May 02 2009
Fined For Betting Reference
Baltimore reliever Jamie Walker has been fined by MLB critical comments made regarding umpire Angel Hernandez. Following an Orioles’ game with the Los Angeles Angels earlier this week, Walker made a reference to gambling.
“I don’t know if he had money betting on the game or what, but that’s a [bad] call,” Walker said about the balk called by Hernandez in the seventh inning. The call on Walker led up to Kendry Morales’ two-run double, which was the difference in the Angels 7-5 win.
“I don’t know if the guy has something against me or what, but no way … did I balk,” added Walker. “It changed the whole … game. I may get screwed in the long run, but that’s just unacceptable.”
MLB’s VP of on-field operations, Bob Watson, called Walker’s comments “inappropriate.” MLB wants to make sure there is no link between players, umpires and other personnel gambling on the outcome of games. Great, but two more points:
• Why wasn’t MLB and the Players’ Union this aggressive with steroids and human growth hormone? Why did it take them so long to confront the issues that it has tainted the integrity of the game for the last 20 years?
• Here’s hoping that the issue had to do with the reference to gambling and not a player’s criticism of an umpire. I didn’t see the call, so I don’t know if it was a balk or not. But a player should be able to have his say, in an appropriate and professional way, about a ruling on the field without MLB coming down on him.
It was a balk. But I disagree with the fine. He was just upset.