European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 12, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse Friday october 12,1990 the stars and stripes a a a Page 23 commentary umpires become dominant figures by Jim Luke Oakland a in less time than it takes to read this sentence Roger Clemens went from a starting Pitcher to a finished one. It was just the most recent a but hardly the most glaring a example of a dangerous shift in Power taking place Between the White lines. Depending on whom you believe Clemens let Loose with a Stream of expletives directed or undirected within earshot of Umpire Terry Cooney and was Given the heave to with or without the Benefit of a warning. But make no mistake the Standard Between what is acceptable and unacceptable exists Only in the minds of the umpires. Without something More definite an already bad situation is going to get worse. To the players the Diamond is increasingly less the land of the free. To the umpires its Ever More the Home of the Brave. Whose game is this anyway what was once regarded As comic behaviour by the Deans of umpiring a a sputtering manager flinging a Cap and kicking up dirt a now is regarded As a threat to the moral fabric of society. The Day when a Young Umpire took his cues from a Harry Wendelstadt who folded his arms and always backed away from confrontation have Given Way to the Days of a Joe West who lives for them. Only the reckless voice opinions at a volume louder than a whisper any More. And Given the Quality and quarrelsome nature of some of the judiciary staking out the four Corners these Days even that is no guarantee a player wont be showering Long before his teammates break a sweat. Earlier this season Philadelphia Svon Hayes reached base safely Only to find out it was not quite the Haven he thought it was. While standing at first and groaning a though not loud enough for Public consumption a about the performance of one of the umpires on the Crew he was overheard by West and promptly tossed. A week earlier in a Brawl Between those same Phillies and the new York mets the same Joe West picked up one of the players and slammed him to the ground. The players and managers Are hardly blameless Money and prestige More swelled Heads and spoiled brats have made the game harder to control. And in Roger Clemens charges toward Home plate Umpire Terry Cooney. Some managers minds throwing to the proper base has become less important than throwing the base properly. Remember Cincinnati a Lou Piniella did it twice this season before he Felt he got his Money a Worth. Still they have been goaded to these higher Levels by a corps of younger certainly less secure and arguably More militant arbiters elevated to the Bench in recent years. Emboldened by the acquiescence of baseball and then commissioner Peter Ueberroth in the umpires strike of 1984, they flaunted their clout in ways both Subtle and obvious. Not immune to the Star system that has swept baseball every Umpire is trying to develop a signature choreography has replaced the Sim ple task of calling balls and strikes. Others have become specialists in deciphering the whispered curse or Reading and interpreting the nuances of body language. Slowly but surely the men in Blue have been claiming More and More of what used to be Gray. Unable to Deal with the terrier like Billy Martin and some of his More ferocious tirades a few years Back the umpires devised an intimidating scheme of their own passing the message by word of Mouth they let slip that any untoward emphasis on any behaviour by the Yankees manager was the prelude to an execution. Pete Rose was a pain Long before the events of the last two years proved just How serious a pain he could be. But in retrospect his much replayed run in with Dale Pallone proved to be less the result of a Chip on his shoulder than the one perched on pallones rather than turn his Back As umps Are taught to do he jabbed his Finger. Stadiums were told not to show replays on the big screens of close Calls because it would subject the umpires to criticism. Baltimore manager Frank Robinson was called a whiner for complaining about Calls and threatening to quit the game around the All Star break last year. But it seems Safe to say All those episodes weren to entirely the result of an overactive imagination. What is frightening about All this like so much else these Days is that everybody is waiting for somebody else to step Forward and take responsibility for straightening it out. Indeed when red sox manager Joe Morgan was asked whether umpires were More sensitive than Ever before his response was a next american league president Bobby Brown tackled the same question by saying a the answer is they probably might react a Little bit More quickly but so do the Cooney a Veteran of 16 years was asked whether he warned Clemens before tossing him and his response was the Best. He said by refusing to take off his mask the warning should have been implicit. So the ump did no to speak the Pitcher did and it was the ump who was heard. Associated press Clemens from Page 21 Cooney a what a Clemens a a in