Cabrera's mysterious ejection
The ejection of Daniel Cabrera from last night's 7-6 win over the Yankees is truly mystifying. It was so apparently irrational that it's really hard to get upset about it. You could see exactly how confused Cabrera himself was when home plate umpire Chad Fairchild tossed him from the game in the bottom of the eighth inning after Cabrera hit Alex Rodriguez in the shoulder with a pitch. Two innings earlier A-Rod had hit a solo home run.
It just seems preposterous that Cabrera, with a 6-1 lead at the time, would open the door like that. He already had a runner on second after Bobby Abreu doubled and there were no outs. Given the circumstances after the hit-batsmen, I certainly believe Orioles manager Dave Trembley when he said that he was going to pull Cabrera. Two runners on, no out, Cabrera just past 100 pitches, eighth inning. If you seen many Orioles games you know what that means, cue relief pitcher Jim Johnson. And that's exactly what happened. George Sherrill was going to pitching the ninth so the fact that it got exciting at the end had little to do with the ejection.
Who knows, maybe the ejection will have the effect of defusing any potential Yankee retaliation when the two teams play again today starting at 1:05 p.m., although even A-Rod said he didn't think Cabrera was trying to hit him. Otherwise, it just seems to be an overreaction by the umpire.
Comments
Being a home game in the Bronx and given the whipping the yankees were getting for a 2nd night. I believe the ump had a quick hook, to prevent the situation from escalating.
Posted by: Captain Jack | July 30, 2008 11:32 AM
Gee, an umpire overreaction in favor of the Yankes... who would have imagined that?
Posted by: Nashville Os Fan | July 30, 2008 12:24 PM
I honestly thought he tossed a player or coach off the bench. That was a pretty innocent HBP. IF he really wanted to drill him I know he would have threw it a lot harder and towards the legs like he normally does. Oh well. We won. Time to move on.
Posted by: charles | July 30, 2008 12:49 PM
I was watching the game with two Yankee fans (at their house on a wide-screen hi-def TV) when the ejection occurred. Even they thought the call was bogus.
Posted by: Rob in PCB FL | July 30, 2008 1:16 PM
Orioles cry fowl over Wednesday's Daily News back page
BY JESSE SPECTOR
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER
Updated Wednesday, July 30th 2008, 12:14 PM
The Daily News' 2.5 million readers Wednesday morning included the Baltimore Orioles - and what they read had them fired up for their afternoon game against the Yankees in the Bronx.
In the visiting clubhouse at Yankee Stadium prior to Wednesday's game, a group of Orioles players, including center fielder Adam Jones, were overheard expressing annoyance with the News' back page headline - "DIRTY BIRD" - feeling it implies the Orioles need to resort to shady tactics to beat the Bombers because they're not as talented.
Such a reaction isn't uncommon in sports: the Giants, after all, played the disrespect card repeatedly on their way to winning the Super Bowl.
Either way, Jones and his teammates seemed particularly motivated to complete a three-game sweep of the Bombers.
Also talking about respect was another Oriole - Wednesday's starting pitcher Dennis Sarfate - who said he had lost all regard for Joe Girardi after the Yankees manager took umbrage at Daniel Cabrera's plunking of Alex Rodriguez last night, the incident that spawned the "DIRTY BIRD" back page.
"He's leading the league in (expletive) walks," Sarfate said. "You think he’s got pinpoint control?”
Veteran Orioles DH Aubrey Huff cautioned his teammate that the media was aound and particularly "rabbit-eared" in this city, but by then it was too late.
That promises to make Wednesday's game interesting - especially if Joba Chamberlain finds his own personal Kevin Youkilis somewhere in the Baltimore lineup.
------------------------------------------
Buzz,
Thanks for the update ... inetersting stuff.
-- Bill O.
Posted by: buzz | July 30, 2008 1:42 PM
A-Rod doubted it, but Girardi made some cryptic comments indicating that he had some suspicions.
I agree in the context it made no sense for Cabrera to hit A-Rod.
Posted by: soccer dad | July 30, 2008 2:13 PM