I mean honestly, what is the deal with Williamson? He should enter a tight game over Shuey or Parrish ten times out of ten. This guy is a former stud. Let's give him a chance to show what he can do.

I am surpried the third base ump did not change over to water polo to finish the game.

If I'm the Orioles, I'm pissing all over Tschida and this joke of a crew. Mora's comments should merely be the opening salvo of a screed against ongoing Yankee bias. The umps made sure the Yanks got every advantage while doing what they could to quash an O's rally. I'll see them in hell.

I'm a little mad that Trembley didn't come out of the dugout to argue that it was to wet for his pitcher to throw the ball.

Doesn't this incident remind you of Opening day when it was snowing? A ball was hit to right field and Gibbons couldn't see it. The ball rolled all the way to wall. Then they decided to get call for a delay. Hargrove caught a lot of crap for not complaining to the umpire.

The O's are going to win this game on July 27th, I just know it. It won't make much of a difference for our season, but they will win this one.

As soon as I saw Parrish on the mound to start the eighth, I thought tie game, or worse. Really, he has to be shipped out if for nothing else than to get some confidence. You could just see on his face last night that he didn't want to be out there. Send him to Norfolk -- and today isn't soon enough.

In the Eutaw St. bleachers last night there was an incident that was too perfect, and too typical of the Orioles. In the seventh, after Millar's triple, a group of O's fans started cheering. There were, easily, just as many Yankees fans. Some Yankees fan in the section closer to the flag court hurled his beer bottle hitting the O's fans directly. A timid usher didn't know what to do. When we pointed out the thrower, the usher led him away and all the O's fans were cheering. One minute later, the Usher and the Yankees fan who threw the bottle both came back. The usher conceded that he couldn't throw him out because he didn't see him hurl the beer bottle, and the guy returned triumphantly with a nice chiteating grin on his face. It was just too perfect: an Oriole willing to get crapped on by a Yankee. It was a bad omen.

Seeing as how our seats are right down the 3rd base line on the field I can vouch for Melvin that he did in fact talk to the umpire WAY before the Jeter at bat took place and that the umpire starting barking at him right away!! (though I couldn't hear actual words and didn't know that he had gotten ejected) We were all wondering why the game was still continuing when it was raining even harder during that stint than when he (the 3rd base ump, who I'm assuming was the crew chief) called the first delay in the bottom of the 7th.

As hard as it was raining we knew that there wasn't anything that Ray could do besides just try to get the ball over the plate...but we were worried that he was going to slip on the mound during his delivery because it was just THAT bad. I think the umpire made a HUGE mistake allowing the game to go that long and he probably knows it. As those of us who stayed to watch the grounds crew try to fix the infield during the couple of super short breaks in the rain can attest, it was an absolute mess.

The only positive thing is that unless they make some major upgrades over the next month the O's will still have two chances to hack at the Yank's bullpen which seems to be worse than ours. Always got to look for the silver lining.

My worst fear has been realized. Danys Baez gave his incriminating photos of the front office to none other than his protege........John Parrish. Now we'll have to see this loser blow games for us.

Mora was absolutely right about the rain and he did start complaining before Jeter's AB (we sit about 20 feet from him). For the first delay, it had barely started raining when they pulled out the tarp. The second time, you could see the rain pooling on the infield dirt - definitely not good playing conditions.

MLB should get involved in this. Jeter's AB should be rescinded. I know it'll never happen, but look at the tape. It's inexcusable that the game wasn't called.

But, it's the Yankees and they're struggling, so let's give them a rain soaked field, a pitcher's mound that is a mud slide and a two run lead...as those stats don't count yet, I think the word they're looking for is SWEEP.

The O's and Yankees played a game a lot like last night's in 1978, I think. The O's were ahead, late in the game, the Yankees took the lead in their top of the inning, and the rains came while they were still hitting. The game couldn't be resumed, only back then the rule was that the game reverted back to the last completed inning, so the Yankees' runs were wiped out and the O's got the win.

