The more the merrier: Check out the blog "The Left Field Corner: MLB Umpire Ejection Fantasy League" for its coverage of recent Major League Baseball ejections.

Umpire Fantasy League standings as of the close of play on Sunday, June 1, 2008:

Four ejections
Hunter Wendelstedt

Three ejections
Eric Cooper
Paul Emmel
Andy Fletcher
Angel Hernandez
Tim McClelland

Two ejections
Wally Bell
Derryl Cousins
Bob Davidson
Dan Iassogna
Adrian Johnson
Alfonso Marquez
Jeff Nelson
Paul Schrieber
Tim Tschida
Mark Wegner
Mike Winters

One ejection
Angel Campos
Phil Cuzzi
Gary Darling
Dana DeMuth
Laz Diaz
Mike DiMuro
Bruce Dreckman
Doug Eddings
Chad Fairchild
Chris Guccione
Bill Hohn
Sam Holbrook
James Hoye
Chuck Meriwether
Bill Miller
Ed Montague
Casey Moser
Ed Rapuano
Rick Reed
Charlie Reliford
Jim Reynolds
Dale Scott
Tim Timmons
Bill Welke
Tim Welke
Joe West

Major League Baseball games played Sunday, June 1, 2008: A complete slate of fifteen games played Sunday failed to produce the ejection of any players, coaches, or managers.

As a result, umpire fantasy league standings remain unchanged.

Major League Baseball games played Saturday, May 31, 2008: A complete slate of fifteen games played Saturday produced two ejections.

In Seattle, where the Mariners hosted the Detroit Tigers, first base umpire Dan Iassogna ejected Tigers manager Jim Leyland in the top of the 6th inning for arguing a close out call at first base for the first out of that half-inning. The Tigers were trailing 4-0 at the time of the ejection, and ended up losing 5-0. You can access the box score at this link, while wraps from MLB.com are here and here. You can view related photos here and here. Additional coverage is available from The Detroit Free Press (here and here); The Detroit News; The Seattle Times; and The Associated Press.

And in Cincinnati, where the Reds hosted the Atlanta Braves, home plate umpire Adrian Johnson (a 2008 minor league call-up umpire) ejected Braves manager, for his Major League Baseball-leading 138th ejection of his career, Bobby Cox in the bottom of the 9th inning for arguing a close play at home plate that caused the game to be tied 7-7. The Reds ended up winning 8-7 in 10 innings. You can access the box score at this link, while wraps from MLB.com are here and here. You can view a related photo at this link. Additional coverage is available from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution; The Cincinnati Enquirer; and The Associated Press.

Credit umpires Dan Iassogna and Adrian Johnson with one ejection each -- for both umpires, his second of the season -- and adjust your Umpire Fantasy League standings accordingly.

Major League Baseball games played Friday, May 30, 2008: A complete slate of fifteen games played Friday failed to produce the ejection of any players, coaches, or managers.

As a result, umpire fantasy league standings remain unchanged.

Major League Baseball games played Thursday, May 29, 2008: A partial slate of ten games played Thursday failed to produce the ejection of any players, coaches, or managers.

As a result, umpire fantasy league standings remain unchanged.

Major League Baseball games played Wednesday, May 28, 2008: A complete slate of fifteen games played Wednesday failed to produce the ejection of any players, coaches, or managers.

As a result, umpire fantasy league standings remain unchanged.

Major League Baseball games played Tuesday, May 27, 2008: A complete slate of fifteen games played Tuesday produced two ejections.

In Seattle, where the Mariners hosted the Boston Red Sox, third base umpire Angel Hernandez ejected both Red Sox shortstop Julio Lugo and Red Sox manager Terry Francona in the bottom of the 5th inning for complaining about Hernandez's failure to call the batter's checked swing a strike. The Red Sox were losing 3-0 at the time of the ejection and went on to lose 4-3 in walk-off fashion. You can access the box score at this link, while wraps from MLB.com are here and here. You can view related photos here, here, and here. Additional coverage is available from The Boston Globe; The Boston Herald; The Seattle Times; The Seattle Post-Intelligencer; and The Associated Press.

Credit umpire Angel Hernandez with two ejections -- giving him three on the season -- and adjust your Umpire Fantasy League standings accordingly.

Major League Baseball games played Monday, May 26, 2008: A partial slate of eleven games played Monday failed to produce the ejection of any players, coaches, or managers.

As a result, umpire fantasy league standings remain unchanged.

Umpire Fantasy League standings as of the close of play on Sunday, May 25, 2008:

Four ejections
Hunter Wendelstedt

Three ejections
Eric Cooper
Paul Emmel
Andy Fletcher
Tim McClelland

Two ejections
Wally Bell
Derryl Cousins
Bob Davidson
Alfonso Marquez
Jeff Nelson
Paul Schrieber
Tim Tschida
Mark Wegner
Mike Winters

One ejection
Angel Campos
Phil Cuzzi
Gary Darling
Dana DeMuth
Laz Diaz
Mike DiMuro
Bruce Dreckman
Doug Eddings
Chad Fairchild
Chris Guccione
Angel Hernandez
Bill Hohn
Sam Holbrook
James Hoye
Dan Iassogna
Adrian Johnson
Chuck Meriwether
Bill Miller
Ed Montague
Casey Moser
Ed Rapuano
Rick Reed
Charlie Reliford
Jim Reynolds
Dale Scott
Tim Timmons
Bill Welke
Tim Welke
Joe West

Major League Baseball games played Sunday, May 25, 2008: Due to a doubleheader in Miami, a total of sixteen games were played Sunday. And those sixteen games produced one ejection.

In Cleveland, where the Indians hosted the Texas Rangers, home plate umpire Bill Hohn ejected Rangers center fielder Josh Hamilton in the top of the 6th inning for complaining about an appealed third strike. The game was tied 1-1 at the time of the ejection, and the Rangers ended up winning 2-1 in 10 innings. You can access the box score at this link, while wraps from MLB.com are here and here. Additional coverage is available from The Dallas Morning News; The Fort Worth Star-Telegram; The Cleveland Plain Dealer; and The Associated Press.

Credit umpire Bill Hohn with an ejection -- his first of the season -- and adjust your Umpire Fantasy League standings accordingly.

Major League Baseball games played Saturday, May 24, 2008: A rainout in Miami caused only fourteen of a complete slate of fifteen games to be played Saturday. And those fourteen games produced two ejections.

In Chicago, where the White Sox hosted the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, home plate umpire Alfonso Marquez ejected both White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski and White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen in the bottom of the 9th inning for arguing balls and strikes. The White Sox were trailing 2-0 at the time of the ejections, and that ended up as the final score. You can access the box score at this link, while wraps from MLB.com are here and here. Additional coverage is available from The Chicago Tribune; The Chicago Sun-Times (here and here); The Orange County Register; The Los Angeles Times; The Los Angeles Daily News; and The Associated Press.

Credit umpire Alfonso Marquez with two ejections -- his first ejections of the season -- and adjust your Umpire Fantasy League standings accordingly.

Major League Baseball games played Friday, May 23, 2008: A complete slate of fifteen games played Friday produced six ejections.

In Detroit, where the Tigers hosted the Minnesota Twins, third base umpire Hunter Wendelstedt ejected Tigers manager Jim Leyland before the top of the 7th inning in a dispute that apparently began over a called strike to a Tigers batter. According to this Detroit Free Press article, Leyland was ejected twice, but Wendelstedt was responsible for Leyland's first ejection, so only he is credited for Fantasy League purposes. You can view video of the second (uncredited) ejection by clicking here. The Tigers were trailing 5-0 at the time of the ejection and ended up losing by the score of 9-4. You can access the box score at this link, while wraps from MLB.com are here and here. Additional coverage is available from The Detroit Free Press; The Detroit News; The Minneapolis Star Tribune; The St. Paul Pioneer Press; and The Associated Press.

In the Bronx, where the New York Yankees hosted the Seattle Mariners, home plate umpire Mike DiMuro ejected Mariners manager John McLaren at the conclusion of the top of the 2nd inning for arguing balls and strikes. The Mariners were winning 1-0 at the time, but the Yankees ended up winning by a score of 13-2. You can access the box score at this link, while wraps from MLB.com are here and here. MLB.com also reports that "McLaren ejected in Mariners' opener; Seattle skipper tossed in second inning for arguing strike call" and provides this related video. You can access additional coverage from The Seattle Times; The Seattle Post-Intelligencer; The New York Times; The New York Daily News; The New York Post; and The Associated Press.

