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I'm trying to determine whether the four games is solely for hemlet making contact with ump. If he threw dirt around instead, or threw a base (or his helmet) into the field, would he have gotten any games?

Charging aggresively towards the ump will not get you suspended. That precedent was set with the George Brett incident.

What I get from Joe Torre is the suspension was based on aggressively charging the ump while throwing the helmet in his direction (a foot or so away). There is no precedent.

The length of the suspension factored intent. Torre didn't think there was any intent on Lawries part with the helmet coming in contact with the umpire.

To be or not to be?

Bren R.

Not 2B, 3B.

That's what I thought, which is why I'm surprised it was four games. I figured one, maybe two at most. Throwing the helmet into the ground deserves a game then maybe tack on another for the helmet making incidental contact with the ump.

Players and managers have argued and charged aggressively (no helmet obviously) in the past with no suspension.

With an appeal you might see that suspension drop to 1 or 2 games.

Just as I mentioned earlier that MLB umpires are not held accountable, MLB suspends umpire Bob Davidson for 1 game...separate ump from the Lawrie debacle which we are discussing. Bill Miller and his ego thought he was bigger than the game. I would love to see the same 1 game suspension for him.

I'm very, very surprised by this especially with a league that is 20-30 years behind the times.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-le...-165346691.html

The end of that article... "discipline and computers" is the future of baseball?

Oh, yeah... what baseball needs is the video replay - like it needs a hole drilled in its head... the season already stretches on for 14 months and expansion has turned all the teams into the Bad News Bears. The problem with the MLB right now is that the game is too high-paced, better slow it down some.

I played and coached premier-level ball for years. You don't whine about balls and strikes - you protect the plate. Blue misses your tag and calls a runner safe - next runner gets a two handed tag on the ankle. They plunk your power hitter, you plunk their pitcher. In all that time, I never called out an umpire, the most I've ever done is smiled and waggled a finger.

"Have a trot back to the bench, kid..."
'But coach, I got in under the tag!'
"Know how I know you're out? Blue says you're out... take a walk, and next time get here quicker with spikes up!"

Bren R.

I don't think computers will be ever calling balls and strikes. At least we will never see it. Video replay for homeruns was desperately needed and has been extremely useful. Any form of video replay will never be on balls and strikes either. I would be for a limited number of challenges/game like 1 for (out/safe) or (catch/drop) similar to that of football but not giving any extra for getting the challenge correct. The manager would have to use the challenge very wisely.

MLB needs to put their best team on the field, just like the individual teams do. I know they have cameras set-up in varies Ball Parks, for monitoring the umpire crews, but this is generally for rating them for post season duties. Putting your best crew out there for the playoffs is certainly the way to go, but don't stop there. There needs to be a process established where in the end, if he's not making the grade, (the Ump) HE OUT! I firmly believe in this world there is Good,Better,and Best in everything we either buy or have dealings with. In my option, Good can sometimes mean just mediocre or average, at best.Use that video evidence, along with allowing the Teams too rate the Umps as well, the ones consistently showing up at the bottom needs to be scrutinized at first, and then allowed to improve. In the end if their work is still sub par, just like a young aspire-ring Baseball Player who is just not ready for the Major Leagues, they (the Umps) should be demoted to the Minors.