Coaches losing their cool

Controversial calls. They are the most talked about plays in sports sometimes. In some cases, a single call can determine the fate of either team. Umpires and referees try their best to make sure they get the call right and when that call looks to be incorrect, they are in for a verbal exchange with the manager.

It may be something as insignificant as strike two in the bottom of the fourth inning with nobody on base in a scoreless ball game. It may be as big as a play at the plate with the batting team down one run in the bottom of the ninth inning. Rest assured, the manager will have his say to the umpire.

Major League Baseball has set its fair share of ground rules that all managers at every level of the game know about when it comes to complaining or confronting the 'men in blue.' As long as it does not involve how they are calling balls and strikes, then anything they talk about is fair game. They can argue a balk, or a close play at a base, or a grounds rule on a hit, but they can't argue the strike zone.

So, on Friday night, in a Double-A baseball game in Chattanooga, Tennessee, the manager of the Mississippi Braves, Phillip Wellman went to work on the home plate umpire. Wellman lost his cool after the ump ejected Braves pitcher Kelvin Villa for apparently using a foreign substance.

The tirade began as Wellman threw his hat in front of home plate umpire Brent Rice, then began to describe using hand gestures how wide home plate is. Rice chose to be calm about it, so Wellman took his tantrum to the plate itself, where he proceeded to cover it with dirt, pat it down, and draw a larger version of home plate.

Wellman's franticness also included him stealing both third and second base out from where they are placed and walking out with them as he exited the field at AT&T Field.

By far though, his most noted part of his exhibition on Friday has to be when he makes his way to the infield grass and crawls towards the pitchers mound, grabs the resin bag, acts like it is a grenade and lunges it at the home plate umpire, landing right by his feet.

The Braves organization, a minor league affiliate with the major league Atlanta Braves, handed Wellman a three game suspension for his on-the-field outburst.

Wellman Gone Wild

Not 24 hours after Wellman walks the field does the world of baseball have another manager lose his cool over a close call. Chicago Cubs manager Lou Piniella was ejected in the eighth inning of the Cubs' 5-3 loss at Wrigley field to the Braves. This time, it was a close play at third base in a close game that turned 'Sweet' Lou, sour.

Angel Pagan tried to get greedy and take third base, but the Braves' catcher made a quick throw and the tag was applied quickly. Third-base umpire Mark Wegner gladly joined Piniella in a verbal spat that got the crowd into the game despite their hometown team on the verge of losing their sixth straight game.

It must have been odd for Piniella standing in the face of Wegner, since he was wearing mirror-clad sunglasses. All he could see was a reflection of himself yelling, and I am sure using his share of expletives.



Chants of "Lou! Lou! Lou!" filled Wrigley as the event continued. The Piniella party included hat kicks and a little arm shoving match with one of the umpires. That, along with the rest of his tantrum earned him his four game suspension. It probably would have helped Lou if there was a chance to see a replay of the tag, because Wegner did make the correct call, and Lou was just upset at a lost chance to have a man on third with no out down one run.

Coming the day after Carlos Zambrano and Michael Barrett had a shoving match over Barrett dropping a few balls and the Cubs on a losing streak, it almost seemed the perfect situation for Piniella to earn his first ejection as the head man of the Cubs.

Lou Losing It

If you think those two were 'over-the-top,' then you have not met Joe Mikulik. The manager of the Asheville Tourists took managers going wild to a new height in June of last year when he came out to argue a call where a base runner of the opposing team was called safe.

His antics included diving into the base, throwing the resin bag, covering home plate before pouring water on it, tossing bats onto the field, and throwing second base.



Mikulik earned a seven game suspension and a fine of $1,000 for his rampage of the field.

You got to love the Lexington (home team) stadium sound crew. They made the event better for the fans with sound bites to go along with the different things Joe did. Starting out with the Three Stooges' "Who is on First" to "There's no crying in baseball" to the sound of a baby crying. Ending the fiasco with playing "Hit The Road Jack" (something usually played in the NBA when a player fouls out)

Mikulik's Meltdown

Wondering if these three outrageous outbursts are a sign that managers are just losing their cool easier or maybe they really have another, more personal reason for stomping onto the field and parading around like a child.