In Cleveland, where the Indians hosted the Texas Rangers, first base umpire Dale Scott ejected Indians manager Eric Wedge in the 6th inning for arguing a home run that the umpiring crew incorrectly ruled to be a double. You can view video of the ejection by clicking here. And in the top of the 9th inning, home plate umpire Dan Iassogna ejected Rangers right fielder Milton Bradley for arguing a called third strike in the top of the 9th inning. The Rangers were leading 12-7 at the time of Wedge's ejection, and the Rangers were winning 13-9 at the time of Bradley's ejection, which ended up as the final score. You can access the box score at this link, while wraps from MLB.com are here and here. Additional coverage is available from The Cleveland Plain Dealer; The Dallas Morning News; The Fort Worth Star-Telegram; and The Associated Press.

In St. Petersburg, where the Tampa Bay Rays hosted the Baltimore Orioles, home plate umpire Ed Rapuano ejected Orioles manager Dave Trembley in the bottom of the 8th inning for continuing to argue over a botched foul call on a ball hit fair on the ground by the first base bag in the top of the 8th inning. You can view video of the disputed play by clicking here. The Rays were leading 1-0 at the time of the ejection and ended up winning 2-0. You can access the box score at this link, while wraps from MLB.com are here and here. You can access additional coverage from The Baltimore Sun; The Washington Post; The St. Petersburg Times; The Tampa Tribune; and The Associated Press.

And finally, in Oakland, where the Athletics hosted the Boston Red Sox, home plate umpire Tim Tschida ejected Red Sox hitting coach Dave Magadan in the top of the 6th inning for arguing about Tschida's refusal to allow a Red Sox batter to get the pine tar rag for a new bat obtained following a broken bat foul ball. The Red Sox were losing 7-2 at the time of the ejection and ended up losing by a score of 8-3. You can access the box score at this link, while wraps from MLB.com are here and here. You can access additional coverage from The Boston Globe; The Boston Herald (here and here); The Oakland Tribune; The San Francisco Chronicle; and The Associated Press.

Credit umpire Hunter Wendelstedt with an ejection, his fourth of the season; credit umpire Tim Tschida with an ejection, his second of the season; credit umpire Mike DiMuro with an ejection, his first of the season; credit umpire Dan Iassogna with an ejection, his first of the season; credit umpire Ed Rapuano with an ejection, his first of the season; credit umpire Dale Scott with an ejection, his first of the season; and adjust your Umpire Fantasy League standings accordingly.

"Umpire beaned by bat says he's OK": This article appears today in The Philadelphia Inquirer.

"Umpire Crawford hit by bat, leaves game; Crew chief suffers contusion, but cleared to work on Monday": MLB.com provides this report.

At least the National League was well behaved: A complete slate of fifteen games were played Friday, and six ejections were recorded in American League games last night. Moreover, five of the seven American League games played last night produced ejections. My complete coverage of Friday night's ejections will appear here in the near future.

"MLB announces discipline decisions; Baker, Girardi, Joyner receive suspensions": Major League Baseball issued this news release yesterday.

And MLB.com provides related reports headlined "Baker fined, suspended for two games; Reds skipper to sit after 'making contact' with ump in San Diego"; "Girardi suspended one game; Skipper fined, sits out Seattle opener for Thursday outburst"; and "Joyner serves one-game suspension; Padres hitting coach also fined after Wednesday ejection."

Major League Baseball games played Thursday, May 22, 2008: A partial slate of eleven games played Thursday produced three ejections.

In the Bronx, where the New York Yankees hosted the Baltimore Orioles, home plate umpire Chris Guccione (a 2008 minor league call-up umpire) ejected Yankees manager Joe Girardi in the bottom of the 9th inning for arguing over a called strike three on a caught foul tip, which represented the second out of the half-inning. The game was tied 1-1 at the time of the ejection, but the Yankees ended up winning 2-1 on a walk-off single two batters later. You can access the box score at this link, while wraps from MLB.com are here and here. MLB.com reports that "Girardi tossed for arguing with ump; Yankees manager ejected from series finale with Orioles" and provides this video of the ejection. You can view related photos here, here, here, and here. Additional coverage is available from The New York Times; The New York Daily News; The New York Post (here and here); The Baltimore Sun; The Washington Post; and The Associated Press.

And in San Diego, where the Padres hosted the Cincinnati Reds, home plate umpire Eric Cooper ejected both Reds third baseman Edwin Encarnacion and Reds manager Dusty Baker in the middle of the 7th inning for arguing balls and strikes. The Reds were losing 5-2 at the time of the ejections and ended up losing 8-2. You can access the box score at this link, while wraps from MLB.com are here and here. MLB.com reports that "Baker boils over following ejection; Skipper argues call after Encarnacion was tossed in seventh" and provides this video of Baker's ejection. You can view related photos here and here. Additional coverage is available from The Cincinnati Enquirer; The San Diego Union-Tribune; The North County Times; and The Associated Press.

Credit umpire Eric Cooper with two ejections, giving him three for the season; credit umpire Chris Guccione with an ejection, his first of the season; and adjust your Umpire Fantasy League standings accordingly.

Major League Baseball games played Wednesday, May 21, 2008: A complete slate of fifteen games played Wednesday produced three ejections.

In Minneapolis, where the Minnesota Twins hosted the Texas Rangers, home plate umpire Jeff Nelson ejected both Rangers designated hitter Milton Bradley and Rangers manager Ron Washington in the top of the 2nd inning. Bradley was ejected for shouting at Nelson from the dugout after Bradley was called out on strikes. Washington was ejected while discussing Bradley's ejection with Nelson. The game was scoreless at the time of the ejection, but the Rangers ended up winning by the score of 10-1. You can access the box score at this link, while wraps from MLB.com are here and here. You can access a related photo at this link. Additional coverage is available from The Dallas Morning News; The Fort Worth Star-Telegram; The Minneapolis Star Tribune; The St. Paul Pioneer Press; and The Associated Press.

And in San Diego, where the Padres hosted the St. Louis Cardinals, home plate umpire Jim Reynolds ejected Padres hitting coach Wally Joyner in the bottom of the 6th inning for arguing balls and strikes. The Padres were losing 9-3 at the time of the ejection and went on to lose by the score of 11-3. You can access the box score at this link, while wraps from MLB.com are here and here. Additional coverage is available from The San Diego Union-Tribune; The North County Times; The St. Louis Post-Dispatch (here and here); and The Associated Press.

Credit umpire Jeff Nelson with two ejections, his first ejections of the season; credit umpire Jim Reynolds with an ejection, his first of the season; and adjust your Umpire Fantasy League standings accordingly.

"Hawkins handed three-game penalty; Yankees reliever appeals suspension for throwing near head": MLB.com provides this report.

The official news release from Major League Baseball can be accessed here.

Major League Baseball games played Tuesday, May 20, 2008: A day-night doubleheader in Atlanta caused sixteen games to be played Tuesday. And those sixteen games produced two ejections.

In the Bronx, where the New York Yankees hosted the Baltimore Orioles, home plate umpire Chuck Meriwether ejected Yankees pitcher LaTroy Hawkins in the top of the 6th inning for intentionally trying to hit an Orioles batter with a pitched ball. The Orioles were leading 10-0 at the time of the ejection and ended up winning by the score of 12-2. You can access the box score at this link, while wraps from MLB.com are here and here. MLB.com also reports that "Benches clear in Yanks-O's opener; Hawkins ejected after nearly hitting Scott in sixth inning." You can view video of the ejection by clicking here. You can view related photos here and here. Additional coverage is available from The New York Times; The New York Daily News; The New York Post (here and here); The Baltimore Sun; The Washington Post; and The Associated Press.

And in Chicago, where the White Sox hosted the Cleveland Indians, home plate umpire Wally Bell ejected White Sox third baseman Joe Crede in the bottom of the 4th inning for arguing balls and strikes. The White Sox were winning 2-1 at the time of the ejection and ended up winning by a score of 4-1. You can access the box score at this link, while wraps from MLB.com are here and here. You can view related photos here and here. Additional coverage is available from The Chicago Tribune; The Chicago Sun-Times; The Cleveland Plain Dealer; and The Associated Press.