The Yankees went ballistic, and that's one of the reasons the rule got changed.

Ever notice that the color blue that the Umpires wear is the same exact shade that the Yankees wear... coincidence?

Good for Mora it was pure B.S. last night, but when the Yankees are involved it always is.

Roch - Do you realize if Ray had completed the top of the 8th inning with the score tied at 6, and the game was suspended in the middle of the 8th....and between now and july 27th ray was traded to the Yankees...and ray came in to pitch for the yankees in the bottom of the 8th and gave up runs to the Orioles and the Orioles sealed the deal in the top of the 9th, Ray would have gotten credit with both a win(for baltimore) and a loss(for new york)..how wierd is that

Roch -- first off, you do an awesome job. I love the O's, and the Sun is indispensible for your converage. Quick question re: this post. You say, "Unless the Orioles add a position player from the minors..." Are you saying that the O's could call up John Knott or J.r. house betwee now and July 27th, and one of those guys could play in the resumed game? I don't think that's right (I assume they would have to use players who were on the roster during the first 8+ innings of the game). Thanks sir.

When it really started pouring and the wheels started coming off the cart, where was the Os coaching staff?? Visit the mound, stall a little, have an infield/pitcher discussion, do SOMETHING!! Make the umpires squirm a little. With a tough hitter like Jeter coming up, it seemed to me that everyone was rushing to pitch to him because it was raining.

Make the umps squirm a little. Make them try to hurry up a visit to the mound. Dare them to start calling balls on the pitcher! I'll bet that would have gotten the Commish's attention!!

Lesson learned...when you can see the weather turning a game into a circus, DO SOMETHING to put the pressure on the umps. Ray should have taken time to scrape the mud off his spikes, turn to the dugout and give the "what-am-I-supposed-to-do-arms-stretched-out" sign. Trembley should have called time and had a discussion with the umps about how the rain was causing his closer a possible injury.

Why didn't the Orioles have some sort of conference on the mound to force the issue to have the game called? Bako, Mazzone, Mora (who spent his time arguing with the umpire}, any or all of them could have decided to slow down the game by going to talk to Ray. Moreover, why didn't Ray simply step off the mound?

Now they will resume the game trailing by 2 runs, and they could have done something about it..

Sopranos aside, “Don’t Stop Believin’” would’ve been appropriate to hear in Memorial Stadium back when the song was released in the early ‘80s. Forgetting the strike year, you really couldn’t stop believing back then. Every night the O’s could pull off a miracle, and a World Series championship was always within reach. And, yes, you could always count on a fluffy Journey song to be on the airwaves (and does anyone remember the Journey video game, or was that all just a bad dream?).

The whole suspended game business is always bizarre. How often does that happen? What happens if, say, the O’s (or the Yankees for that matter, though less likely) deal away players that are currently playing in this frozen game? It’s possible since the game is being resumed July 27. I suppose league rules allow for reasonable substitutions.

If Mora’s account is accurate, that umpire’s response is uncalled for. Cursing at him? There’s got to be some accountability for these guys. Umpires should be defusing situations not making them worse.

Even though Peter Schmuck has declared milestones dead, I think Frank Thomas’s and Craig Biggio’s achievements yesterday should be lauded and pulled out from under the steroid microscope this sport is under.

Frank Thomas has always been a massive, football player like presence at the plate (back in the early ‘90s, I dreaded every time he stepped into the box against the O’s), who put up consistent numbers for the first half of his career and has occasionally shown those numbers in the second half while suffering various injuries. Of course, no player can be considered steroid free now, but I’m sure most people would not accuse Thomas of taking them. With the league’s power numbers over the last decade being overinflated, he might not make it into the Hall of Fame right away, but I think he deserves the honor.

