When Umpires Decide They Are More Important than the Game......

Sounds like sour grapes to me...

I'd "Look at the tape" if you'd point out where the "tape" is...

One of the bigger unwritten rules of baseball is "Don't argue balls and strikes" because you'll never win

Runge clearly was baiting Beltran by taking his mask off and pretending to clean off home plate. Players should have the right to eject umpires when they bait them. Milton Bradley had to miss a lot of key games for Padres because of another umpire that was baiting him late last season.

This has been a problem now for years. The problem is the umpires, in a sense, are not considered part of MLB. They have a seperate union and are bound by different rules than the players are. So, Bud Selig has little authority over them.

He can fire them, as he did a few years ago after their walkout, but what we're seeing now is a bunch of guys who shouldn't be in the big leagues, and who think they are bigger than the game.

Baseball needs to get the umpires under the same CBA as the players, and treat them as the players are. If an umpire has performance issues, or if an umpire gets a bad review, then send him down. Maybe a month or so driving around the country in a rental car and eating in the Waffle House will straighten his ass out.

This incident was crazy. Yes, Beltran should have never argued balls and strikes and Runge's initial response was the right one. That is to guise going to wipe the plate. But during that time, Runge should not be turning to Beltran and talking, rather doing what he was supposed to do.

This is baseball afterall, you don't show up the ump and the ump doesn't show up the player. Beltran was talking, yes, but he wasn't showing up the ump. He was neither looking at the ump or standing out of the box talking. He had one foot in and was preparing himself for the next pitch like he normally does. When Runge came out, Manuel did the right thing. The interesting thing was that the ump purposefully bumped Manuel and tossed him because of the contact not because of the balls and strikes.

Umps are starting to get chips on their shoulders, especially with the instant replay rule about to be implemented. I forget the crew that worked a few series ago for the Brewers, but every time Ed Montague umps, it's almost a guarantee that he and Yost will get into it at least once. It's not hard to believe that umps have problems with certain players and go after them if the opportunity presents itself. That goes for all sports.

From the Official Rule book, concerning Umpire responsibilities and behaviors...

"Umpires, on the field, should not indulge in conversation with players. Keep out of the coaching box and do not talk to the coach on duty."

"Keep the game moving. A ball game is often helped by energetic and earnest work of the umpires"

"You are the only official representative of baseball on the ball field. It is often a trying position which requires the exercise of much patience and good judgment, but do not forget that the first essential in working out of a bad situation is to keep your own temper and self control"

"You no doubt are going to make mistakes, but never attempt to "even up" after having made one. Make all decisions as you see them and forget which is the home or visiting club"

Finally, be courteous, impartial and firm, and so compel respect from all.

Finally, be courteous, impartial and firm, and so compel respect from all.

"Finally, be courteous, impartial and firm, and so compel respect from all."

There's always three teams on the field.

As a former umpire on the minor league level, I'd like to jump in on this one.Umpires conduct has changed tremendously since I was one.We as umpires used to let a lot of comments roll off our back and chalk them up to heat of the moment.This attitude doesn't exixt now.It may be because the umps are jealous of the money differential or just that the young people growing up now have never been told that they are wrong.Mommy & Daddy have always taken their side so they aren't about to let some ballplayer tell them they might have made a mistake.Of course the ballplayers have grown up with the same mentality so we have a vicious circle.Throw in the summer heat at the games and we have what you saw last night.There isn't an answer to the problem, cool headed players get to stay and the umps have the last word.Live with it.

The ump definitely bumped the coach. Why did he not wipe off the plate in a timely fashion. Seems to me the ump was goading in this instance.

I umpired as well, although not professionally. (College and high school). My instructor was Terry Tata, who was an NL ump for over 20 years. He said what makes a good umpire is "being seen, not heard." Umpires have alot more respect, and alot more tolerance, for players/managers who don't get personal. You can argue pretty strenuously without dropping a dozen f bombs or questioning the umpires manhood. I agree 100% from both sides, there is a fine line between being professional and being an asshole. But the umpire is the supreme authority figure during the game, he should be always standing farther from that line than the player is.

No matter what Beltran said, and he was within his right to question the call, the umpire was acting outside his authority by coming out to confront Beltran. That was an intentional act to escalate the situation, no question. He could just have as easily stayed behind the plate and addressed Beltran's question without any drama.

Did you read my comment at the top, JuT. "umpires shall not engage in coversation with players." Beltran didn't instigate. He asked what I (and you) assume to be a legitimate question. "Where was the pitch?" , or something to that effect. And even if he said, "that was a bullshit call", there is no reason for the umpire to do what he did. You stay behind the plate, tell Beltran to shut up, and its over.

"Pull down your pants and bend over, so you can see the play with your good eye!!!"

Jocko Conlan, one of the best national league umpires of all times use to say if you argue balls and strikes you're outa of there...plain and simple. I saw the play in question it was a very close call one way or the other and player was either asking about position of ball or was the umpire as blind as he seemed. Manager was doing what he is supposed to do cover his player and as far as bumping it did look like the umpire bumped him but the bottomline will always be "DO NOT ARGUE BALLS & STRIKES" or you are gone gone gone.........

I didn't see the game live, but later learned of the incident and I was thinking, "What in God's name happened here? Is this for real?"

You guys already covered the details and much of the arguments, but I think both Carlos Beltran and Brian Runge are at fault. Certainly Jerry Manuel gets zero blame whatsoever. And Manuel didn't deserve that ejection at all. No way. I mean, when the announcers (including Keith Hernandez) had instantly discussed how they felt it was a joke for what took place, then you know there was something really wrong with the two sides of the incident, especially Runge here.

Sure, for the fans, it was all entertaining, but no one wants to see an umpire bait a player regardless of disagreement with calls. And Beltran should've shown up Runge at the end. Then again, if I were him, I might've gotten in Runge's face, too.

Simply put, the whole incident was flat out embarassing.

Who knows, maybe it'll finally wake up the Mets from their season-long slumber.

It's okay to ask "was the pitch high or low." It's where the umpire acts as judge, jury and sometimes executioner that bothers the hell out of me.

Nite Owl is right! Runge clearly was baiting Beltran by taking his mask off and pretending to clean off home plate.

"Where was the pitch?" is a legit question. Runge should have answered it. Beltran was asking for an interpetation of the rules, as is his right to do.

Gotta agree with Kelsdad. He hit the nail on the head with the comment, "He (Tata) said what makes a good umpire is "being seen, not heard." The fans are there to see the players, not the umps. Granted, they do have the final say in matters but have only the powers that are given to them by MLB.

Runge has been suspended one game and also fined. Beltran and Manuel were also fined, however, an ejection automatically results in a fine. MLB clearly thought Runge was responsible for the whole incident, which should have been clearly obvious to everyone who saw the tape.

I agree with all you guys but the real heart of this issue is both the players and umpires need it other to play the game. Rules are rules and both sides did something they shouldn't have and there is plenty of blame to go around on both sides. Tempers, events whatever all contributed to this one situation and until they can replace the umpires with machines it is going to happen again and again, not maybe the same situation but situations involving all players and umpires alike. The rule guidelines that the league goes by are not up to date enough to cover all the situations that occur day to day game to game so until something really changes all this they much learn to get along and PLAY BALL..........