The Mailbag of Malcontent returns…

I’ve been digging out from a big pile of reader mail, including some emails from as far back as late July. (I wasn’t able to see new reader mail to my ESPN mailbag for about two months, and then suddenly, there they all were.)

One reader, Scott Moore, wasn’t happy about my on-air criticism of umpire Doug Eddings (I referred to Eddings as “crooked or incompetent”) after Eddings blew a fairly easy obstruction call involving A.J. Pierzynski. His original email:

Your comments on the umpire were way out of line. You had the benefit of Slo-Mo replay. From that guys angle – it appeared the White Sox runner was tripped. Sure he missed the call, but you called him a “crook.” You must have lost money on the game.

My reply:

I said Eddings was either “crooked or incompetent.” Neither one is particularly forgivable – he blew the call, blatantly, and it was the second time he blatantly blew a call in favor of the White Sox and AJ Pierzynski. “Incompetent” is kind.

And no, I didn’t have money on that or any other game this year. Nice try.

Scott (who calls himself “Scooter”):

Crooks are “crooked” are they not? I must have touched a nerve. You’re simply not man enough to admit you overreacted to the missed call. Not to mention the fact that the other player involved didn’t stick to the basics of the “pickle drill” – after you’re out of the play, get to another bag and back up the next guy. Instead he jogged too near the base path.

The other play a year or before that was a mistake by the catcher not to make sure of the out by throwing to first base, he rolled the ball to the mound.

In both cases, AJ made “heads up” baseball plays. You still sound like you lost a bet…
Nice Try – Up Yours!

I like the “blaming the victim” approach he takes, although those are at least sort of baseball arguments.

Me:

I give at least one response to everyone who writes, no matter how childish they are.

Him:

You’re a hack and a pathetic journalist. Dude your days of never being chosen on the playground are over. It’s not my fault, not an umpire’s fault… get over it and try not to be such a prick along the way.

After which I told him to keep the insults coming so I could publish them, to which he responded: “Good luck with that Keith.”

Guess it’s my lucky day. Oh, and Eddings? Still blew both calls, and the fact that they both involved and went in the direction of the same player doesn’t sit well with me at all. Given the umpiring horrorshows we’ve seen the last two nights (the Hamels balk, the Baldelli whiff, the Rollins HBP), I would think fans would be less tolerant than ever of incompetent umpiring.