Brett Lawrie Suspension Poll

[Seth Stohs]

http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120515&content_id=31385244&vkey=news_tor&c_id=tor

 

Brett Lawrie got tossed last night for arguing balls and strikes (actually arguing balls that were called strikes). Instead of just arguing professionally, Lawrie decided to take his helmet off and throw it to the ground in the general vicinity of the umpire. The helmet bounced up and hit the umpire...

 

If you haven't seen the video, be sure to check it out (I'm trying to link it here).

 

What do you think? How long should the suspension be?

[Thrylos]

He has zero intend to hit the umpire. He just jammed the helmet down and the thing bounced up and touched the umpire softly.

 

Clearly that umpire has blown at least those 2 strike calls and he could have potentially affected the outcome of the game. He should also be suspended. This league does not hold umpires accountable enough. Fines and suspensions for bad calls and especially when umpires trying to showing up players and managers (and I think that the last ball called strike in that case could be it, based on Lawrie's previous reaction) should be in order.

[gunnarthor]

Yeah, I think Lawrie should just get a small slap on the wrist. The ump missed two calls. I'll be charitable and say the ump wasn't purposefully wrong but those were two pretty bad misses. Lawrie was right to be upset and the helmet was unintentional, although still stupid. That said, I think MLB throws the book at him.

[Seth Stohs]

I think that MLB throws the book at him and they should. He threw the helmet at a downward angle in the direction of the ump. That's pretty ridiculous. Maybe not 50, but if he gets lets that 25-30 games, I'll be disappointed.

[snepp]

  thrylos98 said:

He has zero intend to hit the umpire.

I thought only a Jays fan could come to that conclusion.

[James]

To me, it looked like he was hoping it would hit him on the bounce. If he wasn't trying to hit the ump, he could (and should have) directed it off to the side.

 

To be fair, I hope the ump gets suspended as well. That "3rd Strike" looked like a retaliation for trying to go to first on his first blown call.

[Gernzy]

I'd be suprised if its more then 10 games. My guess is 3-5. He has zero history related to anything bad. It was not intended at all.

[Ultima Ratio]

@Snepp

Originally Posted by thrylos98

He has zero intend to hit the umpire.

 

 

 

I thought only a Jays fan could come to that conclusion.

 

-- Don't you think he'd of hit the ump if he wanted to hit the ump by just throwing the helmet at him? I too do not see the intent to hit the ump, but do clearly see the intent to vigorously and ill-temperately vent his frustrations. Yet, those were two horrible calls. I think the ump called the second strike (shown, for the K) out of spite. I'm thinking a 20 game suspension is in order.

[Ultima Ratio]

To whoever voted for more than 50 games: You do realize that taking steroids or peds (and getting caught) only calls for 50 game, right?

 

Edit: Error, this person said 31-50 games. But I still stand by the above.

[sweetluis]

Another vote here that the helmet hitting the ump was not intentional. It was way too close of game for the ump to start this nonsense in the 9th inning. If the helmet would have come back and hit Lawrie like a bat did to Bryce Harper and his temper tantrum, that would have been the end of this conversation. Just an ejection of the game and that would have been it. Come on folks don't make this into more than it was!! "Looked like he was hoping it would hit him on the bounce" is reading much more into a bad temper reaction than this calls for!! 5 games to set an example to control your temper and a warning to Bryce Harper might be in order as well.

[SEC]

I think a small suspension like 3-5 games would be fair because there wasn't any intent to hit the ump. It was more slamming his helmet in anger more than anything else and it happened to hit the ump on the bounce. He was watch his temper but to suspend for any substantial time would be absolutely ridiculous. To compare this to what Delmon Young did in the minors is even more of a crime. Delmon threw his fricken bat at the ump

[Thrylos]

He got a 4-game suspension

[Mike Sixel]

agree with thrylos, no intent to harm anyone. He threw it down in anger, and it bounced wrong....