Credit umpire Wally Bell with an ejection, his second of the season; credit umpire Chuck Meriwether with an ejection, his first of the season; and adjust your Umpire Fantasy League standings accordingly.

Major League Baseball games played Monday, May 19, 2008: A partial slate of eight games played Monday failed to produce the ejection of any players, coaches, or managers.

As a result, umpire fantasy league standings remain unchanged.

Umpire Fantasy League standings as of the close of play on Sunday, May 18, 2008:

Three ejections
Paul Emmel
Andy Fletcher
Tim McClelland
Hunter Wendelstedt

Two ejections
Derryl Cousins
Bob Davidson
Paul Schrieber
Mark Wegner
Mike Winters

One ejection
Wally Bell
Angel Campos
Eric Cooper
Phil Cuzzi
Gary Darling
Dana DeMuth
Laz Diaz
Bruce Dreckman
Doug Eddings
Chad Fairchild
Angel Hernandez
Sam Holbrook
James Hoye
Adrian Johnson
Bill Miller
Ed Montague
Casey Moser
Rick Reed
Charlie Reliford
Tim Timmons
Tim Tschida
Bill Welke
Tim Welke
Joe West

Major League Baseball games played Sunday, May 18, 2008: A complete slate of fifteen games played Sunday produced two ejections.

In Arlington, where the Texas Rangers hosted the Houston Astros, second base umpire Angel Campos (a 2008 minor league call-up umpire) ejected Astros manager Cecil Cooper in the top of the 6th inning for arguing an out call on a stolen base attempt. The Astros were winning 5-0 at the time of the ejection and held on to win by the score of 5-4. You can access the box score at this link, while wraps from MLB.com are here and here. Additional coverage is available from The Houston Chronicle; The Dallas Morning News; The Fort Worth Star-Telegram; and The Associated Press.

And in the Bronx, where the New York Yankees hosted the New York Mets, home plate umpire Bob Davidson ejected Mets bench coach Jerry Manuel for arguing against Davidson's incorrect call, which had ruled that an actual home run off the fair poll was instead a foul ball. The Mets were winning 3-0 at the time of the ejection and went on to win by the score of 11-2. You can access the box score at this link, while wraps from MLB.com are here and here. MLB.com also reports that "Mets coach tossed after close call; Foul call of apparent Delgado homer spurs Manuel's ejection." You can view video of the blown call by clicking here. You can view related photos here, here, and here. Additional coverage is available from The New York Times; The New York Daily News (here, here, and here); The New York Post (here, here, and here); and The Associated Press.

Credit umpire Bob Davidson with an ejection, his second of the season; credit umpire Angel Campos with an ejection, his first of the season; and adjust your Umpire Fantasy League standings accordingly.

Major League Baseball games played Saturday, May 17, 2008: A doubleheader in Boston caused sixteen games to be played Saturday. And those sixteen games produced two ejections.

In Baltimore, where the Orioles hosted the Washington Nationals, home plate umpire Tim McClelland ejected Nationals catcher Jesus Flores in the bottom of the 6th inning for arguing balls and strikes. The Orioles were winning 6-2 at the time of the ejection and held on to win by a score of 6-5. You can access the box score at this link, while wraps from MLB.com are here and here. Additional coverage is available from The Washington Post; The Washington Times; The Baltimore Sun; and The Associated Press.

And in Philadelphia, where the Phillies hosted the Toronto Blue Jays, third base umpire Mike Winters ejected Blue Jays manager John Gibbons for arguing that a Phillies batter who was hit by a pitch had gone too far on a check-swing for strike three. The Blue Jays were leading 4-3 at the time and ended up winning by a score of 6-3. You can access the box score at this link, while wraps from MLB.com are here and here. Additional coverage is available from The Toronto Star; The Philadelphia Inquirer; and The Associated Press.

Credit umpire Tim McClelland with an ejection, his third of the season; credit umpire Mike Winters with an ejection, his second of the season; and adjust your Umpire Fantasy League standings accordingly.

Major League Baseball games played Friday, May 16, 2008: Due to rainouts in Boston and New York City, only thirteen of a complete slate of fifteen games were played Friday. And those thirteen games produced one ejection.

In Arlington, where the Texas Rangers hosted the Houston Astros, first base umpire Angel Hernandez ejected Astros manager Cecil Cooper in the bottom of the 7th inning for arguing a close play at home plate. The Rangers were leading 9-8 at the time of the ejection and went on to win by a score of 16-8. You can access the box score at this link, while wraps from MLB.com are here and here. You can view a related photo at this link. Additional coverage is available from The Houston Chronicle; The Dallas Morning News; The Fort Worth Star-Telegram; and The Associated Press.

Credit umpire Angel Hernandez with an ejection -- his first of the season -- and adjust your Umpire Fantasy League standings accordingly.

Major League Baseball games played Thursday, May 15, 2008: A rainout in Cincinnati caused only twelve of a partial slate of thirteen games to be played Thursday. And none of those twelve games produced the ejection of any players, coaches, or managers.

As a result, umpire fantasy league standings remain unchanged.

Major League Baseball games played Wednesday, May 14, 2008: A complete slate of fifteen games played Wednesday produced one ejection.

In Queens, where the New York Mets hosted the Washington Nationals, home plate umpire Dana DeMuth ejected Mets left fielder Moises Alou for slamming his bat into the ground at home plate in reaction to a called strike three on a pitch that Alou thought was low and outside. The game was scoreless when the ejection occurred, but the Nationals went on to win by a score of 5-3. You can access the box score at this link, while wraps from MLB.com are available here and here. A report from MLB.com headlined "Alou ejected for arguing strike call; Frustrated Mets outfielder concludes evening 0-for-2" features video of the incident. Additional coverage is available from The New York Times; The New York Daily News; The New York Post; The Washington Post; The Washington Times; and The Associated Press.

Credit umpire Dana DeMuth with an ejection -- his first of the season -- and adjust your Umpire Fantasy League standings accordingly.

Major League Baseball games played Tuesday, May 13, 2008: A complete slate of fifteen games played Tuesday produced one ejection.

In Baltimore, where the Orioles hosted the Boston Red Sox, home plate umpire Laz Diaz ejected Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz in the top of the 9th inning because Ortiz argued a bit too vehemently that he did not commit the bat on a check-swing that was called strike three leading off that inning. The Red Sox were trailing 5-4 at the time, and that ended up as the final score. You can access the box score at this link, while wraps from MLB.com are here and here. You can view related photos here, here, here, here, here, and here. Additional coverage is available from The Boston Globe; The Boston Herald; The Baltimore Sun; The Washington Post; and The Associated Press.

Credit umpire Laz Diaz with an ejection -- his first of the season -- and adjust your Umpire Fantasy League standings accordingly.

Major League Baseball games played Monday, May 12, 2008: A partial slate of thirteen games played Monday produced two ejections.

In Milwaukee, where the Brewers hosted the St. Louis Cardinals, home plate umpire Paul Schrieber ejected Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina in the bottom of the 5th inning for arguing that a pitch that was just off the plate outside was in fact a strike. Molina's ejection brought Cardinals manager Tony La Russa onto the field, and eventually Schrieber also ejected him. The Cardinals were trailing 7-1 at the time of the ejections and ended up losing by the score of 8-3. You can access the box score at this link, while wraps from MLB.com are available here and here. MLB.com reports that "Molina, La Russa ejected in Milwaukee; Catcher, manager tossed for arguing with home-plate umpire." You can view video of the ejection by clicking here. You can view related photos here, here, and here. Additional coverage is available from The St. Louis Post-Dispatch; The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel; and The Associated Press.

Credit umpire Paul Schrieber with two ejections -- his first ejections of the season -- and adjust your Umpire Fantasy League standings accordingly.

Umpire Fantasy League standings as of the close of play on Sunday, May 11, 2008:

Three ejections
Paul Emmel
Andy Fletcher
Hunter Wendelstedt

Two ejections
Derryl Cousins
Tim McClelland
Mark Wegner

One ejection
Wally Bell
Eric Cooper
Phil Cuzzi
Gary Darling
Bob Davidson
Bruce Dreckman
Doug Eddings
Chad Fairchild
Sam Holbrook
James Hoye
Adrian Johnson
Bill Miller
Ed Montague
Casey Moser
Rick Reed
Charlie Reliford
Tim Timmons
Tim Tschida
Bill Welke
Tim Welke
Joe West
Mike Winters

Major League Baseball games played Sunday, May 11, 2008: Rainouts in Cleveland, Detroit, and Pittsburgh resulted in only twelve of a complete slate of fifteen games being played Sunday. And none of those twelve games produced the ejection of any players, coaches, or managers.

