Iowa Ump Tosses Crowd From Ballgame

Female umpire speaks out against baseball's 'stained-grass ceiling'

(NEWSER) - Forget blown calls. The real problem with umpires in the MLB, says Perry Barber: A complete lack of females. Barber, who has been in the business since 1981, works high school, college, spring training, and Independent League games—and tells DoubleX , “ We’re just going to have to storm the Bastille, baby, and flood the schools with women candidates and shatter what I call the stained-grass ceiling.” More»

Postseason miscues have MLB considering drastic changes

(NEWSER) - This year’s postseason has featured the usual thrills—pitchers' duels, come-from-behind victories—and an outbreak of something unusual: botched calls by umpires. The threat of more gaffes in next week’s World Series has the tradition-bound sport considering expanding the use of instant replay beyond the verification of home runs. And not everyone objects. More»

These managers are an ump's worst nightmare

(NEWSER) - Among baseball managers, 10 have perfected the theatrics of fighting umps. Forbes looks at the skippers ejected most since 2004:

1. Bobby Cox, Atlanta Braves: Also the all-time ejection king, Cox (34 ejections since '04) was once booted over stadium lights.
2. Ron Gardenhire, Minnesota Twins: Fiery former player has 32 ejections.
3. Charlie Manuel, Philadelphia Phillies: Fans once egged on Manuel (21) as he berated an ump for two full minutes.

For most, it's just a job: Bill Plaschke

(NEWSER) - For all the Patriots fans out there still crying in the beer and assuming their favorite players are doing the same, sportswriter Bill Plaschke has a "dirty little secret" to reveal: "The players don't care as much as you do," he writes in the Los Angeles Times . Sure there are exceptions, but for the most part, the game is just a job to them. And he's not just talking about the Patriots here. More»

Texas Rangers catcher Yorvit Torrealba gets mad after strikeout

(NEWSER) - For any non-baseball fans out there, this is a huge no-no. Texas Rangers catcher Yorvit Torrealba was playing in the Venezuelan League on Friday when he struck out badly and began yelling at the home plate umpire—probably over a strike call earlier in the at-bat. The two of them jaw for a good 15 seconds before Torrealba smacks the ump flat in the face mask, the Sporting News reports. The blow even sends the umpire stumbling backward. More»