The traveling ump show was in Baltimore on Saturday night, working the game between the Detroit Tigers and Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
Taking center stage was Vic Carapazza, home plate umpire for Saturday’s game.
Baltimore third baseman Ramón Urías struck out looking in the fifth inning. Two of the strike calls against him would generously be described as debatable. Urías was clearly frustrated after the called third strike but didn’t outwardly argue with Carapazza. In fact, if Carapazza had continued to walk away from Urías, few people — if any — would have known an argument was taking place.
But Carapazza turned back toward Urías and ejected him.
Jim Palmer, doing color commentary for MASN (Mid-Atlantic Sports Network) made his frustrations with Carapazza known, saying (among other things), “They didn’t come to see you umpire, Vic,” “It’s a bush league call right there,” “You really kind of embarrass your profession when you do that” and saying that Carapazza was “not particularly classy there.”
Jim Palmer slams home plate umpire Vic Carapazza for his calls and conduct.
"Just turn around. Go umpire. They didn't come to see you umpire, Vic. It's a bush league call right there. No reason to do that. You really kind of embarrass your profession when you do that." pic.twitter.com/xGEbmLEtKl
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) April 23, 2023
Palmer’s argument didn’t quite match the level of intensity of the dispute between his former manager, Earl Weaver and umpire Bill Haller in a 1980 game (incidentally between these same two teams). But clearly Palmer learned a thing or two from his former manager.
Baseball fans flooded to Twitter to back Palmer and criticize Carapazza.
The robot umps are coming and they can’t come soon enough
— DolphinsTalk.com (@DolphinsTalk) April 23, 2023
Jim Palmer spot on. https://t.co/tLoDPpKlBe
— Chick Hernandez (@MrChickSports) April 23, 2023
It would be nice if @MLB took guys who totally miss strike calls and try to show up players like this nonsense, off the field for retraining as to how to do the job. You miss two obvious calls and throw out the player for your incompetence? https://t.co/SovFwgE9NU
— Kevin R. Tipple (@kevinrtipple) April 23, 2023
@MLB do something. https://t.co/enk0qcKEwr
— @georgiaontap (@georgiaontap) April 23, 2023
Very well said @Jim22Palmer https://t.co/5R4mzo5nty
— Steve (@ChiTownSports) April 23, 2023
Yea, this is a pathetic ejection. No one came to watch the ump https://t.co/eayqtt9Esc
— Orioles Statistics (@OriolesStatist1) April 23, 2023
And….Jim is correct. https://t.co/wWkUYXsVxq
— Shawn Crull (@illini3sc) April 23, 2023
Good for Palmer. And MLB continues to embarrass itself just as much as the umps by not doing anything to control these guys. They seem even more jumpy than usual this year. Games can be won and lost by your calls. If someone disagrees, just deal with it. https://t.co/yDqLHTrFuW
— Jay Posner (@JayPosnerSD) April 23, 2023
[Photo Credit: MASN]