As a result, umpire fantasy league standings remain unchanged.

Major League Baseball games played Saturday, May 10, 2008: A day-night doubleheader in Queens, New York resulted in sixteen games being played Saturday. And those sixteen games produced one ejection.

In Kansas City, where the Royals hosted the Baltimore Orioles, home plate umpire Tim Tschida ejected Orioles left fielder Jay Payton for arguing a called third strike on what Payton claimed was a check-swing. The Orioles were winning 3-1 at the time of the ejection and held on to win by the score of 6-5. You can access the box score at this link, while wraps from MLB.com are here and here. Additional coverage is available from The Baltimore Sun; The Washington Post; The Kansas City Star; and The Associated Press.

Credit umpire Tim Tschida with an ejection -- his first of the season -- and adjust your Umpire Fantasy League standings accordingly.

"Sexson's suspension reduced to 5 games": The Associated Press provides this report. Earlier, Major League Baseball had issued a press release headlined "Seattle's Sexson disciplined."

Major League Baseball games played Friday, May 9, 2008: A rainout in Queens, New York resulted in only fourteen of a complete slate of fifteen games being played Friday. And none of those fourteen games produced the ejection of any players, coaches, or managers.

As a result, umpire fantasy league standings remain unchanged.

Major League Baseball games played Thursday, May 8, 2008: A partial slate of twelve games played Thursday produced two ejections.

In Chicago, where the White Sox hosted the Minnesota Twins, home plate umpire Doug Eddings ejected Twins manager Ron Gardenhire in the bottom of the 6th inning on a strange play in which the batter was ruled by the first place umpire to have committed for strike three on a 3-2 count with no outs and runners on first and second. Before the home plate umpire appealed to the first base umpire on the swing, however, the runners on first and second advanced to second and third. And that precipitated an argument that led to Gardenhire's ejection. The Twins were losing 3-2 at the time of the ejection and ended up losing by a score of 6-2. You can access the box score at this link, while wraps from MLB.com are available here (featuring video of the ejection) and here. You can view a related photo at this link. Additional coverage is available from The Minneapolis Star Tribune; The St. Paul Pioneer Press; The Chicago Tribune; The Chicago Sun-Times; and The Associated Press.

And in Seattle, where the Mariners hosted the Texas Rangers, home plate umpire Chad Fairchild (a 2008 minor league call-up umpire) ejected Mariners first baseman Richie Sexson in the bottom of the 4th inning after Sexson charged the mound and began to fight with the Rangers pitcher after a high pitch during Sexson's at bat. The Mariners were trailing 4-0 at the time of the ejection and went on to lose by the score of 5-0. You can access the box score at this link, while wraps from MLB.com are here and here. An MLB.com report headlined "Sexson sets off fracas in Seattle; Mariners first baseman upset by high-and-inside pitch" features video of the incident. You can view related photos here; here; here; here; and here. Additional coverage is available from The Seattle Times (access related photos here); The Seattle Post-Intelligencer (here and here); The Dallas Morning News; The Fort Worth Star-Telegram; and The Associated Press.

Credit umpires Doug Eddings and Chad Fairchild with an ejection -- for each, his first of the season -- and adjust your Umpire Fantasy League standings accordingly.

Major League Baseball games played Wednesday, May 7, 2008: A complete slate of fifteen games played Wednesday produced two ejections.

In Atlanta, where the Braves hosted the San Diego Padres, third base umpire Wally Bell ejected Braves manager Bobby Cox in the top of the 2nd inning for arguing a balk call that caused the Padres to score the team's first run of the game. When Cox recorded his Major League Baseball-leading 137th ejection of his career, the Padres were leading 1-0. The Braves ended up winning the game by the score of 5-2. You can access the box score at this link, while wraps from MLB.com are here and here (both wraps contain a link to video of the balk and the resulting ejection). You can view a related photo at this link. Additional coverage is available from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution; The San Diego Union-Tribune; and The Associated Press.

And in Seattle, where the Mariners hosted the Texas Rangers, home plate umpire Mark Wegner ejected Managers manager John McLaren in the top of the 2nd inning because (according to McLaren) Wegner thought that McLaren had said something that McLaren had not said. The game was scoreless at the time of the ejection, and the Rangers went on to win by the score of 2-0. You can access the box score at this link, while wraps from MLB.com are here and here. You can view a related photo at this link. Additional coverage is available from The Seattle Times; The Seattle Post-Intelligencer; The Dallas Morning News; The Fort Worth Star-Telegram; and The Associated Press.

Credit umpire Mark Wegner with an ejection, his second of the season; credit umpire Wally Bell with an ejection, his first of the season; and adjust your Umpire Fantasy League standings accordingly.

Major League Baseball games played Tuesday, May 6, 2008: A complete slate of fifteen games played Tuesday produced one ejection.

In Miami, where the Florida Marlins hosted the Milwaukee Brewers, home plate umpire Eric Cooper ejected Brewers manager Ned Yost in the top of the 4th inning for arguing balls and strikes. The Brewers were trailing 3-0 at the time, and that ended up as the final score. You can access the box score at this link, while wraps from MLB.com are here and here. You can view a related photo at this link. Additional coverage is available from The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel; The Miami Herald; The South Florida Sun-Sentinel; and The Associated Press.

Credit umpire Eric Cooper with an ejection -- his first of the season -- and adjust your Umpire Fantasy League standings accordingly.

Major League Baseball games played Monday, May 5, 2008: A partial slate of nine games played Monday produced one ejection.

In Cincinnati, where the Reds hosted the Chicago Cubs, home plate umpire Tim Welke ejected Cubs batting coach Gerald Perry in the top of the 2nd inning for arguing balls and strikes from the bench. The Cubs were trailing 3-0 at the time of the ejection and went on to lose the game by a score of 5-3. You can access the box score at this link, while wraps from MLB.com are here and here. Additional coverage is available from The Chicago Tribune; The Chicago Sun-Times; The Cincinnati Enquirer; and The Associated Press.

Credit umpire Tim Welke with an ejection -- his first of the season -- and adjust your Umpire Fantasy League standings accordingly.

Umpire Fantasy League standings as of the close of play on Sunday, May 4, 2008:

Three ejections
Paul Emmel
Andy Fletcher
Hunter Wendelstedt

Two ejections
Derryl Cousins
Tim McClelland

One ejection
Phil Cuzzi
Gary Darling
Bob Davidson
Bruce Dreckman
Sam Holbrook
James Hoye
Adrian Johnson
Bill Miller
Ed Montague
Casey Moser
Rick Reed
Charlie Reliford
Tim Timmons
Mark Wegner
Bill Welke
Joe West
Mike Winters

Major League Baseball games played Sunday, May 4, 2008: A complete slate of fifteen games played Sunday produced one ejection.

In Miami, where the Florida Marlins hosted the San Diego Padres, home plate umpire Sam Holbrook ejected Padres manager Bud Black in the top of the 7th inning after Black came onto the field to argue with Holbrook over something that Black would later refuse to specify. The Padres were trailing 5-2 at the time of the ejection and eventually went on to lose by a score of 10-3. You can access the box score at this link, while wraps from MLB.com are here and here. You can view a related photo at this link. Additional coverage is available from The San Diego Union-Tribune; The Miami Herald; The South Florida Sun-Sentinel; and The Associated Press.

Credit umpire Sam Holbrook with an ejection -- his first of the season -- and adjust your Umpire Fantasy League standings accordingly.

Major League Baseball games played Saturday, May 3, 2008: A complete slate of fifteen games played Saturday produced one ejection.

In Anaheim, California, where the Los Angeles Angels hosted the Baltimore Orioles, home plate umpire Paul Emmel ejected Angels left fielder Garret Anderson in the bottom of the 7th inning after Anderson flipped his bat high into the air following a called third strike. The Angels were leading 2-1 at the time of the ejection and ended up winning by a score of 3-1. You can access the box score at this link, while wraps from MLB.com are available here (featuring video of the ejection) and here. Additional coverage is available from The Orange County Register; The Los Angeles Times; The Los Angeles Daily News; The Baltimore Sun; The Washington Post; and The Associated Press.

