Yes, UmpsRule, I am thinking of the Riggleman ejection. The batter was one of the Hairstons, I think, and he was the lead-off batter, and he clearly stepped completely out of the box and onto the plate while bunting. I just couldn't think of which umpire it had been.

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  35. Curt,

    Your bullshit is just that. So you use Gregg to knock Cooper. Do you have any respect for a guy who worked 25yrs in the Bigs? Or is that a type of career, that should be used as a punch line? You have a lot of nerve posting some of the things you do. I think your comments are terrible and never show any, any insight what so ever. You add nothing to discussions.

    You have a right to your opinion, but each opinion doesn't carry the same weight.
    You are seeing the same thing as the MLB umpires, but your opinion carries zero weight as you do not have the knowledge or experience that a MLB umpire has.
    I will go to the doctor tommorrow and get an x-ray. If you looked at my x-ray you would be seeing the same thing as my doctor.
    But there is no way I would trust your opinion, as you do not have the knowledge or experience that my doctor has.

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  36. BigMarc, it is hard to believe that you are so narrow minded that you must find offense in every little comment that doesn't fold nicely into your tight little viewpoint.

    Your assumption that I was being disrespectful toward Gregg is like most of your assumptions--dead wrong. I grew up watching Eric Gregg umpire. I don't remember much about those games, but I do remember Mr. Gregg. No matter the circumstances, he always had the biggest smile on his face. He was the happiest man in baseball, and it showed in his attitude. His disposition was a model for life, not just baseball.

    Mr. Gregg may have had a 6' x 6' strike zone, but it was that way in both the top and bottom of every inning of every game. He was fair and an all around class act.

    Having had the honor of meeting and interacting with Mr. Gregg, I suspect his response to my comment would have been a trademark hearty laugh and a similar good natured comment right back.

    One of the greatest injustices in the history of baseball was Bud Selig's obstinate refusal to rehire Mr. Gregg after the resignation debacle, even though he rehired others.

    I still miss seeing Eric Gregg on the field. He was a man I admired greatly. He overcame institutionalized racism and battled insurmountable weight and health issues to live his dream--all with a smile and without being a jerk.

    None of this has a damn thing to do with this post. But once again, your hot-headed assumptions and misguided attacks have caused me to have to explain a quip that was not intended to be offensive.

    Perhaps you should study Mr. Gregg's life and career. Maybe the baseball gods will send some of his attitude down to you. It might help you not be so ill-tempered.

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  37. Curt,

    Nice story, way to cover your ass.

    Explain to me how this is a compliment.

    "That ain't been a strike since Eric Gregg retired"

    You are a liar.

    At the very least do not change the meaning of your posts. You bad mouthed Mr. Cooper by using Mr. Gregg. I 100% disagree with your idea Mr. Gregg had a big zone. Your wrong again. And now you want to lie and say your statement was a compliment.
    You are a top notch B.S. artist.
    My god man, do you have ANY principals?

    Do you ever think to yourself how your words sound? Do you ever say to yourself, maybe I won't type that phrase, it might get misunderstood?

    Bottom line, your opinions are far bigger than your knowledge.

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  38. BigMarc, In addition to having a problem with assumptions, you once again read something that isnt there, then wrote a screed trashing it.

    I never said it was a compliment. Where did I say that? Could you quote it, because I can't find it?

    What I said was that the initial comment was a quip. Look it up.

    Making a comment about ONE pitch out of 140 +/- is hardly bad-mouthing the umpire. You assumed I was "bad mouthing" the umpire. If I had said "the HP umpire really stunk it up tonight," that would be bad mouthing.

    As far as your assertion that Mr. Gregg didn't have a generous zone, I will let your statement speak for itself.

    Stop being so thin-skinned and defensive. Not every off-the-cuff comment is trashing the umpires, nor is every criticism an attack on the very institution of umpiring. Lighten up and lose the attitude. In the timeless words of Crash Davis, "This game's fun. Fun g-d---it."

    Btw, who the hell is Cooper? You've mentioned him twice now. I'm referring to the exchange between Francour and HP umpire Dan Iassogna.

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  39. This big marc guy is really angry. Very rude.

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  40. Look who's talking about how one's words sound.

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  41. Dan Iassogna... at least 4 bad calls tonight. Ridiculous.

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