Great Ejections in Baseball History: Rod Allen

While there's no ejection actually shown in this clip, it can be pretty safely assumed that the proceedings herein resulted in at least one. The clip features Rod Allen, currently a commentator for the Detroit Tigers' television broadcasts, and a former player for the Tigers as well. At the end of his playing career, Allen spent three seasons in Japan with the Hiroshima Carp, where for the most part he was actually fairly successful. But Allen will always be remembered for one particular incident that took place during a game against the Yokohama Taiyo Whales. After running over the Whales' catcher on a play at the plate earlier in the game, Allen was hit by a pitch by Kazuhiko Daimon, which Allen took to be intentional; judging by Daimon's reaction to what followed, it wasn't, or at least he hadn't thought the consequences through ahead of time. Observe, and enjoy:

Great Ejections in Baseball History: José Offerman

Today's Great Ejection is extra special because it's not just an ejection from a game: it's an ejection for LIFE.

Good old José Offerman. Offerman's relationship with baseball was a happy one for a long time. He spent 15 seasons in the Major Leagues, including three and a half with the Red Sox, and even made two All-Star Teams, in 1995 and 1999. He played his last Major League game in 2005.

After this, however, is when the relationship began to sour. And very sour it went. It hit its first major hurdle in 2007, when Offerman was playing for the Long Island Ducks of the independent Atlantic League. On August 14, in a game against the Bridgeport Bluefish, Offerman, after being hit in the calf (the calf) with a pitch, charged the mound wielding bat in hand. The Bluefish pitcher ended up with a broken finger; the catcher, who had come out to protect his pitcher, received a severe concussion. Offerman, after being ejected, was arrested by the Bridgeport police, and was suspended indefinitely from the Atlantic League. He has not played or managed a game in the United States since.

But Offerman was not to be discouraged. He went on to play two final seasons with Triple-A Veracruz of the Mexican League before becoming manager of the Licey Tigers in December of 2008 in his native Dominican Republic. This went well for awhile, too; the Tigers won the league championship in Offerman's first season as manager. But the next season, in a playoff game against the Cibao Giants on January 16, 2010. . . .



To be fair, it's not clear that Offerman actually touches umpire Daniel Rayburn at all here; it's been suggested that Rayburn would do well as a professional wrestler. Really, however, whether he hit him or not hardly matters. Offerman threw a punch at an umpire. Not surprisingly, this earned him a lifetime ban from Dominican baseball.

This incident was likely the last straw in the tenuous relationship Offerman was clinging to with baseball by this point. Now banned from leagues in two countries, it appears the relationship is over.

Great Ejections in Baseball History: Sweet Lou

Lou Piniella doing what he does best.



And this was perhaps the best he ever did it.

Great Ejections in Baseball History: Wally Backman

This week's Great Ejection features a video that I didn't think was real the first time I saw it. It is indeed real, however; the South Georgia Peanuts were a real team in the South Coast League, and their manager, Wally Backman, is a real manager (and former Major League player), who was in fact a finalist for the Mets' managerial position this past offseason. Here, we observe him at his finest.



The footage was filmed for a documentary TV series called Playing for Peanuts, documenting the team's 2007 season (the team, and league, folded after just one year of existence). Let's hope Backman gets that job managing in the Majors sometime soon.

Great Ejections in Baseball History: Phillip Wellman

Well I've had limited ability to post recently because my laptop's been in the shop (my cat spilled some Sprite on the keyboard). Happily, though, I am able to bring you your Great Ejection for Monday:



I imagine anyone who was paying attention to baseball in 2007 will remember this one. This is one of the all-time most over-the-top, and most famous, post-ejection managerial meltdowns, and gained Wellman, then manager of the Double-A Mississipi Braves, considerable Internet attention at the time it happened. Incidentally, the following season, Wellman went on to lead the Mississippi Braves to the Southern League championship.

Great Ejections in Baseball History: "You're here just to fuck us!"

Another excellent baseball moment, this time involving the ejection of Baltimore Orioles manager Earl Weaver by umpire Bill Haller, and the dialogue that ensues. Let us all be thankful that Haller was wearing a microphone during the exchange.



Earl Weaver, it should be noted, was also born in 1930, the same year as Jack McKeon.

Great Ejections in Baseball History: "He's taking the bag home!"

I came across this video on YouTube, and I liked it so much I decided to post it here.



Definitely one of the best post-ejection scenes I've seen. What I think makes this video so good, though, is the commentator's giddy depiction of the proceedings, in his thick Boston accent.

Long live Butch Hobson.