On May 6, the man who is supposed to be the leader of the Chunichi Dragons, Senichi Hoshino, leads the charge as his team attacks umpire Atsushi Kittaka. Kittaka had just called infielder Kazuyoshi Tatsunami out on strikes in the seventh inning of a game against the Yokohama BayStars, and when Tatsunami took exception with the call and pushed the ump, Kittaka had no choice but to throw the offender out of the game. With that, Tatsunami got more angry, and manager Hoshino, instead of coming out to be a peacemaker and pull away his irate player, came running out full tilt and slammed into Kittaka with a two-fisted body check. With that, naturally Hoshino had to be tossed, too, but as the field boss didn’t calm down, his troops continued to pummel the helpless ump. Worst of all was a cheap-shot kick from behind by reserve outfielder Takayuki Onishi which caught Kittaka in his ribs and fractured two of them.
This melee is reminiscent of the one on June 5, 1997, when then-Chunichi power-hitter Yasuaki Taihoh hit American umpire Mike DiMuro across the chest with a forearm after DiMuro had ejected Taihoh for questioning a called third strike. In that case, too, Hoshino did not act as a peacemaker, but added fuel to the fire by berating and even pushing DiMuro several times, until DiMuro was rescued from the frenzied Chunichi players by the two Dragons gaijin players, Alonzo Powell and Leo Gomez.
Until now, the worst case of violence against umpires in Japan was the vicious beating of Isao Okada, who was hit and kicked by Hanshin Tigers coaches Ikuo Shimano and Takeshi Shibata until Okada collapsed on the ground. [all caught on tv] The date was Aug. 31, 1982, and initially it was announced by commissioner Takeso Shimoda that Shimano and Shibata were suspended for life, but in an it-can-only-happen-in-Japan scenario, both coaches were back in uniform the following season after saying “gomen nasai.”
… saying one of her favorite things is to watch Ichiro walk off the field after a strike out, his body language saying YOU did not strike me out, I struck myself out by my own choice
Or that situation a couple months back, where the runner on 3rd broke for home before Gutz caught the ball in CF. The runner clearly didn’t tag up, Wak said something, but nothing was done. So he had the pitcher throw the ball the 3rd, and the base tagged.
Doesn’t do anything during the game, but gives him the high ground for an appeal. Whatever happens there, for all I know the union and the league circular file complaints.
I don't remember, I wasn't paying that close of attention. The announcers voice sounded off.
Not the usual chatter tone of voice for between batters. I looked it up later in the highlight video, but honestly can’t say. After the pitcher had the ball back, the ump was looking towards the dugout so maybe Wakamatsu was talking to him. Then the pitcher stepped towards 3B and tossed the ball, he tagged the bag and that was the end of it.
Kind of an odd situation, slow game or something as it didn’t garner much, if any, attention in the GT. Kind of a surprise, the video showed the runner clearly 3 or 4 steps off the bag and running to home before Gutz even had the ball. It didn’t show were the 3B umpire was looking.
Ichiro is using his hellified gangsta stroll to get off the field.
section331 - September 26, 2009
Heads up, this one's big
Jeff Sullivan - September 26, 2009
That is what I said to her!
Poochie - September 26, 2009
Surely you weren't referring to yourself though
seattlebruin - September 26, 2009
Women deserve to be warned about thier possible browser crashes too.
JamMasterJesus - September 26, 2009
He's either saying "Fuck"
Or calling the ump a fag. I don’t know which.
section331 - September 26, 2009
Probably talking about rats in a wool sock...
PositivePaul - September 26, 2009
We're not in Kansas anymore!
section331 - September 26, 2009
Hey Blue!
If Mr. Suzuki looks at a called third strike, he will let you know.
lemonverbena - September 26, 2009
O ho ho!
royalcurve - September 26, 2009
Yikes-- from a 2000 Japan Times article
On May 6, the man who is supposed to be the leader of the Chunichi Dragons, Senichi Hoshino, leads the charge as his team attacks umpire Atsushi Kittaka. Kittaka had just called infielder Kazuyoshi Tatsunami out on strikes in the seventh inning of a game against the Yokohama BayStars, and when Tatsunami took exception with the call and pushed the ump, Kittaka had no choice but to throw the offender out of the game. With that, Tatsunami got more angry, and manager Hoshino, instead of coming out to be a peacemaker and pull away his irate player, came running out full tilt and slammed into Kittaka with a two-fisted body check. With that, naturally Hoshino had to be tossed, too, but as the field boss didn’t calm down, his troops continued to pummel the helpless ump. Worst of all was a cheap-shot kick from behind by reserve outfielder Takayuki Onishi which caught Kittaka in his ribs and fractured two of them.
