Marlins are at the Padres in the top of the 7th. Amezaga is on first. Hanley at the plate. Hanley hits a screamer down the third base line, and the third base ump has to dodge to get out of the way. He calls it fair. Amezaga scores, and Marlins lead 3-1.
Replay shows it was foul. Bud Black comes out to argue the call -- very reasonably. The third base ump acknowledges he had to dodge, so he consults the only other ump who could have seen it: the home plate ump. After consultation, the ball is called foul. The correct call.
Freddy Gonzalez, Marlins manager, enters the field to find out why the call was changed. Gonzalez was not throwing a fit; just finding out what happened. Again, this is reasonable behavior.
Joe West, the second base umpire and crew chief, steps in front of the other umps and in front of Gonzalez. He puts up his hands to say to Gonzalez "Don't come out here and argue." Five seconds later, West throws him out of the game.
This is ridiculous and unprofessional behavior by West -- which, frankly, is nothing new.
-First of all, West was in no position to see the play from second base.
-Second, West seemed to say to Gonzalez that he can't argue, even though every manager in the majors would argue if the ball was called fair in favor of his team, and then after the opposing manager argued with the umps, the call was changed to foul.
-Third, if Black is allowed to argue, why not Gonzalez?
-Fourth, why was West even involved? He wasn't one of the two umps asked to make the call, and none of the managers were acting unreasonably.
-Finally, what's he doing throwing Gonzalez out of the game after 5 seconds of questioning? That's too short a hook even if the manager is being a complete ass (see, e.g., every Lou Piniella argument). When a guy is barely even raising his voice, it is more ridiculous.
