Can someone edit the title, please? He only hit the HP umpire. My typo makes it sound like he's completely deranged, when he just seemed partially deranged.

The two men jawed face-to-face for a good fifteen seconds before Torrealba struck the umpire in the face mask with the palm of his hand and pushed him away.

I only watched the video once, but it looked like Torrealba was doing all the jawing. The ump just stood there and took it.

I already disliked Torrealba, this just increases that.

And then the Umpire Strikes Back?

The guy's making over 3 million this year and he's angry about a bad call in a winter league game?

I thought this was about Torrealba leading some kind of labor dispute.

Torrealba should not have his children taken away.

If Joe Torre married Jessica Alba... that would be a hell of a sex video.

Maybe the Rockies will bring him back. They are convinced their problem is one of clubhouse chemistry--it's not volatile enough. Too many laid back players--that is, too many players who think losing is acceptable.

It's amazing how many stories have come out about what a great clubhouse guy Yorvit was, and how much the team misses him. But if the Rockies were going to try to bring him back, they wouldn't have signed Ramon Hernandez.

I know, I was kidding. It's hard for me not to be cynical about the team when it seems like they're major idea is that they need more winners. Torrealba does seem to benefit, as the playoff teams and the last two teams had mostly the same types of players on it, except Torrealba left after 2009. And the guys they've gotten rid of (or are trying to) are even-keeled, non-fiery types (Iannetta, Stewart, Smith). Ubaldo and Street, too, though they've never mentioned the pitchers in this regard.

Maybe they will invite Spilly to spring training, and tell him to put eye black on the ring of Cuddyer's batting helmet. And then they'll have Cuddyer throw a tantrum about being serious.

#8: Yeah, gross and hot at the same time. It's like some weird conflation of...things.

I don't know how to feel about it.

Wasn't there a situation like this years ago where it seemed like one guy was clearly in the wrong, and it later came out that the calm guy had said something remarkably offensive? (IIRC, it was something about the other guy's dead child.)

Not that I think it is likely to have happened here, mind you.

Torrealba should not have his children taken away.

Bill Conlin is retired now and has plenty of time. He might volunteer to help.

13...Are you mixing up Hirschbeck calling Alomar a mommyeffer and Frank Francisco throwing a chair into the crowd because they taunted Brocail about his stillborn baby?

Wasn't there a situation like this years ago where it seemed like one guy was clearly in the wrong, and it later came out that the calm guy had said something remarkably offensive? (IIRC, it was something about the other guy's dead child.)

The Frank Francisco chair-throwing incident in Oakland was possibly provoked by a comment on a stillborn child from a fan. However, the comment was directed at Doug Brocail.

Edit: Coke to Joe.

Hirschbeck calling Alomar a mommyeffer

I thought the story was Hirschbeck called Alomar a faggot.

Alomar later said he was prompted to spit on Hirschbeck when the ump began using racial insults, particularly one about his mother.

From here.

Alomar later said he was prompted to spit on Hirschbeck when the ump began using racial insults, particularly one about his mother.

From here.

Link's busted, but I'd always heard the gay slur version. There's a bunch of sources that claim that lipreaders/other sources say Hirschbeck used that version of the slur, and Alomar said something else as a cover story.

Better?

Your account makes sense, in that Davey Johnson is quoted here saying "they're both guilty", without saying what he heard.

According to Punch/FX, the punch missed but the ump was able to sell it.