When given the chance, we like to combine two things that really don't have anything to do with each other: watching baseball and training for a marathon. Normally, these two things couldn't be much different. Watching baseball, while employing the proper slouch on the couch, can be thought of as ridiculously sedentary. Training for a marathon generally is not. But last night, instead of running outside like we usually do, we hopped on a treadmill and watched a few innings of Pavstache and Co. at the same time.
Luckily, in that hour or so, we were able to see not only three uniformed Orioles get tossed from the game, but also sort of see a fan spend more time on the field than Nick Blackburn has in a lot of recent starts. As such, we have some critiques.
*Ty Wigginton (pictured, via that video link): Bravo, sir, on most accounts. The spontaneous reaction leading to an almost immediate ejection. The steadfast belief that you were correct (and he was correct, that was a terrible call ... not only did the ball beat the runner by a considerable margin, but Wigginton actually did tag J.J. Hardy). The complete meltdown. The relative brevity. The only thing we would change is the angle and proximity to the umpire. Chest out, hips back. This isn't Night at the Roxbury.
*Originally, we didn't know who the middle Oriole ejection was. Thanks to Yahoo, we have this: After Hardy came around to score on a Drew Butera(notes) single, pitching coach Rick Kranitz sarcastically cheered and clapped so that the umpires could hear him. He was immediately ejected by home plate umpire Bill Hohn, who called Kranitz's actions "unprofessional and uncalled for." One man's unprofessional and uncalled for is another man's, "well done, sir!" It doesn't get much funnier than that.
*Juan Samuel (on the video). Sorry, it seemed forced. He might have been genuinely mad, but his production seemed a little too theatrical. Rather than reacting to the immediate slight of a bad call at first base, he seemed to be reacting to a multitude of things, not the least of which is that fewer than 100 games into the season Baltimore is more than 30 games out of first place. However: major bonus points for throwing his hat at the end. That never gets old.
*Whatever fan ran onto the field. As the amateur video below will show (note, we just updated with a better video thanks to @kobbybahn on Twitter) -- and as the Twins announcers were telling us last night -- this was one of the lamest on-field pursuits of a breakaway fan in history. Somewhere between an immediate Taser and what happened last night lies the solution to proper fan takedowns. Let him (or her ... oh, let's face it, him) have his 15 seconds of running around, but then get serious about it. It's only amusing for a little while. Michael Cuddyer joked on the post-game radio interview that the security guards were employing the Muhammad Ali rope-a-dope method. He wasn't that far off. They seemed to just be waiting for the fella to tucker himself out. LET'S SEE SOME HUSTLE.