This melee is reminiscent of the one on June 5, 1997, when then-Chunichi power-hitter Yasuaki Taihoh hit American umpire Mike DiMuro across the chest with a forearm after DiMuro had ejected Taihoh for questioning a called third strike. In that case, too, Hoshino did not act as a peacemaker, but added fuel to the fire by berating and even pushing DiMuro several times, until DiMuro was rescued from the frenzied Chunichi players by the two Dragons gaijin players, Alonzo Powell and Leo Gomez.
Until now, the worst case of violence against umpires in Japan was the vicious beating of Isao Okada, who was hit and kicked by Hanshin Tigers coaches Ikuo Shimano and Takeshi Shibata until Okada collapsed on the ground. [all caught on tv] The date was Aug. 31, 1982, and initially it was announced by commissioner Takeso Shimoda that Shimano and Shibata were suspended for life, but in an it-can-only-happen-in-Japan scenario, both coaches were back in uniform the following season after saying “gomen nasai.”
msb - September 26, 2009
In this image
the pitch looks well off the plate. Is PitchFx that inaccurate, or does this prove how deceptive the center field camera angle is?
lemonverbena - September 26, 2009
Camera angle
That’s a pitch that’s almost always called a strike on a lefty.
Jeff Sullivan - September 26, 2009
Skydome has the worst CF cam of any stadium
Poochie - September 26, 2009
Whether it's always called a strike is irrelevant
But this pitch really wasn’t bad.
Llewdor - September 26, 2009
It looks like all he did was point at the outside of the plate with his bat and got tossed?
hcoguy - September 26, 2009
He drew a line with his bat
That’s pretty much automatic.
Jeff Sullivan - September 26, 2009
Ahh, I see.
I wonder if this is also the first time Ichiro has looked at 3 straight strikes in an AB.
hcoguy - September 26, 2009
So, is his eye regressing?
Schuxu - September 26, 2009
That isn't how regression works
Aaron Campeau - September 26, 2009
Hehehe, go Ichiro.
Coach Owens - September 26, 2009
I could just envinsion Ichiro running the ump through with his bat like a samurai sword
then gangsta strolling off the field.
Jer Bear - September 26, 2009
Shannon was laughing on the post-game show
… saying one of her favorite things is to watch Ichiro walk off the field after a strike out, his body language saying YOU did not strike me out, I struck myself out by my own choice
msb - September 26, 2009
I like how Don handles this kind of jerk.
Or that situation a couple months back, where the runner on 3rd broke for home before Gutz caught the ball in CF. The runner clearly didn’t tag up, Wak said something, but nothing was done. So he had the pitcher throw the ball the 3rd, and the base tagged.
Doesn’t do anything during the game, but gives him the high ground for an appeal. Whatever happens there, for all I know the union and the league circular file complaints.
Kermit. - September 26, 2009
Was it during the next at bat, technically?
JamMasterJesus - September 27, 2009
I don't remember, I wasn't paying that close of attention. The announcers voice sounded off.
Not the usual chatter tone of voice for between batters. I looked it up later in the highlight video, but honestly can’t say. After the pitcher had the ball back, the ump was looking towards the dugout so maybe Wakamatsu was talking to him. Then the pitcher stepped towards 3B and tossed the ball, he tagged the bag and that was the end of it.
Kind of an odd situation, slow game or something as it didn’t garner much, if any, attention in the GT. Kind of a surprise, the video showed the runner clearly 3 or 4 steps off the bag and running to home before Gutz even had the ball. It didn’t show were the 3B umpire was looking.
Kermit. - September 27, 2009
By the announcers voice, I mean I tune out the games until the announcers voice brings me back to it.
They use different tones and pitches for different things, you don’t even consciously notice it after awhile.
Kermit. - September 27, 2009
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