THAT MOMENT WHEN CC SABATHIA & AARON BOONE DON'T AGREE!

Seriously, Casey wasn't joking when he said THE BASEBALL WORLD JUST FEELS RIGHT TODAY because it's true. The awful Angel Hernandez is FINALLY gone! Good riddance. The game suddenly improved just like that.

I'm ecstatic! I love it, and so does CC Sabathia. I was anxiously awaiting a reaction from him knowing just how passionate he felt about Hernandez and his piss poor umpiring skills. He did take to X to post the Looney Tunes outro where Porky Pig says, "that's all folks!" and it was perfect. For the record, CC is one of my all-time favorite Yankees because he kept it real, and he stuck up for the guys on his team. He was baseball's version of an enforcer in hockey, and I DIG THAT! So, when I think about how much he REALLY disliked Hernandez, this is the moment I reflect back on:

That's as real as it gets AND he still kept it classy. When asked "what would you say to him?" he kept it as simple as that's a conversation between them. He didn't take the bait and give that soundbite he really wanted to give, and he still made his point. We know what he was thinking without him having to say it. It's powerful.

It's not like CC was alone, either. Not only do baseball fans dislike the guy, but so do other players. He was the villain of baseball who couldn't do his job well but was protected by the powerful umpires union. He was protected and hated for too long.

At least, sane individuals believe that. Then you have complete Baboons like Aaron Boone who go to his defense, read more HERE. Another bonehead comment, but I really shouldn't be surprised. Boone said, "I think he’s wrongly been a poster child (and) can be a punching bag of officiating." He also said his treatment had "sometimes been unfair and over the top." 

I guess Baboonie doesn't look at enough stats because anyone who has seen umpscorecards.com knows he was the poster child because he earned that title. He was bad at his job! So there has been nothing unfair and over the top about how he is treated or perceived. Stats don't lie, Baboonie.

This was long overdue. It should've happened a LONG time ago but I guess better late than never. I really don't care WHY the sudden decision was made but the rumor is, MLB and the union came up with a settlement to get him to retire in the season rather than after, read more HERE. Even if that story is completely false, I couldn't care less. He was terrible at his job and no one should get to keep their job if they are terrible at it. 

Something had to happen, MLB needs this. Honestly though, this should just be the START of it. Hernandez wasn't the only awful umpire. Let's really make an impact and clean house by giving C.B. Bucknor and Laz Diaz the boot, too!

Happy "not forced" retirement or whatever you want to call it, Hernandez. You won't be missed.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

DON'T MAKE MARTIN ANGRY...YOU WOULDN'T LIKE HIM ANGRY

I usually don’t have a problem with the umpires.  I know the job sucks and for the most part they handle the job great, after all, they don’t have that replay that we see on our television every night.  They go by the naked eye and they have other umpires to help him out if there are questions or concerns.  That being said, bad calls sometimes happen. I will never forget that near perfect game by Armando Galarraga a while back. 

The poor guy was denied a perfect game because the umpire just botched it.  At least Jim Joyce realized it and admitted it.

All that said, I also don’t think that disrespect among players and umpires is needed either. I hated what I saw from Roberto Alomar years ago when he literally spit on the umpire. Plus, in my mind, anytime players argue balls and strikes, well, it just can’t happen, you're bound to get booted.

That being said, I have to say, Laz Diaz last night in Anaheim was the height of belittling a ballplayer and believe it or not, if the story about what Diaz did to Russell Martin is true, I believe there needs to some type of fine enforced. You can call me ridiculous but I’ll tell you why.  The officials treat everything like they are superior, “Our call is law” and that’s all fine, they're the ump after all, but what happened to respecting human beings? Look, we all know that we need to respect the umpire, but I was curious so I looked through the rules of umpires in the MLB rules.  Rule 9.05, section C actually has a section called General Instructions of Umpires and reads "Umpires on the field should not indulge in conversation with players." There's also a sentence that reads "Be courteous, always to club officials",  you can read it HERE. Look, I'm not some detective that found the silver bullet, I'm just making a point, if the players need to respect the umpires, shouldn't Umps respect some of the rules too?  

If you don’t know what I’m talking about, it had everything to do with Russell Martin “not being allowed” to throw any new balls back to the Yankee pitchers.  According to Martin, Diaz said Martin needed to “earn” the privilege. Read it HERE. I know, it sounds like a joke. Now, last time I checked, Russell Martin doesn’t work for the umpire, he works for the Yankees and “earning” privileges to me would have to do with anything involving his employer and nothing to do with the umpire.  Not only that, how does that kind of denial affect Martin’s confidence and psyche behind the plate after that? I’m sure his mind was racing thinking “What the hell is going on right now?” 

(In Photo: Laz Diaz)

Martin later said “Now thinking back, I should have shown him the gold Rawlings sign on my glove.” My response to that is simple; Sure Russell, you can do that…proving that your somebody, but this is simple thinking. This is not only human respect, it’s a double standard.  Sure players can’t disrespect umpires but let’s use the respect thing all around, both ways.  Message to Laz Diaz, your power trip was ridiculous, get over yourself.

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