Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Brett Lawrie is likely facing a suspension after throwing his helmet in anger and hitting home plate umpire Bill Miller in Toronto Tuesday night.
With a count of three balls and one strike in the bottom of the ninth, Lawrie took back-to-back pitches from Tampa Bay Rays closer Fernando Rodney. Miller called both strikes, sending Lawrie back to the dugout.
Trouble was, when the third strike was called, Lawrie had already taken two steps toward first base, thinking he had drawn a walk. He spun around, took two steps back in the direction of the umpire and threw his batting helmet to the ground. It bounced up and struck Miller.
Lawrie was promptly ejected from the game for the outburst, but is likely to face a further suspension and/or fine because the helmet struck Miller.
I've never, ever, done anything to go at an umpire before in my life, and I didn't mean to tonight. I apologize for that," Lawrie said after the game, according to MLB.com. "It just kind of took an unlucky bounce and I think it got him, so my apologies for that."
The Blue Jays lost to the Rays 4-3. Major League Baseball has made no announcement yet as to how long they'll lose Lawrie's services.
© 2012 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
| Advertising practices | Advertise with us | About us | Work for us | Help
He should have pulled that umpire's endocrine system out of his body.
Why endocrine system?
I thought Canadians suppose to be nice.
It is a big problem that umpires are not reviewed and sanctioned for making obvious bad calls. Two in a row is not tolerable by any stretch of the imagination. There should be some oversight, evaluation, and on the spot justice. They review football plays and calls constantly.
But you still don't get to throw your helmet at them or in their general direction.
Billy Martin used to kick sand on their pant legs. Now THAT was funny.
They do get reviewed, you just never get to hear about it. They are done internally.
i personally am glad...he will benafite from the lesson learned in that game.
Its a game, that they make big bucks to play. It was unsportsmans like conduct, throw the book at him, and the ref should throw in an adult charge for good measure
Actually, they are reviewed, just not in public.
Pitch is way too close to take with 2 strikes. May not be a strike, but you gotta protect the plate dummy.
McEnroe used to argue constantly tennis fixed it no more arguments. Why can't baseball. Stupid sport. Who needs umpires unions I guess.
'roid rage!
You may not be far from the truth, Darth.
Ninth inning of a one-run game. Umpire calls a young player out to teach him a lesson – don't head to first base and show me up. Two pitches are way out of the strike zone and he calls them strikes. Lawrie was out of line and will be suspended, but the umpire started it with an absurd and childish call. As for the fan who threw the beer, he should be ashamed. Wasting a good Canadian beer on an umpire. Shame.
I must say, it's not a baseball player's job to be an expert at physics. How was he supposed to know where his helmet would bounce back up? As far as I am concerned, he should not be suspended for reasons he hit the ump...He didn't. He threw his helmet to the ground. The umpire was just collateral to the damage done to the dirt lmao! If he wanted to hit the ump, I am sure he would have.
As well, what the Hell were those calls! Absolutely pathetic! Those who actually give a damn about baseball and watch baseball know some of these umpires are a bunch of f* ups who screw up...ALL THE TIME! The ump deserved a beer thrown at him. The guy who threw it should be given a medal.
Helmet throwing isn't the issue. It's temper control. He lost his so now it's time to face the punishment and it should be stiff.
You don't throw your helmet..period! You're a professional athlete... act like it.
iBod, he was ejected for arguing balls and strikes. Rule 9.02 (a) requires that players or coaches who argue balls and strikes be ejected. A suspension would be for hitting the ump.
It doesn't look like he did it on purpose, but that doesn't matter. The league is going to make an example out of him.
If you're gonna throw your helmet - or anything else - check to see if there's an ump in the way first.
Bad luck but a full year suspension without pay should make him think about his anger management weaknesses
Acting like a brat ,small child having a tantrum how logic can be?
This is a man-child! He needs to grow up emotionally and get some help with his anger management and maybe socialization skills. He is a poor example for our already acting out kids. Professional sports prima donnas wall to wall, it seems!
Its Baseball. Who cares!
Apparently you do.. Reading news articles about 'baseball' and all..
He was tossed before he threw the helmet, because he was arguing balls and strikes.
come back strong Lawrie!
It's being made out like he intentionally wanted to hit him,..like many players spike the football or slam their hockey stick,,..many times the ball inadvertantly hits the referee or the stick shatters & strikes the linesman,..not only that the pitch was clearly high & away,..definitely not in tyhe strike zone,..which gives the player the right to blow a fuse, I'm sorry ,...but sports are higly emotionally played & sometimes a bad bouince can make a player look like a culprit where he clearly had a the right to argue the call,..so he gets ejected,..it's a part of the game,...It's not the first time it's happened,..so stop making it out like he wanted to hit him,...it ruins the true emotion of the game,..