Shameful

The display from umpire Brian Runge in last night's Mariners-Mets game was shameful.

Mets outfielder Carlos Beltran was bitching about a called strike. (He was right, according to the replay, by the by.) This is something that happens pretty regularly in baseball. The accepted etiquette is that the hitter (or catcher, if the argument is the opposite kind) may make a mild beef, as long as he doesn't turn his head or in any way indicate to the crowd that he is unhappy.

Runge decides he urgently needs to dust off home plate at this moment, thus giving him a chance to take off his mask and berate Beltran. Beltran, who, along with David Wright, is probably arguably the only major league hitter on the New York Mets at this time, continues bitching, which he admittedly shouldn't have done. But I can understand him being a little peeved. Umpires arent supposed to argue with players.

The Mets' manager, Jerry Manuel, comes out when he sees that Beltran is still arguing, tries to intervene and prevent his star outfielder from being tossed. Runge BUMPS Manuel and then ejects him, then throws out Beltran for good measure.

This is shameful. Managers and players get long suspensions for bumping umpires, as well they should. One hundred and ten years ago, umpires would be physically assaulted, at times, if their calls went unappreciated.

There is no excuse for an umpire arguing with a player, and there is especially no excuse for an umpire bumping a player, when the player has no recourse and the umpire knows it.

Runge lost control of the situation, and if the umpires' union and MLB have any integrity, he will be disciplined for it.

And Runge, whose father and GRANDFATHER were MLB umpires, should have known better.