Tuesday night, Orioles skipper Dave Trembley tried to do the great Earl Weaver proud. He locked horns with home plate umpire Tom Hallion during the first inning of the Orioles game in Seattle. Once he was ejected, he threw his hat and got a little nuts (don't let the picture fool you, it got way better), only to follow it up with a nice little post-game press conference. Friday, Major League Baseball disciplined Trembley in the form of a two-game suspension and an undisclosed fine. Funnily enough, though, he wasn't necessarily in trouble with the league office for the antics we saw on the field. No, it was actually what happened after he was ejected, and he admitted to it.
"I'll tell you the honest-goodness truth. I stood behind the King County sheriff, right behind him in the dugout, and he let me watch it," Trembley said. "And every once in a while he screened it for me like a pick in basketball so nobody could see me. I didn't have my hat on or my glasses on."You see, Trembley was hanging around just outside the dugout, around the top of the stairs which lead down to the clubhouse -- likely making strategic decisions. That's a no-no. In the majors, Rule 4.07 states that, once ejected, a manager can take no further part in the game. Trembley openly admitted he was barking the occasional order to his coaching staff and/or players, and, by doing so, he's being accountable for his actions. This is something he'd like in return from the umpires.
"They made a mistake. People need to be accountable when they make a mistake. All I want is for somebody to say, 'I made a mistake. I didn't get it right.' Don't cover for one another. We're big boys here, you know?"We can't be sure if his request will be granted by the umpires at some point the rest of the way, but we do know it won't happen for the next two games -- unless he tries to circumvent the rules again with a more intricate "Mission: Impossible" like disguise.
