MLB umpires end protest of perceived abuse from players

MLB umpires have ended their wristband protest after Commissioner Rob Manfred agreed to discuss their concerns stemming from an incident involving Ian Kinsler and umpire Angel Hernandez.

MLB umpires have elected to end their brief on-field protest after Commissioner Rob Manfred agreed to meet with them to address their concerns, according to an Associated Press report via ESPN.com. Umpires wore white wristbands during games on Saturday to express their displeasure over alleged “abusive behavior” by players.

The incident that set off these events came last week when Detroit Tigers second baseman Ian Kinsler berated the performance of umpire Angel Hernandez. Hernandez ejected Kinsler from last Monday’s game after he argued a called third strike. Often one to speak his mind, Kinsler ripped into the umpire the next day:

"“I’m surprised at how bad an umpire he is . . . I don’t know how, for as many years he’s been in the league, that he can be that bad. He needs to re-evaluate his career choice. He really does. Bottom line.”"

Kinsler was reportedly fined $10,000 for his tirade, which umpires around the league felt was too lenient without a suspension. They donned their wristbands as a form of silent protest, but ESPN’s Buster Olney reports that MLB quickly issued a written warning to the umpires that they would be fined if their display of defiance continued.

The umpires union is apparently satisfied for the moment with Manfred’s offer to meet with their governing board, enough to nix their public show of dissent. The MLB World Umpires Association explained its stance on its official Twitter account.

It’s fair to say Kinsler may have gone a bit too far in his criticism of Hernandez. The veteran umpire has been maligned frequently throughout his career, often justifiably so, but declaring he “just needs to go away” is somewhat dramatic.

That said, the umpires are conveniently ignoring that players aren’t the only ones who escalate situations on the field. There are a handful of umpires, Hernandez and Joe West prominent among them, who can be as combative and antagonistic as any disgruntled player or manager.

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It’s not uncommon to see an umpire essentially goad a player into a meltdown, daring them to react to a call and then tossing them from the game at the first sign of provocation. That’s why this particular grievance isn’t likely to find much sympathy from the game’s players, managers and fans.

Umpires certainly shouldn’t have to show up to their job each day expecting to be ridiculed and berated for no reason. But there’s a give-and-take that has always been part of the game and has to be recognized.

The unfortunate truth is that being an umpire is more often than not a thankless task. When an umpire messes up, he hears about it right away. But you’ll never hear a player or manager say, “Man, the home plate umpire called a great game,” during post-game interviews. It’s just the reality.

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Many umpires do have the necessary thick skin to succeed in the role over decades. The few who don’t might need to take a look in the mirror. Ultimately, cooler heads and a bit more understanding on both sides would go a long way.