Trivia answer, and a challenge
The Washington Nationals' Manny Acta is the only manager who hasn't been ejected this season, a clear indication that he refuses to acta the fool.
He shows impressive restraint. The way his season has gone, I'd be hurling insults at the crew chief while exchanging lineup cards, just to avoid sitting on the bench for nine innings.
Nobody was more fun to watch during a meltdown than Earl Weaver. My memories of going to Memorial Stadium with my parents and sister are peppered with images of Weaver rushing out of the dugout and fans screaming their approval. It often overshadowed the game, which was fine with us.
Unfortunately, his finest moment - at least in my opinion - came while I was positioned near my radio. That was the night in Cleveland - and I'm testing my memory here - when he tore up the rule book and flung the pages in the air.
It was Cleveland, right? I suppose I could Google "Earl Weaver and torn rule book," but I'll assume that I'm right until proven otherwise.
Does anyone out there have a favorite Earl moment, one that occurred at home? Or maybe another Orioles manager topped him.
I remember Ray Miller trying to duplicate Earl's act once at Yankee Stadium during his tenure as manager, even spinning his cap backward so he could get closer to the umpire's face without making contact - a classic Earl move if there ever was one. And didn't Lee Mazzilli, criticized by some players for not showing enough emotion and backing them on disputed calls, fling a bucket of chewing gum onto the field?
One of Miller's best tantrums came in the manager's office, though reporters only witnessed the aftermath. We walked inside and found the remnants of his post-game meal splattered on a wall. His hand was wrapped in a towel - we learned later from punching the back of his chair - and he advised us to ask the players what was wrong, since they were the ones making all the money.
That line was the final straw for players who already wanted him gone. But it remains one of my all-time favorites. Miller was a good man - still is - and a great pitching coach. Too bad he didn't find that same success and support as a manager.
One veteran stood up during a team meeting and yelled for Miller to "let the players play." That's when you know that you've lost the clubhouse. But you try watching your bullpen blow lead after lead and not blow a fuse.
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Categories (click for archive)Roch Kubatko |
Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to remember Earl Weaver as a fan because simply, I wasn't born yet, and was too young to remember him as a manager with his ejections.
With that said, darn it if I won't Google Earl and find out what he did in his managing career, watching videos of his ejections if there are any. I remember watching that specific ejection while he spun his cap backwards to get closer to the umpire. What a classic that was. If I remember correctly, that was copied in a baseball movie. Perhaps it was "Rookie of the Year" or "Angels in the Outfield"?
I just hope I can witness Dave blow his stack some more times. He's really funny when his face gets red. Not that I want it to happen but it's quite a sight.
Also, do we get a prize for guessing Manny Acta correctly?
Maybe a signed Roch Kubatko picture? or even better, an Amber Theoharis signed picture?
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I'd definitely hold out for the Amber photo if I'm you. - Roch
Don't forget about Miller's dugout fight w/Joey Belle. Classic stuff, although Earl is still the king!
My favorite Earl Weaver moment came the day AFTER he was ejected for smoking in the dugout runway.
Trying to make light of the situation, Earl came to the homeplate lineup exchange the next game with a candy cigarette dangling from his lips.
Needless to say, he was tossed out on the spot.
There is a You-Tube video with Earl and Umpire Bill Haller going at it for about five minutes.
Apparently Haller was "miked" for the game, and Earl didn't know it.
I learned some new words after hearing it.
There'll only be one Earl Weaver.
He also knew his baseball. Let's not forget that!!
I liked the time when Weaver pulled the team off the field on Toronto and forfeited the game. He said it was because of the Tarp but he had been going at it with that Umpiring Crew for a few weeks.
The clip where he tells the Ump he'll be in the Hall of Fame one day is a classic too.
I always admired Weaver for standing up for his players and his knowledge of the game.
Wasn't Earl kicked out of 2 games in one day. The 2nd one before the first pitch was thrown. He came out to exchange lineup cards and was still arguing about the call in game 1 and was ejected.