Credit umpire Paul Emmel with an ejection -- his third of the season and his second of this week -- and adjust your Umpire Fantasy League standings accordingly.

Major League Baseball games played Friday, May 2, 2008: Due to a rainout in Cleveland, only fourteen of what had been scheduled to be a complete slate of fifteen games were played Friday night. And those fourteen games produced a single ejection.

In Philadelphia, where the Phillies hosted the San Francisco Giants, home plate umpire Derryl Cousins ejected Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard in the bottom of the 10th inning for arguing balls and strikes. The called third strike in Howard's at bat in the bottom of the 10th actually was a strike, so Howard was probably still upset over a more questionable called third strike to conclude Howard's previous at bat. The Phillies were trailing 5-4 at the time of Howard's ejection but, thanks to a walk-off home run from the very next batter, the Phillies won the game 6-5. You can access the box score at this link, while wraps from MLB.com are here and here. Additional coverage is available from The Philadelphia Inquirer; The Philadelphia Daily News; The San Francisco Chronicle; The San Jose Mercury News; and The Associated Press.

Credit umpire Derryl Cousins with an ejection -- his second of the season -- and adjust your Umpire Fantasy League standings accordingly.

"Prolonged headaches continue for ump; Danley being monitored by MLB, not yet scheduled to return": The Associated Press provides this report.

And the World Umpires Association yesterday issued a news release headlined "Danley Incident Highlights Umpire Risk."

Major League Baseball games played Thursday, May 1, 2008: A partial slate of ten games played Thursday produced a single ejection.

In Boston, where the Red Sox hosted the Toronto Blue Jays, second base umpire Bruce Dreckman ejected Blue Jays manager John Gibbons in the bottom of the 9th inning for arguing a balk call on a pitch that otherwise would have resulted in the final out of the game on a fly ball to left field. The baserunner on first was awarded second on the balk, and the batter ended up getting a single, putting runners on first and third. The next batter struck out, however, preserving a 3-0 victory for the Blue Jays. You can access the box score at this link, while wraps from MLB.com are here and here. A related photo is at this link. Additional coverage is available from The Toronto Globe and Mail; The Toronto Star; The Boston Globe; The Boston Herald; and The Associated Press.

Credit umpire Bruce Dreckman with an ejection -- his first of the season -- and adjust your Umpire Fantasy League standings accordingly.

Major League Baseball games played Wednesday, April 30, 2008: A complete slate of fifteen games played Wednesday failed to produce the ejection of any players, coaches, or managers.

As a result, umpire fantasy league standings remain unchanged.

Major League Baseball games played Tuesday, April 29, 2008: A complete slate of fifteen games played Tuesday produced two ejections.

In Arlington, Texas, where the Rangers hosted the Kansas City Royals, home plate umpire Bill Welke ejected Rangers second baseman Ian Kinsler for arguing over a called strike three. At the time of the ejection, the Rangers were trailing 3-0. The Rangers went on to lose by a score of 9-5. You can access the box score at this link, while wraps from MLB.com are available here and here. You can view a related photo at this link. Additional coverage is available from The Dallas Morning News; The Fort Worth Star-Telegram; The Kansas City Star; and The Associated Press.

And in San Francisco, where the Giants hosted the Colorado Rockies, home plate umpire Gary Darling ejected Giants manager Bruce Bochy for arguing a balk call that gave rise to what proved to be the Rockies winning run. As a result of the balk, the Rockies took a 3-2 lead, and that ended up as the final score. You can view the box score at this link, while wraps from MLB.com are here and here. You can view a related photo at this link. Additional coverage is available from The San Francisco Chronicle; The San Jose Mercury News; The Denver Post; The Rocky Mountain News; and The Associated Press.

Credit umpires Gary Darling and Bill Welke with an ejection -- for each, his first of the season -- and adjust your Umpire Fantasy League standings accordingly.

Major League Baseball games played Monday, April 28, 2008: Only six of the seven games on the Major League Baseball calendar for Monday were begun -- due to the rainout in Queens, New York -- and only five were completed as rain suspended an extra-innings American League contest in Chicago. Nevertheless, those six games produced three ejections.

In Chicago, where the White Sox hosted the Baltimore Orioles, first base umpire Mark Wegner ejected Orioles designated hitter Aubrey Huff in the top of the 10th inning for arguing that he had beat out the throw for a single on a slow grounder to second. Replays showed that Huff was in fact safe. The score was tied 2-2 at the time of the ejection and was again tied at 3-3 when the umpires decided to suspend the game in the 11th inning. The game will be resumed at a date, time, and place to be determined. All the statistics from the game do count, however, which is why this ejection will count toward Umpire Fantasy League standings at this time. When the game is resumed, Huff will remain ejected. Whether the umpiring team will stay the same is in doubt. You can view the box score at this link, while interim wraps are available from MLB.com here and here. You can view a related photo at this link. Additional coverage is available from The Baltimore Sun; The Washington Post; The Chicago Tribune; The Chicago Sun-Times; and The Associated Press. Coincidentally, the Orioles were also involved in a game suspended due to rain last season, and that game likewise produced an ejection before play was suspended. My coverage of that ejection can be accessed here.

In San Francisco, where the Giants hosted the Colorado Rockies, home plate umpire Paul Emmel ejected Rockies manager Clint Hurdle in the bottom of the 1st inning for arguing a balk called on the Rockies starting pitcher. The game was scoreless at the time of the ejection, although the Giants proceeded to score two runs in the bottom of the 1st and went on to win by a score of 4-0. You can access the box score at this link, while wraps from MLB.com are here and here. You can view a related photo at this link. Additional coverage is available from The Denver Post; The Rocky Mountain News; The San Francisco Chronicle; The San Jose Mercury News; and The Associated Press.

And in Anaheim, California, where the Los Angeles Angels hosted the Oakland Athletics, home plate umpire Charlie Reliford ejected Angels pitching coach Mike Butcher for arguing balls and strikes in the top of the 3rd inning on a visit to the mound. The Angels were trailing 3-0 at the time and went on to lose the game by a score of 14-2. You can access the box score at this link, while wraps from MLB.com are here and here. You can view a related photo at this link. Additional coverage is available from The Orange County Register; The Los Angeles Times; The Los Angeles Daily News; The Oakland Tribune; The San Francisco Chronicle; and The Associated Press.

Credit umpire Paul Emmel with an ejection, his second of the season; credit umpire Charlie Reliford with an ejection, his first of the season; credit umpire Mark Wegner with an ejection, his first of the season; and adjust your Umpire Fantasy League standings accordingly.

Umpire Fantasy League standings as of the close of play on Sunday, April 27, 2008:

Three ejections
Andy Fletcher
Hunter Wendelstedt

Two ejections
Tim McClelland

One ejection
Derryl Cousins
Phil Cuzzi
Bob Davidson
Paul Emmel
James Hoye
Adrian Johnson
Bill Miller
Ed Montague
Casey Moser
Rick Reed
Tim Timmons
Joe West
Mike Winters

Major League Baseball games played Sunday, April 27, 2008: A complete slate of fifteen games played Sunday failed to produce the ejection of any players, coaches, or managers.

As a result, umpire fantasy league standings remain unchanged.

"Umpire resting, released from hospital; Danley hit in the jaw by fastball during Saturday's contest": MLB.com provides this report.

The Rocky Mountain News reports today that "Umpire gets discharged from hospital; Danley's return from head injury uncertain."

And The Associated Press reports that "Umpire released from hospital after taking fastball to jaw."

My earlier coverage appears at this link.

Major League Baseball games played Saturday, April 26, 2008: An American League day-night double-header in Chicago resulted in sixteen games played on Saturday. And those sixteen games yielded a single ejection.

In Cleveland, where the Indians hosted the New York Yankees, second base umpire Derryl Cousins ejected Indians manager Eric Wedge in the bottom of the 8th inning for arguing too vociferously over a blown call that Cousins had made. Cousins called out an Indians base runner on a force out at second base although, as replays showed, the Yankees fielder who took the throw at second base never had control of the ball while he was on the bag. The game was tied 3-3 at the time of the ejection, but the Indians went on to win 4-3 in the bottom of the 9th. You can access the box score at this link, while wraps from MLB.com are available here and here. You can view related photos here and here. Additional coverage is available from The Cleveland Plain Dealer; The New York Times; The New York Daily News; The New York Post; and The Associated Press.

