Wally Backmann's Rant

[JoesFan]

Might just be me, but I'm disappointed in Wally Backman. His ranting and umpire bumping was childish enough. But then he goes to the media and tries to blame the umpires for his tantrum.
Come on Dude, you're in first place in the league! What do you gain by trying to show up the umps - and the SCL - by your media tirade? You got something against earning a living, and allowing other people to do the same?
I'm disappointed in the league as well. I read the response of the SCL, and the guy in effect agreed with Backman. The umpires already have it tough enough with the heat they get from the fans, players, and managers. Are they now to be piled upon by the league bosses as well?
I've been to a few games in different stadiums, and the umpires have done a great job! They don't get every call right in my opinion, but neither do the officials in the majors! The players aren't perfect, nor the managers, Mr. Backman! Why do you expect the umpires to be perfect every time?
A lot of kids come to the games, and this is NOT the kind of behavior we should be demonstrating. I'm sick of the tantrums by managers like Lou Pinella and Wally Backman. I don't think a three game suspension is enough.
Come on SCL, SUPPORT your officiating crew!
And Backmann, take your suspension like a man!
JoesFan

[heavesrock]

Managers should be allowed to talk in the media, argue, and do other things without suspensions. Pitchers should allowed to throw pitches at batters with ejections or suspentions.

[Mr.Ed]

Wally Backman seems to be looking for as much publicity as he can find. I guess he is trying to keep his name out there and maybe a major league team would give him a shot.The Orioles are still looking.

[JoesFan]

Some people are big believers in the saying, "even bad publicity is good publicity". From the Anderson Joes webpage:

"After taking ball one in a 1-2 count, South Georgia (23-9) right fielder Doc Brooks got into an argument with home plate umpire Tom Height, which led to Brooks' impending ejection. To defend his player, Peanuts manager Wally Backman came out and argued with Height and fellow umpire Tyler Simpson. Backman was also ejected after kicking dirt on home plate.

He then left the field and headed to the Peanuts dugout, at which point he threw 22 bats and emptied a bucket of baseballs onto the third-base side of the field, with debris ranging from the third base bag to home plate. The Joes left the field momentarily while bat boys cleaned up the mess and action finally returned after Backman had been subdued and left."

Today's 11:00 AM start was to welcome a lot of the area daycares to the stadium. I guess it is fitting that Wally's performance was in front of an age group who could relate...
Here's a phrase for the fledgling SCL to learn. "Actions detrimental and embarrassing to the league and the game of baseball."
Wally, you're trying to use this league as your stepping stone back to the BIGs. You should be ashamed.

JoeFan

[ChicoManiac]

Hey JoesFan...

One of the more interesting parts of your post is that the batter started arguing with the home plate ump "after taking ball one in a 1-2 count"....first time I've heard of a batter complaining about a ball call and getting ejected....

We had Backman in the Western League years ago and he was the same then....your league definitely knew what they were getting....managers do lose it occasionally although some more than others....what gets me is the loud use of profanity with all the kids present....minor league parks are pretty small and those words really do carry....you can put an umpire in his place without cussing him as our manager Mark Parent did last year when he confronted the homeplate umpire in Long Beach and said "I feel sorry for the high schools around here"...

[JoesFan]

:mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
That's pretty clever!
Congrats, Maniac, it looks like the OUTLAWS are on a streak.
JoesFan

[JoesFan]

Wally Backman claimed he would quit if the SCL suspends him again.
Looks like SCL is calling his bluff!
Three game suspension is set to start tonight.

South Coast League, you are a class act.

[kekemortson]

After reading the article about Peanuts manager Wally Backman:mad: (posted below) and the article about Music skipper, Phil Plantier :D (posted on "Music to my ears"), it would seem that they are on opposite ends of the managerial scale....

The South Coast League had no problem with Wally Backman hurling bats and balls from the South Georgia dugout Tuesday against the Anderson Joes. It was the expletives he hurled at Joes personnel after the game that resulted in another three-game suspension for the fiery skipper.

Backman is sitting out the series against Charlotte County after confronting Anderson play-by-play announcer Mike Janela and general manager Garrett Ball following a 6-5 loss at Anderson Memorial Stadium in which he was ejected in the eighth inning. Backman took exception to remarks made by Janella, who called Backman’s on-field outburst “childish.”

Following the conclusion of the game Backman wandered into the radio booth and fired some obscenities at Janella. When Ball tried to prevent the situation from getting out of hand, Backman cursed him as well.

That convinced SCL chief executive officer Jamie Toole to suspend Backman for a second time this season. Backman was suspended earlier this month for bumping an umpire during a game against the Aiken Foxhounds.

“We as league officials understand you have to have rules and regulations, and what Wally did after the game stepped over the line,” Toole said. “We talked to the supervisor of umpires and he didn’t believe what Wally did on the field deserved a suspension. But when something spills over from the field and into the press box, we won’t tolerate that.”

Backman had said that if he was suspended again he would quit the team, but Toole suggests that was a statement made in the heat of the moment. Both he and SCL co-founder Chris Allen talked with Backman by phone Wednesday.