Ben W, you are so right about Dave T. when he gets hot. I never want to see him get tossed (well, almost never - sometimes you just have to show your guys that you have their backs), but when he gets fired up, it's contagious. I loved last season when he literally dug his spikes into the dirt around second base to show how far the opposing player was off the bag. Anyone remember what that one was about?
check this out:
http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/roch/blog/2006/06/stranding_two_in_the_first.html
Some good answers there too. I stick with my answer of 2+ years ago. The shoe polish stripes at the letters and knees. THAT was a classic.
My comments re: Tejada look pretty good now too. In those 2 years, Tejada aged 4 years and has all of 12 HRs this year with a .316 on-base percentage. Puh-leez
Great memories of manager blow ups. I recall most of the ones you referred to as well Roch.
Frankly, I am still waiting for Trembley to "blow up" & there have been a few times I expected it or felt it was warranted but he just sat there looking like he had gas.
That was quite rude of Cal to do that to Ray during a team meeting....
Umps with rabbit ears or the ones that pursue a player to start or continue an argument should be kicked out if you ask me. I have seen good & bad Umps, the good ones, you don't even notice them being on the field, the others, well, they seem to be part of the theater or need to be seen. They are the bad ones, the unprofessional ones....
"During one particular tirade with an umpire, Weaver headed to the dugout screaming, "I'm going to check the rule-book on that" to which the umpire replied, "Here, use mine." Weaver shot back, "That's no good - I can't read Braille."
The Big C - I was thinking of that one, too. Unless I'm mixing memories, Ron Luciano was the ump. Earl said something like, "What are you going to screw up this time?" And Ron told him, "You won't be around to find out."
Roch, I think Manny hasn't gotten thrown out because he is afraid of getting too excited because he has a sick stomach after eating his favorite breakfast of soggy Frosted Flakes with chocolate milk.
The O's are off tonight so I know you're watching the Ravens. You think Flacco is gonna be the starter week one?
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He might be the only healthy QB on the roster. I like his chances. - Roch
I think Bob and Brian C are talking about the same time. Earl was ejected for smoking during the first game of a double header and came out with the candy cigarette when exchanging the line-up cards for the second game.
Don't forget Frank Robinson and the wonderful gesture he made with his nose. That clip was replayed for years!
Do we know how Ray Miller is doing these days? Wasn't he being treated for a serious medical condition at the end of his tenur with the O's?
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He was, and being old-school and awfully stubborn, he refused to have the surgery until after the season, even though doctors advised him not to wait. The last I heard, he was doing fine. - Roch
Roch
Yeah, Weavers rulebook destruction was done in CLeveland. Another Weaver classic was I think in Minnesota's old ball park he was thrown out of a game for smoking in the dugout. The next day when they came out to exchange the lineup cards he had a candy cigerette in his mouth and got tossed again.
Roch, My favorite Earl Weaver moment was the time he covered home plate with dirt. He told the ump it didn't matter because he couldn't see the plate anyway.
I would love to find a book on the classic Earl moments.
Satyr3206 mentioned the time when Earl pulled the team off the field. One of those times was in the rain in a park where the bullpens were along the foul lines. Someone put a tarp on the home team's bullpen mound with bricks on each corner to hold it down. Earl argued that Lowenstein could get hurt going for a ball over there. The umps would not allow the removal of the bricks.
I also loved one of Earl's innovations that resulted in a new rule. Earl had a left handed DH in the starting lineup to go against a right handed staring pitcher. When the opposing starting pitcher was yanked in the first inning for an injury or poor performance, a left hander was brought in before the Orioles DH had come up. Earl wished he a right handed DH in the lineup. The next night Earl had the previous night's starting pitcher listed as the DH in the starting lineup. Earl sent up the real DH to pinch hit for the pitcher when the DH spot came up. The league later banned the practice.
My favorite was in the late 70's against the Yankees, when Belanger had tagged a Yankee out at 2b, but he was called safe. Earl went beserk, yelled at the 2b ump til he got thrown out, then went around the infield arguing his case, until all the umps had walked way from him every direction. He then went to 2b, knuzzled the Yankee off the bag and just stood there until any ump would come over so he could yell at him some more. He stood there a good 2 minutes. I thought Belanger was going to bust a gut laghing.