Credit umpire Derryl Cousins with an ejection -- his first of the season -- and adjust your Umpire Fantasy League standings accordingly.

"Home-plate ump hurt at Dodger Stadium; Danley briefly unconscious after hit in mask with fastball": MLB.com provides a report that begins, "Home-plate umpire Kerwin Danley briefly lost consciousness after being hit in the mask in the jaw area with a 96 mph fastball in the fourth inning of the Dodgers-Rockies game on Saturday night, and after a delay was taken from the field on an ambulance." MLB.com has posted online this video of the incident. And you can access umpire Kerwin Danley's official bio at this link.

In other coverage, The Associated Press provides reports headlined "Umpire hit on jaw by pitch, taken off field in ambulance" and "Plate ump Danley injured in Dodgers' 11-3 win over Rockies."

Today's edition of The Los Angeles Times contains articles headlined "Umpire at Dodgers game taken to hospital after getting hit by pitch; He lost consciousness for a few seconds and remained motionless for nearly 10 minutes" and "Dodgers' easy win comes with a scare; They score 10 in first and rout Rockies, 11-3, but umpire Danley is hurt by Penny pitch."

The Los Angeles Daily News reports today that "Dodgers' 10-run first inning lifts them to victory; umpire hurt."

And today's edition of The Denver Post contains articles headlined "Umpire injured by 96 mph pitch" and "Buried by not-so-perfect 10; Kemp's grand slam keys Los Angeles' 10-run first inning off Redman as the Rockies lose for the sixth time in seven games."

Major League Baseball games played Friday, April 25, 2008: The postponement of an American League game in Chicago due to rain resulted in only fourteen games being completed Friday. And those fourteen games produced one ejection.

In Queens, where the New York Mets hosted the Atlanta Braves, Braves manager Bobby Cox recorded his Major League Baseball-leading 136th ejection of his career when home plate umpire Tim McClelland ejected Cox for arguing balls and strikes in the bottom of the 3rd inning. The ejection was a shrewd move by Cox, who thereby saved Braves starting pitcher Jair Jurrjens from being ejected for showing up the home plate umpire. The score was tied 1-1 at the time of the ejection, and the Braves trailed the Mets 3-1 by the end of the 3rd inning. However, the Braves rallied to win the game 6-3. You can access the box score at this link, while wraps from MLB.com are here and here. You can view related photos here and here. Additional coverage is available from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution; The New York Times; The New York Daily News; The New York Post; and The Associated Press.

Credit umpire Tim McClelland with an ejection -- his second of the season -- and adjust your Umpire Fantasy League standings accordingly.

Major League Baseball games played Thursday, April 24, 2008: Thanks to a double-header in Kansas City, there were sixteen games on the Major League Baseball calendar Thursday. And those sixteen games produced a total of four ejections.

At Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, where the Tampa Bay Rays hosted the Toronto Blue Jays, first base umpire Tim McClelland ejected Blue Jays right fielder Alex Rios at the conclusion of the top of the 3rd inning after McClelland ruled that Rios's bat had gone around far enough on a swing to constitute strike three. Rios, who maintained that it was a check-swing, then flipped his bat, threw his helmet to the ground, and shouted, earning the early exit from the game, as reported by MLB.com in an article headlined "Rios ejected in third inning vs. Rays; Outfielder throws down bat, helmet after call on check swing." The Blue Jays were leading 2-0 at the time but ended up losing 5-3. You can access the box score at this link, while wraps from MLB.com are available here and here. You can view related photos here and here. Additional coverage is available from The Toronto Globe and Mail; The Toronto Star; The St. Petersburg Times; The Tampa Tribune; The Orlando Sentinel; and The Associated Press.

In Seattle, where the Mariners hosted the Baltimore Orioles, home plate umpire Casey Moser (a 2008 minor league call-up umpire) ejected Mariners manager John McLaren for arguing balls and strikes in the top of the 7th inning. The Mariners had been leading 5-3 at the end of the 6th inning but managed to surrender four runs in the top of the 7th and never regained the lead, losing 8-7. You can access the box score at this link, while wraps from MLB.com are available here and here. You can view a related photo at this link. Additional coverage is available from The Seattle Times; The Seattle Post-Intelligencer; The Baltimore Sun; The Washington Post; and The Associated Press.

And in Los Angeles, where the Dodgers hosted the Arizona Diamondbacks, second base umpire Andy Fletcher ejected both Dodgers second baseman Jeff Kent and Dodgers manager Joe Torre in the top of the 9th inning for continuing to argue a call, which Fletcher had made in the top of the 8th inning, that Kent had removed his foot from the second base bag before receiving the throw from the Dodgers third baseman on a grounder to third and thereby had failed to record the force-out on the runner who was on first base when the play began. The Diamondbacks won the game by a score of 6-4. You can view the box score at this link, while wraps from MLB.com are available here and here. You can view related photos here, here, and here. Additional coverage is available from The Los Angeles Times; The Los Angeles Daily News; The Arizona Republic; and The Associated Press.

Credit umpire Andy Fletcher with two ejections, giving him a total of three for the season; credit umpires Tim McClelland and Casey Moser with one ejection, for each the first of the season; and adjust your Umpire Fantasy League standings accordingly.

Major League Baseball games played Wednesday, April 23, 2008: A rain-out in Kansas City resulted in only fourteen of the complete slate of fifteen games scheduled for Wednesday being played. And those fourteen games failed to produce the ejection of any players, coaches, or managers.

As a result, umpire fantasy league standings remain unchanged.

Major League Baseball games played Tuesday, April 22, 2008: A complete slate of fifteen games played Tuesday produced two ejections.

In Pittsburgh, where the Pirates hosted the Florida Marlins, first base umpire Mike Winters ejected Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez in the top of the 7th inning after arguing that a Marlins batter had reached first base safely before the throw arrived. Had the batter been called safe at first, the Marlins would have tied the game at 3-3. Instead, the Pirates had a 3-2 lead at the conclusion of the top of the 7th, and that ended up being the final score. You can access the box score at this link, while wraps from MLB.com can be accessed here and here. You can view related photos here and here. Additional coverage is available from The Miami Herald; The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette; The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review; and The Associated Press.

And in Phoenix, where the Arizona Diamondbacks hosted the San Francisco Giants, home plate umpire Andy Fletcher ejected Giants manager Bruce Bochy in the top of the 7th inning for arguing that a foul ball had grazed a Diamondbacks fielder in fair territory and thus should have been called a hit. The Giants were trailing 5-3 at the time and ended up losing by a score of 5-4. You can access the box score at this link, while wraps from MLB.com are available here and here. You can view a related photo at this link. Additional coverage is available from The San Francisco Chronicle; The San Jose Mercury News; The Arizona Republic; and The Associated Press.

Credit umpires Andy Fletcher and Mike Winters with one ejection -- for each, the first of the season -- and adjust your Umpire Fantasy League standings accordingly.

Major League Baseball games played Monday, April 21, 2008: A partial slate of ten games played Monday failed to produce the ejection of any players, coaches, or managers.

As a result, umpire fantasy league standings remain unchanged.

Umpire Fantasy League standings as of the close of play on Sunday, April 20, 2008:

Three ejections
Hunter Wendelstedt

One ejection
Phil Cuzzi
Bob Davidson
Paul Emmel
James Hoye
Adrian Johnson
Bill Miller
Ed Montague
Rick Reed
Tim Timmons
Joe West

Major League Baseball games played Sunday, April 20, 2008: A complete slate of fifteen games played Sunday produced one ejection.

In Boston, where the Red Sox hosted the Texas Rangers, home plate umpire Paul Emmel ejected Red Sox left fielder Manny Ramirez for arguing a called third strike in the bottom of the 2nd inning. The Red Sox were trailing 2-0 at the time of the ejection but came back to win the game by a score of 6-5. You can view the box score at this link, while wraps from MLB.com are available here and here. Additional coverage is available from The Boston Globe; The Boston Herald (here and here); The Providence Journal (here and here); The Dallas Morning News; The Fort Worth Star-Telegram; and The Associated Press.

Credit umpire Paul Emmel with an ejection -- his first of the season -- and adjust your Umpire Fantasy League standings accordingly.