“I think Wally regrets what happened after the game in Anderson,” Toole said. “I think when he said what he said about quitting that was just frustration on his part. What we explained to him is that league managers, general managers and players have to be held accountable for their actions, and he understands that.”

Backman is the only SCL competitor who has been suspended during the league’s inaugural season, and the SCL office continues to receive complaints about Tuesday’s incident from Joes fans. While arguing with the umpire Backman screamed several obscenities which were clearly audible to the small crowd. Just a few minutes earlier the stands were filled with children as part of the stadium’s Day Care Day promotion.

“We take the complaints seriously and we want to make sure our games are family-friendly,” Toole said. “Unfortunately sometimes in the heat of battle managers and players will say things they shouldn’t and that’s what happened in this situation.”

Backman had no comment, and is expected to keep a low profile during the Peanuts’ three-game set with the Redfish, which began Thursday night.

Controversy is nothing new to the 47-year-old, who gained fame as a second baseman for the New York Mets and helped the club claim the World Series crown in 1986.

His coaching career began with the Lancaster JetHawks, a farm club for the Seattle Mariners. On Nov. 1, 2004, the Arizona Diamondbacks hired Backman as manager, but the stint lasted just four days.

Club officials learned that Backman had been arrested twice, once for DUI and another time for an altercation with a female friend of his wife, and withdrew their offer before Backman ever signed a contract.

He was also plagued by financial problems, and was forced to declare bankruptcy.

By Scott Adamson
Thursday, June 28, 2007
http://www.independentmail.com/news/2007/jun/28/scl-suspends-backman-again/

[Mr.Ed]

Wally Badman seems to be Peanutin' up in the hot south GA sun.
If he freaks out in the SCL it is a good thing he didn't manage in the majors.

[JoesFan]

Peanutin' up in the hot south GA sun.

:lol: :lol: :lol:

[Fells]

I have to say that as one who does play-by-play and color, I was appalled by Backman's actions. We have our job to do, and that includes saying some things that players and managers may not like. I hate to break it to Backman, but it is our job!!! What was the guy supposed to do, not give an opinion on what happened? If Backman doesn't want to be subject to any criticism then he is in the wrong business.

[kekemortson]

07/03/2007 - The Macon Telegraph
By Michael A. Lough


The South Coast League wanted some national publicity, the South Coast League got it, on AOL Sports and Deadspin.com and MSNBC.com and in the St. Petersburg Times and Arizona Republic.

Fortunately and unfortunately.

A week after an Associated Press story on the league that focused on South Georgia manager Wally Backman ran on the national wires, the former Arizona manager melted down like a cone of cookies 'n cream on the hood of your car.

Backman's currently chewing on some toenails in light of one statement in the story: "I just want to prove to an organization what I'm all about."

Thus, let's visit the funny pages - aka published reports - of last Tuesday night in Anderson, S.C.

Former Georgia slugger Doc Brooks was ejected in the eighth inning after arguing balls and strikes, and Backman went out to defend him and argue some more.

According to a variety of reports, Backman's defense of Brooks was loud and littered with profanity, as are most sports arguments. Most of the crowd had left, but many fans remained on - ahem - "Day Care Day" at the park.

"Day Care" means kids, and they have ears, too, some of whom might've bled a little bit that night.

"Mommy, what does (expletive deleted) mean? And what's a (expletive deleted)?"

Done debating, Backman heaved nearly two dozen bats and a bag of balls onto the field. Meanwhile, pitching coach Buddy York was at home, listening to the radio and heard an unflattering description of the display.

He called Backman to relate that, and Backman charged up to the press box to confront the play-by-play announcer - on the road in an independent league baseball game, less than two weeks after serving a suspension for bumping an umpire and bragging about it.

Then Backman threatened to take on the general manager, who had arrived to raise the level of maturity a few notches and calm down a 47-year-old man.

Then Backman - unhappy with the umpires all season - threatened to quit and said he'd have quit a long time ago, but he liked his players - the young men for whom the former major leaguer was setting an exquisite example - too much.

The absurdity of baseball managers' credibility-sapping tirades is old news. The moron in the Atlanta Braves' organization who turned the mound into his own stage in early June is an embarrassment to, oh, men, baseball, the Braves, mounds and those who've actually had to crawl and throw a grenade.

It's hard to understand the acceptance of such shenanigans, since it's exactly the same stuff a manager wouldn't tolerate from his own players. And that's certainly not to say Backman's alone among league managers in acting like a child, albeit his performance was substantially more public.

The odd part is what the league suspended Backman for: his language on the field during the argument. The kids heard bad words.

So all that other stuff - the equipment tossing, the threatening of a radio announcer, the threatening of a league general manager - apparently wasn't a big deal to league officers, or even the supervisor of umpires, which must be comforting to the men in blue.

The Peanuts aren't back in Macon until July 19-21, and there's no talk of a "Helmet, Cup, Bodyguard and Earplug Night."

Yet.


Michael A. Lough is a reporter/columnist for The Macon Telegraph. Contact him at 744-4626 or mlough@macon.com

http://www.macon.com/182/story/80736.html

[JoesFan]

Great article KEKE.
Thanks for sharing that!