[Top Gun]

Brett Lawrie has been suspended four games for spiking his helmet at home plate umpire Bill Miller.

 

The incident happened Tuesday night after Miller made back-to-back questionable strike calls in the ninth inning of a one-run game. Lawrie is appealing and is in the starting lineup Wednesday against the Yankees.

 

 

Source: Shi Davidi on Twitter

[gunnarthor]

  Top Gun said:

Brett Lawrie has been suspended four games for spiking his helmet at home plate umpire Bill Miller.

 

The incident happened Tuesday night after Miller made back-to-back questionable strike calls in the ninth inning of a one-run game. Lawrie is appealing and is in the starting lineup Wednesday against the Yankees.

 

 

Source: Shi Davidi on Twitter

That seems fair.

[glanzer]

Given the atrocity of the strike calls, four games seems about right to me. Nothing wrong with a player showing some emotion. If he had thrown the helmet right at the ump, sure, 50 games.

[LaBombo]

Where's the poll for how many games the umpire should be suspended without pay for his embarrassing incompetence and his ridiculous Frank Drebin theatrics?

 

Love the conspiracy theory that it was a deliberate bank shot off the ground. Which Lawrie no doubt practices every day in the off-season.

[Boom Boom]

I voted for fewer than six games. What he did was dumb, but there's no way he intended to hit the umpire with his helmet. Obviously the suspension is justified but I don't believe Lawrie had any intention to physically assault the umpire.

 

I don't agree with appealing the suspension, though. Just take it and move on.

[StormJH1]

I think 4 games is fair. (He's apparently dropping his appeal, btw).

 

First, not that it's necessarily relevant, but both of those pitch calls were garbage. Guys get upset all the umpires and approach them aggressively all the time. If you bump one with your body, it's definitely a suspension. Lawrie was not trying to throw the helmet at the ump, a la Delmon Young and the bat. He also was not trying to "skip" the helmet into the ump. I understand that contact with the umpires is completely forbidden, but the contact, as outrageous as it was, was accidental.

 

The bottom line is that if you suspend a guy for PED's for 50 games, and only suspend starters for "5 games" (which ends up being one or zero games) when they admit they were trying to throw 90mph fastballs at opposing hitters, then you can't suspend Lawrie for 20 or 30 games for something like this. If he throws that helmet directly at the ump, then we're talking 50 games, no doubt (which is what I think Delmon got). But that wasn't the case.

[Bark's Lounge]

If Lawrie wasn't already branded a bad character guy, I might strike it up to accidental with the helmet tossing and hitting the umpire. It is evident he was out of sorts in his reaction to the strike call, he threw that helmet damn close to the umpire and there is no way anyone can assume where that helmet was going. It was careless and a heavy suspension is needed. I know he received a 4-5 game suspension, and some might find that to be suitable. This guy will make millions and millions of dollars in the future. Lawrie needs to get his head out of his ass and see things how they really are. Passion is good, but in this case it is wasted. 20 Games!

[peterb18]

  thrylos98 said:

He has zero intend to hit the umpire. He just jammed the helmet down and the thing bounced up and touched the umpire softly.

 

Clearly that umpire has blown at least those 2 strike calls and he could have potentially affected the outcome of the game. He should also be suspended. This league does not hold umpires accountable enough. Fines and suspensions for bad calls and especially when umpires trying to showing up players and managers (and I think that the last ball called strike in that case could be it, based on Lawrie's previous reaction) should be in order.

It seems most are in somewhat agreement with thrylos on this matter. The Umps should be disciplined as well as players. Umpire arrogance is a big problem. Plus, they should be sent down to the minors just like players if they are not performing. A few games was sufficient in this case.

[lecroy24fan]

Umpires are disciplined, we just never hear about it. It's usually assumed if an umpire isn't with his usual crew it is because he's on vacation. I believe that it is written in the bargaining agreement with the umps union that these matters are to remain private and not discloed to the public. Which is a complete joke in my book.