Umpire’s odd gum-throwing ritual: a salute to the game or a disrespectful gesture?

Yahoo Sports ^ | 5-5-13 | By Mike Oz | Big League Stew

[rawhide]

Of all the umpire-related stories we've seen this year, here's one that's just really odd: Jordan Baker is a rookie umpire who's getting noticed for tossing his gum into the outfield after every half inning. If he's umping — like he was Tuesday night in the St. Louis Cardinals-Arizona Diamondbacks game — you'll see wads of gum behind him.

The announcers of Tuesday's game noticed as much and talked about it on the air. That wasn't the only reason Baker was noticed. He also threw Diamondbacks bench coach Alan Trammell out of the game after an argument about a stolen base call. (For what it's worth, it looks like Baker blew the call). But back to the gum-throwing: You'll hear it described by TV announcers as Baker's "tradition" and a "salute" to baseball.

If you ask a group of fans in San Diego, however, they'll tell you something different. A blogger from San Diego-centered sports site Lobshots took notice of Baker and his gum-throwing last weekend. What followed is well documented on Lobshots, including the blogger giving Baker an ear-full because the ump was "a disgrace to the game and disrespecting the players, the field, and umpires everywhere."

After Lobshots posted all this, it says it received an e-mail response from Baker's wife defending his gum-throwing. The blog said it would post her retort, but it hasn't yet. It has, however, kept an eye on Baker.

There hasn't been any comment from MLB about Baker and his gum-throwing. His fellow umpires and their bosses couldn't have missed it. So that has to mean the powers that be think it's OK.

[rawhide]

Two videos at link.

How gross and thoughtless! How can anyone, including his wife, defend this slob??

[Hot Tabasco]

First it was cigarettes then it was chewing tobacco now it’s gum.

[Jonty30]

He should learn to wrap his chewed gum in tissue paper and pocket it.

[cripplecreek]

Great unassisted double play by Alex Avila yesterday.

He caught a runner in a rundown between 3rd and home then tagged the runner coming to 3rd from 2nd.

[Berlin_Freeper]

In other sports news:

Striker Jordan Rhodes: We won't go down as worst Scotland team ever

[luvbach1]

Why hasn’t an outfielder complained when getting a wad of it embedded around his spikes? And sure the groundskeepers are big fans of the glob tosser. I predict his habit will shortly be curbed or he will be gone if either has not already happened.

[Drago]

Biohazard! Doesn’t the NCAA (& the pros??) stop games and pull players that are bleeding until they get the bleeding stopped? (HIV hazard) Same for saliva...outfielders should claim “hazardous work environment”! What is it with the generally bad umpiring this season?

[rawhide]

My thoughts exactly!

[Berlin_Freeper]

immediate "onslaught"

has to take his tortoise to the vet

[9YearLurker]

Gross!

[pbmaltzman]

IMO gum chewing is a disgusting habit. I hate the habit and the chewer. Nuff said. I avoid both whenever possible.

[caver]

You forgot the sarcasm tag.

[pbmaltzman]

Don’t need a sarcasm tag. I’m not being sarcastic when I say I hate gum chewing and gum chewers. I’m being serious.

[caver]

OK........ now I’ve heard everything.

[pbmaltzman]

What? You’ve never heard of anybody who hates gum chewing? What rock have you been hiding under?

[infowarrior]

Let me guess, he also begins a game with the traditional "Do baseball!"

the infowarrior

[EnigmaticAnomaly]

Please enlighten me as to what makes you hate the actual gum chewers themselves. I have heard people talk about not liking inconsiderate gum chewers who chew the gum like a cow chews cud, but what beef (no pun intended) do you have with respectful gum chewers?

I think hating the person who chews gum is a bit over the top...

[caver]

Yea, you’re right. I’ve never heard of anyone who hates chewing gum and those who chew gum.

[pbmaltzman]

My mother hated gum chewing too. She was dumb enough to marry my father, who basically neither liked nor respected women. He would chew gum loudly on purpose, and roll the piece of shit around on his tongue. My twin sister learned to do that too. They delighted in tormenting my mother and me.

We'd get into the car to go some place, packed in like sardines, and then my bastard father and my twin would get out the gum, stuff their mouths with it, and proceed to be as obnoxious as possible.

The result is that I cannot stomach the sight, the sound, or the look of gum chewing,

I have noticed that many gum chewers, if you make yourself vulnerable enough to ask them to tone it down, instaed ramp up their efforts to be obnoxious.

For this reason I refuse to take any sort of public transpoirtation such as bus or plane. invariably the biggest pig of a gum chewer will sit next to me and proceed to do their thing.

I have noticed that some blacks specialize in really loud gum chewing, including cracking noises, and that if a white person asks them not to make so much noise, they redouble their efforts to be pigs.

I also do medical transcription for a living, and sometimes the GD dictators chew, smack, slurp or otherwise make themsevles obnoxious while dictating reports. I hate them.

If I ever won a lottery prize, it'd take me about 20 seconds to quit this occupation and never pick up a pair of headphones again.

Their loss, not mine. I'm pretty good at what I do, and a lot of the dictators sound pretty stupid.

So.... I really don't give a GD how weird all this sounds to you or anyone else. My experience tells me to avoid gum chwere whenever possible. Also people who suck their teeth and slurp their food.

Tough shit!

[pbmaltzman]

If you google “hatred of gum chewing” o “dislike of gum chewing,” you will be amazed. I have a lot of company out there...