a not talking to you. You son of a then followed a Stream of other profanities from the Pitcher. Cooney took it for the slightest moment then threw his right Arm up and with great animation signalled the ejection the fifth in league championship series history. R according to sources close to the red sox Clemens had been warned by the umpires for questioning Ball and strike Calls rom the dugout in Fenway Park earlier in be playoffs. He was told then that any further outbreaks would not be from Page 21 attempt to get Cooney. Rin6 shoi1.d have Given me a warning a what is Isis unbelievable is warning6�?T Lowe very he had issued a by me not taking off my mask i thought Ennith St,win8, him that enough was Eovino Quot a pro Hably one of the easiest 5jtch but you done to need the ans Liki it head in front of 50,000 ans like you re an imbecile a he said. Cooler e ir8ument escalated two water and sin a trash by full of Bubble gum Flower seeds got tossed onto the for a Long while after Cooney had thrown him out Clemens stood on the Mound As his Catcher Tony Pena and his manager Joe Morgan argued with Cooney and the other five umpires who joined the fray. While Clemens simmered others on his Side erupted in anger. Water coolers were tossed from the dugout followed by All sorts of litter and paper cups. One player Marty Barrett was grabbed by a coach and physically pulled Back into the dugout. On the Field meanwhile Clemens had joined the Battle. The Pitcher Morgan and the Boston pitching coach Bill Fischer were involved in heated exchanges As the parties moved the argument around the infield. At several Points Clemens had to be restrained. The arguments lasted close to 15 minutes. Clemens finally left the Field. Field from the Boston dugout and Marty Barrett and coach Dick Berardino got into a Brief skirmish. Barrett was later ejected joining Clemens As the fifth and sixth players to be tossed from playoff games. Once order was restored 10 minutes later Clemens still stayed in the dugout for another inning. Finally Evans the Crew chief persuaded him to leave. The athletics Are scheduled to begin defense of their world series championship tuesday night in Cincinnati or Pittsburgh. Stewart who held Boston to one run on four hits in the opener took a two hit shutout into the ninth. He left after a Lead off double by Ellis Burks and an rib single by Jody Reed yet still beat Boston for the 10th straight time including six victories this year. Clemens replacement on the Mound Tom Bolton came in and allowed a two run single on a 3-1 pitch to Mike Gallego the first Batter he faced. The red sox season was coming not Only to a catastrophic end but one filled with anger and fury. Clemens meanwhile stayed in the dug out and continued tossing items around. Finally before the Start of the third inning Clemens was ordered from the dug out and was escorted by Security police through the open air path in front of the stands and into the Tunnel that leads to the stairs and the locker room above. Fay Vincent the commissioner of baseball and Bobby Brown the president of the american league immediately barricaded themselves behind spokesmen who said neither administrator would have anything to say until after the game. Rick Honeycutt ended it quickly getting Wade Boggs to ground into a double play and retiring Mike Greenwell on a grounder. Clemens one of the most dominant Pitcher in the majors this season had shut out Oakland for six innings in the opener but left with a 1-0 Lead. In this game he got into trouble right away giving up a single to Rickey Henderson to Start the game. He got out of that but Carney Lansford and Terry Steinbach singled with one out in the second and Mark Mcgwire had an rib grounder. The Clemens Cooney confrontation followed. Stewart who was named series map walked one struck out one and improved to 5-0 in the playoffs setting a record for most victories. Clemens Caps game 4 exit with gift to foe Oakland Calif. A Roger Clemens ejected from game 4 of the Al playoffs on wednesday for cursing at Umpire Terry Cooney gave his Cap As he left the Park to a 60-year-old Oakland fan who has ridiculed him for seven years. A a we be been feuding for years a said Bob Northrup of Napa Calif. A a he a thrown Coffee and Kool Aid on me before. Of he a been so angry at me he a wanted to whip but wednesday As he was Given a police escort from the dugout to the clubhouse Clemens stopped and turned around. He walked Over to Northrup and gave him his Cap. An appreciative clapping crowd chanted a we want Clemens we want Clemens a a actually he was never Friendly to us before until yesterday tuesday a Northrup said. A the stopped and talked to me. I told him i have tickets for tomorrow so go out and win the game. He signed a Ball for a a we be called him butter butt Crisco kid and fat in the pan a said Ernie Nagy who sits next to Northrup. Why the sudden change of heart a i yelled at him As he was walking by after the ejection a Northrup said a and i said a Lousy Call Good game a he went about 10 or 15 feet turned around and gave me his Cap. A then he said a see you next a