"Manny ejected after arguing call; Leadoff strikeout draws Ramirez's ire in bottom of second": MLB.com provides this report.

Major League Baseball games played Saturday, April 19, 2008: A complete slate of fifteen games played Saturday produced a total of three ejections.

In Cincinnati, where the Reds hosted the Milwaukee Brewers, home plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt ejected two players from the Reds for arguing balls and strikes during the 8th inning. The first of those two ejections came in the top of the 8th inning, when Wendelstedt ejected Reds catcher Paul Bako for complaining that a pitch that Wendelstedt called as a ball was actually a strike. And the second of those ejections came in the bottom of the 8th when Reds pinch hitter Ryan Freel argued that a pitch that Wendelstedt called as a strike was actually a ball. At the time of both ejections, the score was tied 3-3. The Brewers won 5-3 in 10 innings. You can access the box score at this link, while wraps from MLB.com can be accessed here and here. You can view a related photo at this link. Additional coverage is available from The Cincinnati Enquirer; The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel; and The Associated Press.

And in Houston, where the Astros hosted the Colorado Rockies, home plate umpire Rick Reed ejected Astros manager Cecil Cooper in the bottom of the 7th inning after the umpiring crew upheld the recording of an outfield catch by the Rockies that was actually a dropped ball. The Rockies were leading 3-2 at the time of the ejection and held on to win by that same score. You can access the box score at this link, while wraps from MLB.com are available here and here. You can view a related photo at this link. Additional coverage is available from The Houston Chronicle; The Denver Post (here and here); and The Associated Press.

Credit umpire Hunter Wendelstedt with two ejections, giving him a total of three for the season; credit umpire Rick Reed with one ejection, his first of the season; and adjust your Umpire Fantasy League standings accordingly.

Major League Baseball games played Friday, April 18, 2008: A complete slate of fifteen games played Friday failed to produce the ejection of any players, coaches, or managers.

As a result, umpire fantasy league standings remain unchanged.

Major League Baseball games played Thursday, April 17, 2008: A partial slate of thirteen games played Thursday -- including four extra-inning games capped off by a 22-inning battle in San Diego, where the Colorado Rockies beat the host Padres 2-1 after 6 hours and 16 minutes of baseball -- failed to produce the ejection of any players, coaches, or managers.

As a result, umpire fantasy league standings remain unchanged.

Major League Baseball games played Wednesday, April 16, 2008: A complete slate of fifteen games played Wednesday failed to produce the ejection of any players, coaches, or managers.

As a result, umpire fantasy league standings remain unchanged.

Major League Baseball games played Tuesday, April 15, 2008: A complete slate of fifteen games played Tuesday failed to produce the ejection of any players, coaches, or managers.

As a result, umpire fantasy league standings remain unchanged.

"Thome suspended, fined for actions; Day off planned, so slugger forgoes appeal process": MLB.com provides this report.

You can view the official press release from Major League Baseball at this link.

Major League Baseball games played Monday, April 14, 2008: A partial slate of nine games played Monday produced one ejection.

In Arlington, where the Texas Rangers hosted the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, home plate umpire Joe West ejected Rangers manager Mike Scioscia at the conclusion of the top of the 8th inning after West called the pitch delivered with two out and a 3-2 count strike three instead of ball four. The Angels were leading 7-3 at the time of Scioscia's ejection and ended up winning by the final score of 7-4. You can view the box score at this link, while wraps from MLB.com can be accessed here and here. Additional coverage is available from The Orange County Register; The Los Angeles Times; The Dallas Morning News; The Fort Worth Star-Telegram; and The Associated Press.

Credit umpire Joe West -- one of last season's ejection leaders -- with his first ejection of the season, and adjust your Umpire Fantasy League standings accordingly.

Umpire Fantasy League standings as of the close of play on Sunday, April 13, 2008:

One ejection
Phil Cuzzi
Bob Davidson
James Hoye
Adrian Johnson
Bill Miller
Ed Montague
Tim Timmons
Hunter Wendelstedt

Major League Baseball games played Sunday, April 13, 2008: A complete slate of fifteen games played Sunday produced one ejection.

In Philadelphia, where the Phillies hosted the Chicago Cubs, third base umpire Adrian Johnson (a 2008 minor league call-up umpire) ejected Phillies manager Charlie Manuel in the top of the 6th inning after Manuel argued that ball Mark DeRosa hit out of the park near the left field foul pole was in fact a foul baul. Replays showed that Manuel was correct that the home run was indeed a foul ball. The Phillies were trailing 4-2 as a result of the blown call, and the Cubs ended up winning the game 6-5 in 10 innings. You can view the box score at this link, while wraps from MLB.com are available here and here. You can view a related photo at this link. Additional coverage is available from The Philadelphia Inquirer; The Philadelphia Daily News; The Chicago Tribune; The Chicago Sun-Times; and The Associated Press.

Credit umpire Adrian Johnson with an ejection -- his first of the season -- and adjust your Umpire Fantasy League standings accordingly.

Major League Baseball games played Saturday, April 12, 2008: A complete slate of fifteen games played Saturday failed to produce the ejection of any players, coaches, or managers.

As a result, umpire fantasy league standings remain unchanged.

Major League Baseball games played Friday, April 11, 2008: A complete slate of fifteen games played Friday produced two ejections.

In Chicago, where the White Sox hosted the Detroit Tigers, home plate umpire James Hoye (a 2008 minor league call-up umpire) ejected White Sox designated hitter Jim Thome in the bottom of the 5th inning for arguing a called third strike. The White Sox were trailing 3-2 at the time of Thome's ejection and went on to lose the game by a score of 5-2. You can access the box score at this link, while wraps from MLB.com are available here and here. Additional coverage is available from The Chicago Tribune; The Chicago Sun-Times; The Detroit News; The Detroit Free Press; and The Associated Press.

And in Houston, where the Astros hosted the Florida Marlins, home plate umpire Bob Davidson ejected Marlins batting coach Jim Presley for arguing an interference call that Davidson made on Marlins centerfielder Alfredo Amezaga, who was trying to reach base on a bunt. The Marlins were winning 8-6 at the time and held on to win 10-6. You can view the box score at this link, while wraps from MLB.com are available here and here. Additional coverage is available from The Miami Herald; The Houston Chronicle; and The Associated Press.

Credit umpires Bob Davidson and James Hoye with an ejection -- for each the first of the season -- and adjust your Umpire Fantasy League standings accordingly.

Ejections in Houston and Chicago: On Friday evening, umpires Bob Davidson and James Hoye (a 2008 Minor League Call-Up Umpire) each recorded his first ejection of the 2008 regular season (see here and here). More details to follow later today.

"Guillen fined for comments about ump; White Sox manager stands by decision to defend team": MLB.com provides this report. You can view the official Major League Baseball press release at this link.

Major League Baseball games played Thursday, April 10, 2008: A double-header added to the schedule in Arlington, Texas resulted in thirteen games scheduled for Thursday, but cancellations due to snow in Denver and rain in Chicago caused only eleven games to be played. And those eleven games failed to produce the ejection of any players, coaches, or managers.

As a result, umpire fantasy league standings remain unchanged.

"Rd. 2: Guillen upset with umpire Cuzzi; Manager discusses his disdain for previous night's decision." MLB.com provides this report.

The Chicago Tribune reports today that "Guillen's war with umpire far from civil."

Today's edition of The Chicago Sun-Times contains an article headlined "Ozzie's personal question: What's with Cuzzi?"

And The Daily Herald of Arlington Heights, Illinois reports that "Guillen spews venom at ump that tossed him."

Major League Baseball games played Wednesday, April 9, 2008: A rainout in Arlington, Texas caused only fourteen of the complete slate of fifteen games scheduled for Wednesday to be played. And none of those fourteen games -- not even a 15-inning game played in Pittsburgh -- produced the ejection of any players, coaches, or managers.

As a result, umpire fantasy league standings remain unchanged.

Major League Baseball games played Tuesday, April 8, 2008: A partial slate of twelve games played Tuesday produced two ejections.