Craig Biggio seems to be a player in the mold of BJ Surhoff (though better)—hardnosed, hustling, a solid hitter, started as catcher and made a smooth transition to other positions. He’s probably a guy whose name won’t register with anyone who follows baseball less than casually, even though he’s probably one of the best second basemen ever and is that rarity that everyone cherishes in this free agency era, a guy who has stayed with the same team his entire career. If he were an Oriole, we’d probably be talking about how he’s a throwback to the Oriole Way. He should make the Hall of Fame easily.

Overall, I’d say that the 500 home run milestone has lost its meaning while the 3,000 hit milestone has not. 3,000 hits is still an awesome achievement—it requires both hitting ability and longevity.

Any idea why Mora was not playing on the line in the 8th to prevent the killing double-down-the-line? I am not usually a fan of that tactic, but with no outs, preventing the go-ahead run from getting to third and keeping a double play in order and keeping the tie run from scoring would seem to offset the increased risk of a single in the hole. if it ever is a smart play to play the no doubles defense, why not then?

any chance he was very annoyed by failing to do that after the double went right through where he should have been and that is part of why he went off at the umps?

And, of course, I will repeat one of the suggested commandments from an earlier post:

Thou shalt immediatelly pull any pitcher who walks the lead-off batter in any inning past the 5th

I understand staying with Parrish with the lefty/lefty thing, but I do not agree with leaving him in there after 8 straight balls.

I agree about Williamson. He is the red-headed step-child of the bullpen. Either play him or move him.

Personally, I would have rather seen Williamson out there ahead of Parrish and I would have warmed him in the 8th ahead of Ray. Ray has never done well in his career pitching in the 8th.

Reading this just makes me that more frustrated about them not calling it last night. We were that close to winning on a called game, and now we are down two. Honestly though, I watched it on mlb.tv, and that isn't a HD image... and I could see clear as day that it was beyond pouring out, more than I have ever seen in a baseball game on TV in my life. So I think they should have stopped play in either a tie game, or sooner.... not with the Yanks up two.

How is this not a big story on ESPN? It is just so clear that there has been Yankees bias in the calling this series... The "foul ball" off Ramon's shoulder? Waiting to call the game in absurd conditions until the yankees take the lead? Totally absurd!

I am with Mora. I do not know what the umps were thinking.

Granted, the game was close to being over, but I do not understand leaving the teams out there with the rain as hard as it was. The Yankees come back 2 more times so there should have been no pressure to get the game in.

Ironically, we have the Yankees to blame for this as it was.

Baseball is a relatively simple game with relatively complex rules. In the good old days, the game could - and probably would - have been called after the first storm halted play. Everything would have reverted back to the last completed inning and the O's would have won.

When Billy Martin managed the Yanks - the 1st time - the Yanks were in B'more and that is exactly what happened. The O's led most of the game but, under similar circumstances, the Yanks came back to take the lead. The rain got worse and the umps called for the tarps and, after a 15 - 30 minute delay, called the game.

Everything reverted back to the last completed inning and the O's took the win. Except the rain stopped and the sun came out about 1 hour later.

The Yankees howled!!!! They claimed that Weaver manipulated the ground crew so they took their time getting the tarp down - enraging Pat Santarone - and that he had intimidated the umps into calling the game.

I always thought it was so they could still keep dinner reservations, but MLB took the matter up and passed the "Earl Weaver Rule."

As a result a game cannot be called before a delay of 1 hour has occurred AND the rain is continuing and weather tracking indicates it will not stop in a reasonable amount of time.

I was at that game and conditions were pretty bad. There was a big mud puddle in front of the warning track in left. There were pools around shortstop and 2nd. Rightfield was a marsh.

At one point a line drive backed "Sweet Lou" Pinella to the wall in left. A poor fielder on par with Canseco and George Foster, the liner just missed hitting him in the head. It bounced off the wall and landed in that mud.

Lou went after it and ended up looking like an extra in the frat party scene from Animal House when they did the Gator. He was crawling on all fours in the mud when he got the ball and then hurled it over everybody's heads in to the stands.

