Thursday, June 21, 2007

Major League Baseball games played on Wednesday, June 20, 2007: Last night's full slate of 15 games produced one ejection in the lone non-interleague contest, in which the Milwaukee Brewers hosted the San Francisco Giants.

As I first noted here in my post from yesterday afternoon, first base umpire Brian Knight-- a 2007 minor league call-up umpire -- ejected Giants manager Bruce Bochy for arguing a call at first base.

I saw a replay of the call that Bochy was arguing -- Giants leadoff hitter Dave Roberts hit a ground ball to Brewers shortstop Craig Counsell, who then threw to first baseman Prince Fielder -- and it was quite evident from the replay that Roberts got to first base before the ball hit Fielder's glove.

The fact that Knight made a blown call on the play was not lost on the mainstream media. The Oakland Tribune's coverage of the game in today's paper is headlined "Ump's blown call helps Giants lose 7th straight; Out decision at first base on Roberts helps end rally in sixth." Even The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the hometown newspaper of the Brewers, refers to the play as "an apparent missed call by first base umpire Brian Knight that led to the ejection of Bochy." And The San Francisco Chronicle contains an article headlined "Bitter end to S.F.'s abysmal road trip; Bochy tossed after ump's call snuffs rally." You can access a related photo at this link. The box score can be accessed here, while MLB.com wraps are available here and here.

Based on yesterday's play, credit Brian Knight with one ejection and adjust your Umpire Fantasy League standings accordingly.

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