Marty Foster.......

[Doubleday]

For anyone who missed today's Yankees/Orioles game, Marty Foster (the home plate umpire) ejected A-Rod and Girardi after A-Rod was called out on strikes with two outs and the bases loaded. And, of course, the stories that we heard from A-Rod and Foster were very conflicting. Here's the story if you'd like to read it on yankees.com
http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/news/...=.jsp&c_id=nyy

Here's my problem with the situation. I know A-Rod can be a bit loopy sometimes, but he really does not get thrown out that much. And Girardi hardly ever gets so fired up that the crew chief has to restrain him. So this leads me to believe that Foster said something that was either out-of-line or just flat out wrong. If you remember, Marty Foster was the third base umpire in the Yankees/Toronto game on July 6th (I believe). In that game, he called Jeter out for stealing third saying that the ball did not have to tag hiim, it merely had to beat him to the bag.

There's no real question behind this thread, just wanted to put my views out there and see what other people thought about the situation.

[JeterRodriguezSheff]

He is a piece of ****. I hope in the next series he is behind the plate for the biggest dude on either team crashes into him full force at home somehow.

[Eldee5]

I just hope he doesn't end up working any of the playoff series.

[JeterRodriguezSheff]

Yea that worried me. I could totally see him giving every call to the other team if he is in a playoff series.

[Doubleday]

I'm not so much worried about him deliberately making calls against the Yankees out of spite or whatever else. I'm just worried that he is flat out a terrible umpire. He makes wrong calls and tries to cover his tracks by creating new rules and ejecting anyone who may call him out on it.

I know this isn't the first time it has ever happened in the history of baseball. I'm sure there have been others just like Foster, but with MLB trying to create a true standard for the game (i.e. QuestTech for calling balls/strikes) how can they justify allowing guys like Foster to call games - especially as we get later into the season and the games start to become much more important to both teams.

[junkman73]

YES showed the pitch AROD was unhappy about from the top...probably off the plate. But not by much. I would be interested to see if Questec called it a strike. It wasn't like one of those that was on the chalk line of the others batters box.

[bigjf]

I hate to say this, but I'm with Foster on this situation. Yes, he happened to have that ridiculous situation with Jeter back in July I believe it was...but even if he did miss the pitch, A-Rod should have kept quiet. Apparently he said his piece and just wouldn't let it go. You could argue Foster should have warned him, but he doesn't have to since technically arguing balls and strikes is an immediate ejection. Maybe my opinion would be a bit different if we didn't win today, because Foster did take the bat out of A-Rod's hands in a big spot in a close game, but I think in any case they (especially Alex) need to let this go before it turns into suspensions. Girardi is probably already getting one.

[theDurk]

Just to inject Girardi's position: On the postgame YES show, he stated that A-Rod went into the clubhouse after the a-tbat, looked at the video, and then returned to the field and just told Foster where the pitch was. He was then ejected summarily. Girardi said HIS issue was that Foster did not give any warning and was too fast on the trigger and that was what he was telling Foster in what he conceded was a 'highly emotional' way.

My position: Foster does not deserve to umpire a major league game.

[MurphDogg]

"I don't know what his deal is with the Yankees," Rodriguez said. "To tell Jeter to get off the field and to throw me out without a warning -- I think in the heat of the moment, not arguing balls and strikes, I think there should be a little room for error where you can actually argue, take out your frustration and let the game go on."

Is A-Rod's argument here that he wasn't actually arguing balls and strikes? What was he talking to him about after he got called out on a questionable strike 3? If not then his complaint is with the MLB policy. I would expect a fine at least for the "I don't know what his deal is with the Yankees." Bottom line is that Foster was well within his rights to eject him for jawing with him immediately after the strikeout. He didn't do so, which makes me think that Foster is probably telling the truth. If he had a problem with A-Rod or the Yankees he could have thrown him out immediately.

[RYMASTER or Ryan_Yankees]

So, how long until MLB institutes its "Marty Foster Umpires All Yankees Playoff Games" rule?

[MassNYYfan]

So, how long until MLB institutes its "Marty Foster Umpires All Yankees Playoff Games" rule?

Joe West will be his crew chief during all these games as well.

[Stick Michael]

Joe West will be his crew chief during all these games as well.

In fairness to West, he has been a noticeably better umpire since his reinstatement.

[Yanks4eva1]

I'm sorry, but I am seeing so much incompetence with these umpires. On Saturday, in Jete's last at bat, the ump called a low ball a strike and I was sitting in heaven and I could see it was clearly a ball. Marty Foster is a D-player and he tries to compensate for his incompetence by being dictatorial. BS. There are many umps who understand that these players may bark, but they press ignore or warn the player by saying 'ok that's enough'. Something like that. I actually think that Foster has an issue with the Yankees. Notice the 2 Yankees that he effed up plays on - Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez, our premier players. Alex hasn't been thrown out of a game in years, so he must have been pretty ticked off. I've never seen Joe G. that pi$$ed off. Respect is mutual and Foster has no respect for this team. Let me tell you he damn well better not be anywhere near this team during the playoffs.