In St. Petersburg, Florida, where the Tampa Bay Rays hosted the Seattle Mariners, third base umpire Hunter Wendelstedt ejected Rays manager Joe Maddon in the bottom of the 7th inning for arguing that Wendelstedt had inaccurately called out B.J. Upton, trying to stretch a double into a triple, on a bang-bang play at third base. Upton managed to leave behind his right shoe near the batter's box as he started his dash around the bases, and having one shoe on, one shoe off may have made all the difference on that close play. The Rays were losing 6-5 at the time, and that ended up being the final score. You can access the box score at this link, while wraps from MLB.com are available here and here. Additional coverage is available from The St. Petersburg Times; The Tampa Tribune; The Seattle Times; The Seattle Post-Intelligencer; and The Associated Press.

Tuesday's second ejection occurred in San Francisco, where the Giants hosted the San Diego Padres. In the top of the 8th inning, home plate umpire Tim Timmons ejected Padres left fielder Scott Hairston for disagreeing on a called swing for strike three that Hairston contended was a checked-swing. At the time of the ejection, San Diego was trailing 2-1. The Padres tied the score with a run in the top of the 9th, only to lose 3-2 on a walk-off home run by the Giants in the bottom of the 11th. You can view the box score at this link, while wraps from MLB.com are available here and here. Additional coverage is available from The San Diego Union-Tribune; The North County Times; The San Francisco Chronicle; The San Jose Mercury-News; and The Associated Press.

Credit umpires Tim Timmons and Hunter Wendelstedt with one ejection -- for each the first of the season -- and adjust your Umpire Fantasy League standings accordingly.

"Devil," no; "ejection," yes: The Tampa Bay Rays had their home season opener this evening, and before the game concluded Rays manager Joe Maddon was ejected by third base umpire Hunter Wendelstedt. According to the MLB.com wrap of the game, "Upton nearly started the offense again, doubling down the right-field line in the seventh inning. But the center fielder was called out at third on a highly controversial call that saw manager Joe Maddon ejected from the game." Tampa Bay was trailing 6-5 at the time, and that ended up being the final score. More details to follow in tomorrow's wrap-up.

Major League Baseball games played Monday, April 7, 2008: A partial slate of eleven games played Monday produced one ejection.

In Chicago, where the White Sox hosted the Minnesota Twins, home plate umpire Phil Cuzzi ejected White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen in the bottom of the 3rd inning for arguing balls and strikes. The White Sox were losing 2-1 at the time, but they came back to win the game 7-4. You can view the box score at this link, while wraps from MLB.com are available here and here. MLB.com also reports that "Guillen tossed from home opener; White Sox manager ejected for arguing balls and strikes." You can view photos of the ejection here and here. Additional coverage is available from The Chicago Tribune (here and here); The Chicago Sun-Times (here and here); The Minneapolis Star Tribune; The St. Paul Pioneer Press; and The Associated Press.

Credit umpire Phil Cuzzi -- one of last season's ejection leaders -- with an ejection, his first of this season.

"Guillen tossed from home opener; White Sox manager ejected for arguing balls and strikes": MLB.com provides this report. Credit home plate umpire Phil Cuzzi with the ejection, which occurred in the bottom of the 3rd inning of this afternoon's game. More details to follow in tomorrow's wrap-up.

Umpire Fantasy League standings as of the close of play on Sunday, April 6, 2008:

One ejection

Bill Miller
Ed Montague

Major League Baseball games played Sunday, April 6, 2008: A complete slate of fifteen games played Sunday failed to produce the ejection of any players, coaches, or managers.

As a result, umpire fantasy league standings remain unchanged.

Major League Baseball games played Saturday, April 5, 2008: A complete slate of fifteen games played Saturday failed to produce the ejection of any players, coaches, or managers.

As a result, umpire fantasy league standings remain unchanged.

Major League Baseball games played Friday, April 4, 2008: Due to a rain-out in Atlanta, only fourteen of the fifteen games scheduled for Friday were played. And those fourteen games failed to produce the ejection of any players, coaches, or managers.

As a result, umpire fantasy league standings remain unchanged.

Major League Baseball games played Thursday, April 3, 2008: Due to a rain-out in Baltimore, only ten of the eleven games scheduled for Thursday were played. And those ten games produced a single ejection, in the Bronx, where the New York Yankees were hosting the Toronto Blue Jays.

In the top of the fourth inning, Blue Jays designated hitter Frank Thomas took exception to home plate umpire Bill Miller's called third strike on a pitch that Thomas thought was high and inside. Before the pitch, there were two out and Thomas was facing a full count. When the pitch hit the catcher's glove, Thomas took off for first base, believing he had walked, only to see the Yankees team depart the field, having just recorded the third and final out of the half inning on a called strike three. After Thomas argued with Miller for a bit over the call, Miller gave the Big Hurt the heave-ho.

Although the Blue Jays were winning 1-0 when Thomas was ejected, the Yankees rallied to win 3-2. You can access the box score at this link. The MLB.com wrap of the game for the Blue Jays is headlined "Jays fall to Yanks after Thomas ejected; Slugger tossed from game after arguing called third strike," and you can access video of the pitch and ejection via that link. The MLB.com wrap for the Yankees is here. You can view a photo of the ejection at this link. The Toronto Globe and Mail reports that "Thomas's temper hurts Jays." And The Toronto Star reports that "Big Hurt frustrated? Maybe just a little." Additional coverage is available from The Toronto Star; The New York Times; The New York Daily News; and The New York Post.

Credit umpire Bill Miller with an ejection, his first of the season.

"Thomas ejected after arguing strike call; Slugger replaced by Shannon Stewart as designated hitter": MLB.com provides this report. Credit home plate umpire Bill Miller with the ejection. More details to follow in tomorrow's wrap-up.

Major League Baseball games played Wednesday, April 2, 2008: A complete slate of 15 games played Wednesday failed to produce the ejection of any players, coaches, or managers.

As a result, umpire fantasy league standings remain unchanged.

"Bowa suspended for three games; Third-base coach fined by Commissioner after argument": MLB.com provides this report. The page containing the article also provides video of Bowa's meltdown.

In other coverage, The Los Angeles Times reports today that "Dodgers coach Larry Bowa criticizes suspension; He calls his three-game punishment for arguing with third base umpire 'more ludicrous' than the new rule he violated about base coaches staying in boxes until batted balls pass them."

You can access at this link the official Major League Baseball press release announcing the suspension.

On April 1, 2008, the first ejection of the 2008 Major League Baseball season occurs: On the fifth day of the 2008 regular season -- after two games in Japan; one in Washington, DC; and opening day Monday everywhere else, if weather permitted -- an ejection has finally occurred.

And, not surprisingly, the person ejected was Los Angeles Dodgers third base coach Larry Bowa. He wasn't ejected for refusing to wear what he considers to be a silly plastic hat while on the field. Instead, he was ejected in the bottom of the 6th inning for failing to stay within the third base coach's box -- another rule that's seldom if ever enforced. Credit third base umpire (and crew chief) Ed Montague with the first ejection of the MLB 2008 regular season.

The game was scoreless when Bowa was ejected. The Dodgers scored the game-winning run in the bottom of the 9th inning to defeat the San Francisco Giants 3-2. You can view the box score at this link, while wraps from MLB.com are available here and here. MLB.com also reports that "Bowa melts down after getting ejected; Dodgers coach disciplined for straying from box." You can view related photos here and here. Other coverage is available from The Los Angeles Times; The Los Angeles Daily News; The San Francisco Chronicle; The San Jose Mercury News; and The Associated Press.

Stay tuned for coverage of the length of Bowa's suspension, once it is announced.

"Ump Tells Lout To Not Shout, So He's Out": The Washington Post today contains an article that begins, "There were so few fans at Dolphin Stadium for Wednesday's game, a season ticket holder got thrown out for heckling the umpire too loudly. In the fifth inning of the Florida Marlins' 5-4 victory over the Washington Nationals, home plate umpire Paul Schreiber gave the thumb to an unnamed man seated behind the plate who had been verbally abusive throughout the contest."

As regular readers of this blog have noticed, I've fallen a few days behind in updating recent Major League Baseball ejections. Because this blog only awards Umpire Fantasy League credit to umpires who eject players, coaches, and/or managers, home plate umpire Paul Schreiber will not be receiving credit for his ejection of a fan for excessive heckling. Nor does MLB.com's official box score of yesterday's Nationals-Marlins game note the ejection. Additional coverage of the fan's ejection is available at this post from "Deadspin."

Major League Baseball games played Thursday, September 6, 2007: A limited slate of 5 games played Thursday failed to produce the ejection of any players, coaches, or managers.

As a result, umpire fantasy league standings remain unchanged.