As entertaining as it was, my friend and I said to each other "they have to call this thing." The next inning, I believe, was when the Yanks rallied, the rain started and, as they say, the rest was history.

30 years later here we are again. Only now it is George who has the umps cowed.

Just a horrible display of managing last night. The same recipe for defeat that Perlozzo used for months. How unprepared can a bullpen be? To bring in a guy who can't throw strikes in a 2 run game, then watch him put the first 2 on base on 9 pitches....just makes me want to turn it off and watch another major league team with a real manager who knows how to manage a ballgame.

I usually don't make knee jerk decisions, particularly involving baseball, I have been on the fence oevr this for a few weeks actually.... Parrish has to go. Back to AAA for him, bring up someone, anyone, who can throw strikes, especially to leadoff hitters in the 8th inning. Lefty/righty, doesn't matter, just someone who can throw strikes. I would have yanked him after that second walk, period. That infuriated me particularly after a great comeback.

Anyone else think the Spankees got a huge break from the Umps last night? It's POURING & they continue the game with the game tied up, knowing they can suspend it & finish another day if needed. That put the O's defense in a very difficult spot, the ball was just too wet. There was no need to force that on either team with the rule change concerning completions. They did not have to play in order to get the game in. If I was the O's, I'd protest this one.
Mora had a GOOD point. I knew that was what the discussion was about watching on TV. The Ump blew it & if what Mora says was true, the Ump should be suspended. How come he gets to curse someone out for asking a valid question?
Ray should have stalled like the Spankee pitcher did the inning before.

Oh, that was not Trembley managing last night. It was Perlozzo with his Dave Trembley mask on wearing Trembley's uniform. He had Trembley tied up at home probably with his wife watching him. He wanted to experience one last win against the Spankees & figured this one was a sure thing.....

A few more nights like that, & decisions of that sort ,& the grace period will come to a screeching halt!

The bottom line is that if we were so worried about the conditions, we should have done something before we let the runs score, and not complain after the fact. Bobby Ballgame is right on target. The Yankees are simply better at manipulating situations than we are. They stopped the game earlier because Vizcaino (sp?) was pausing, walking around, and letting everyone "feel" the rain. Ray, I hate to say it, is simply not a very intelligent baseball player. I also continue to throw some mud at the management and even the infield for not visiting the mound if they truly were so irate BEFORE Jeter's single. A couple of whiny remarks to the 3rd base umpire doesn't cut it--but I love Melvin's fire. Just please be more calculating at the moment that calls for action. Enough of the Yankees' favoritism crap. What about Clemen's getting squeezed in the 6th? If anyone would get calls it would be a legend going for 350. The umps just performed poorly and have no accountability. I don't think they have an agenda, they just need to be more accurate and use better judgment. The Orioles also neeed to force their hand.

Yesterday was ridiculous. And I agree with the above comment. The Yankee pitcher stepped off twice in the bottom of the sixth, and then the delay was called. Ray should've stepped off, thrown to first a few times, gotten a visit from Mazzone, anything to show the umps that they couldn't play in that weather. However, after the second delay, suspension was the best case scenario for us. When it resumes, we'll hoepfully have some more rested relievers, but it still leaves that 2-run deficit to deal with. Meanwhile, I agree with Trembley that we can't let this bad energy seep into tonight. New team, new series. Just because there's not as much bad blood doesn't mean we shouldn't play as well against the Angels.

I agree with JOSH - I flipped to ESPN immediately after the walk-off walk in the first game.

Baseball Tonight interrupted the show for 6 updates from that point until the show ended and not a single one of them was to show the O's win.

They mentioned the O's win near the end and showed Huff's HR and the wak but no mention of the blown call.

At midnight they talked about how bad things wee for the Yanks and showed the HR and the walk and Kruk said Patterson could have won it a pitch earlier "on a passed ball."

It seems when the Yankees benefit from a bad call the national media shrugs.