MLB should institute performance management for umps. Marty Foster = TOTAL FAIL.

[JL25and3]

Just to inject Girardi's position: On the postgame YES show, he stated that A-Rod went into the clubhouse after the a-tbat, looked at the video, and then returned to the field and just told Foster where the pitch was.

"I think in the heat of the moment, not arguing balls and strikes, I think there should be a little room for error where you can actually argue, take out your frustration and let the game go on."

Once he goes into the clubhouse, looks at the video and comes back out to argue again, the "heat of the moment" argument goes right out the window.

[Huktonfonix]

From Joe West's Wikipedia entry:

July 23, 1991: After Cincinnati pitcher Rob Dibble threw a ball at Cub Doug Dascenzo and was thrown out of the game, West was bumped by Cubs Andre Dawson in the same game; Dawson was suspended for one game and fined $1000. On the check he wrote to the league, Dawson wrote in the memo "donation to the blind."

[Panamaniac42]

Joe West will be his crew chief during all these games as well.

Let's get Jerry Meals and Angel Hernandez in there too. Need 2 more imbeciles to get the 6 man crew.

[Doubleday]

From Joe West's Wikipedia entry:

July 23, 1991: After Cincinnati pitcher Rob Dibble threw a ball at Cub Doug Dascenzo and was thrown out of the game, West was bumped by Cubs Andre Dawson in the same game; Dawson was suspended for one game and fined $1000. On the check he wrote to the league, Dawson wrote in the memo "donation to the blind."

I like that.

[aeromac76]

Let's get Jerry Meals and Angel Hernandez in there too. Need 2 more imbeciles to get the 6 man crew.

Yeah but they are just bad umps no matter who plays, what worries me about Foster and about West is that they have it in for us..

A crappy ump does not affect a game as much as a biased one because a crappy one just screws both teams.

[JeterRodriguezSheff]

Once he goes into the clubhouse, looks at the video and comes back out to argue again, the "heat of the moment" argument goes right out the window.

I think the issue at that point was something in the conversation he was having with the Oriole's catcher. I was under the impression they were talking about something that shouldnt be talked about. A-rod goes out of his way to please everyone, sometimes to a fault. I dont think he would be that pissed off on a poor strikeout call with his team up 7 games in September and pretty much a lock for the division.

[fredgmuggs]

Once he goes into the clubhouse, looks at the video and comes back out to argue again, the "heat of the moment" argument goes right out the window.

I can see how a guy going into the clubhouse to watch the video and then continuing his argument during the game based on the video evidence would really tick off an umpire, if that is what happened.

[Stick Michael]

Yeah but they are just bad umps no matter who plays, what worries me about Foster and about West is that they have it in for us..

A crappy ump does not affect a game as much as a biased one because a crappy one just screws both teams.

By that line of thinking (and I'm not saying it's wrong) we should want C.B. Bucknor behind the plate during the playoffs. He's one of the worst umpires in all of baseball, but it seems like we get more favorable calls than not when he's the one calling balls and strikes.

[aeromac76]

By that line of thinking (and I'm not saying it's wrong) we should want C.B. Bucknor behind the plate during the playoffs. He's one of the worst umpires in all of baseball, but it seems like we get more favorable calls than not when he's the one calling balls and strikes.

I don't entirely disagree Stick.
The thing I always go by, and of course, this is just me personally, is I isually remember the guys I don't like as umpires go.
And the guys who stink both ways usually don't get into my head.

For instance, I know who CB is, and while I can usually recall something about every ump, CB included, nothing in my head says "Oh NO!! NOT THAT GUY!!!!" so I would agree.

Guys like Joe West, Angel Hernandez, and Marty Foster are in my head as "uhoh, please don't have a big call to make."

See the guys who are just worse than others, well, they are just worse than others. Like in any job, but they do their jobs and go home. Bucknor probably fits here.

But the guys who want to make a show of themselves, and West is right at the top of the list, are the dangerous ones. They want to be the star of the show, so they'll make the ludicrous call, they'll eject you for asking them how their evening was, and being we are the Yankees and are a huge draw, they'll find a way to be spotlighted against us.
Those guys scare the living daylights out of me.

[MassNYYfan]

I rather enjoyed the SportsCenter highlights of Foster taking multiple foul tips off the face and shoulder and arm last night while umping the Giants/DBacks game.