THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, October 5, 1996 TAG: 9610050005
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A14 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Editorial
LENGTH: 40 lines
Fans suspected it was too good to be true: the first complete baseball season in three years.
That perfect record is threatened by the uncivilized and repulsive behavior of a single player: Roberto Alomar, the Baltimore Oriole's second baseman.
Alomar ought to be thrown out of baseball for life or, at least, an entire season for spitting on a umpire on Sept. 27. If the Oriole's majority owner, lawyer Peter Angelos, had guts or principles, he would do it himself without waiting for baseball's officialdom to act.
In a film clip that has been played and replayed, Alomar ends an animated disagreement with umpire John Hirschbeck by spitting in the man's face. Hirschbeck had just called Alomar out on a full-count pitch and ejected him from the game for arguing about the call.
Adding insult to injury, Alomar later told reporters that he wasn't sorry and blamed Hirschbeck for being ``real bitter'' over the death of Hirschbeck's 7-year-old son three years ago from adrenoleukodystrophy. The umpire has another son suffering from the same rare disease.
Baseball umpires are accustomed to being reviled and ridiculed. But being spat upon is too much. But then blaming the ugly incident on Hirschbeck's personal tragedy is unspeakable.
Alomar's behavior reinforces the stereotype of professional athletes as spoiled, overpaid brats in men's clothing.
How this dispute will ultimately be resolved is uncertain. Alomar, who finally apologized to Hirschbeck, was given a five-game suspension that affects only regular season games, allowing him to play in the playoffs. The umpires are furious and have threatened to walk off the field in solidarity with Hirschbeck.
Unfortunately, baseball umpires have a no-strike clause in their contracts. Too bad Alomar didn't have a no-spitting clause in his. by CNB