A couple of points... 1) I love the notion that Trembley left Parrish in there to prove to the front office what a pathetic pitcher he really is. If that was indeed the intent, it worked brilliantly, and we should be thanking Trembley for making the point, and hopefully getting a correcting move made. it also told the players that, unlike Perlozzo, Trembley wasn't going to cover for them, and that a little responsibility should be taken by each and every person who takes the field. I was screaming for Trembley to take out Parrish after the first walk, and almost jumped out the window after the second, but again, perhaps leaving Parrish in was brilliant in the long-run... 2) Chris Ray is no big deal. He's not bad, and in fact I would aver that he's pretty damn good at times. He's just not special. Someone else commented that he has no "out" pitch, no pitch that he can throw in any count to keep hitters off balance, and I agree. His slider is marginal, has a tendency to hang, and his fastball is just a major-league fastball. Hitters know they're going to get 75% fastballs with Ray, and they sit back until they get one they can handle (meaning he doesn't throw enough strikes with it, allowing hitters to see at least two or three before they have to swing, and therefore giving them an enhanced sense of timing). if he had a devastating change, a la Hoffman, or the cut-fastball a la Rivera, hitters would have to look for something else... If a trade with Ray as participant were to present itself, the O's should seriously consider it, because I just don't see Ray being a cornerstone of this team. And really, GREAT relievers are rare, and most closers are over-rated, or brief beneficiaries of baseball's basic law of averages.

Re. the point made by Scott G in KY about Hargrove getting grief for not complaining to the umpire about the weather conditions in that game several years ago, Hargrove obviously learned something from that incident. Earlier this year when Seattle was playing a game in Cleveland, snow began to fall in the fifth inning while Cleveland was leading. With two outs in the top of the fifth -- i.e., one out from the game becoming official -- Hargrove went out to complain to the umpires about the conditions. He remained on the field so long while the bad weather continued that the umpires finally had no choice but to call the game.
Trembley should've done the same thing last night. Hopefully he'll learn from his mistake like Hargrove did.
I always thought Hargrove got a bum rap while he was here. His managerial skills clearly were superior to those of Ray Miller, who immediately preceded him. He was given a motley crew of players to worik with, and then was saddled with the blame when he ran out of smoke and mirrors and the team collapsed late in the season. He did a fine job in Cleveland and is doing a fine job in Seattle this season.
On a different note, so to speak, the most appropriate song I ever heard in connection with a baseball game was during the final game of the Indians' stay in the old Municipal Stadium. That stadium was a gigantic pit, an awful place to see a baseball game. In between innings during that final game, one of the songs played was the Animals' "We Gotta Get Outa This Place." I heard people in the stands were cheering during its playing.

I say protest the game. It wouldn't hurt. Mora had a very valid argument.

Just another Yankee conspiracy. I don't even know how Ray could grip the ball in that mess. And you know those idiots over at ESPN will defend the umpires and the Yankees. They may as well call ESPN, "YES Network 2".

I was at the game in '78 when the O's led 3-0 going to the top of the 7th. NY scored 5 runs, but before they were done, it started pouring buckets. After the tarp was on the field for about 45 minutes during some real heavy rain, the grounds crew removed the tarp, but what they did was pull it towards left field, emptying a ton of water in the outfield, rendering it unplayable. No one could really tell what was going on until Billy Martin starting throwing a huge tantrum along the 3rd base line. Then over the loudspeakers came Rex Barney's announcement:

"Ladies and gentlemen .... This game has been called !!'

Then of course the scoreboard told the rest. O's 3, NY 0, FINAL.

There are a few games each year where the manager can directly influence the outcome. Last night was one of them.

Earl Weaver would've checked the radar, and started stalling BEFORE Cano tied the game. First he would've had the pitcher fake a few throws to second. Then an infielder would've visit ed the mound. Then he would've sent out the pitching coach. Then he would've come out and changed pitchers, waiting on the mound until the umpire came out to talk to him, at which point he would've started arguing about something.

Gamesmanship, but perfectly within the rules.
Hopefully Trembley will learn.