Bud Selig couldn't carry Roger Goodell's briefcase
Umpire Mike Winters was suspended for the rest of the season for his actions in the Milton Bradley incident. Obviously, MLB thought Winters crossed a line during his "Discussion" with Bradley. Still, only 3 games seems more like a mere slap on the wrist, considering Bradley will be undergoing surgery, then suffering through months of rehab for his trashed knee.
What Winters did in baiting Bradley was comparable to some yahoo poking a sharp stick into the backside of a grizzly bear. Bradley reacted much like the bear would have, with extreme anger, and malice in mind. Since Bradley's reputation of his being a near-psychopath with a hair trigger temper precedes him, what other sort of reaction would you expect? Winters wanted a confrontation, and he sure as Hell got it.
Winters is supposed to be a bastion of integrity when on the field, someone respected by the players. Turns out he's far from being respected, nor has a lick of integrity. Bud Selig had the opportunity to drop the hammer, drawing a clear line in the sand. Instead, he went quite easy on Winters.
MLB's commissioner is called "Bud-lite" for a reason.
Roger Goodell has a pair of these.Bud Selig, on the other hand...
Anyone in the business sector would have been fired on the spot if they had acted as recklessly as Winters. A strong commissioner, one with more than a pair of shriveled raisins for balls, would have made sure that happened. MLB's so-called commissioner needed to bring the wrath of God down upon the growing number of arrogant, showboating umpires who feel they are more important than the game itself.
Unfortunately, Bud-lite has now set a precedent. An umpire who causes a near riot on the field, severely hurting a player in the process, gets a 3 game suspension.
don't know exactly what was said so i can't form a judgment concerning this but we do know 2 things:
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2) as an umpire, i dislike other umpires who feel they need to inject themselves into the game.
winters at minimum was unprofessional and if he as much as cursed he should be fired.
I've been reading this blog for about 6 months and I don't think you have ever posted a truer opinion. MLB umps have been out of control forever and now they have set the precedent as the most corrupt officials in all of professional major sports. It doesn't surprise me that MLB would let a guy harass players like this. Tim Donaghy be damned, personality plays too much a role in baseball, always has and hopefully won't always will.
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