Milt Pappas and the fat man

[Balsa]

So I heard Fat Froeming struck again tonight?

 

one of the worst calls i've ever seen.... hopefully we can get a screenshot or video of it.

Even the ESPN guys said it was ridiculous.

[jjgman21]

really good to know that he will not play a role in this division race. really unfortunate that he will more than likely get into the playoffs somewhere as his swan song.

[minnesotacubsfan]

So I heard Fat Froeming struck again tonight?

 

one of the worst calls i've ever seen.... hopefully we can get a screenshot or video of it.

Even the ESPN guys said it was ridiculous.

 

what happened?

[jjgman21]

So I heard Fat Froeming struck again tonight?

 

one of the worst calls i've ever seen.... hopefully we can get a screenshot or video of it.

Even the ESPN guys said it was ridiculous.

 

what happened?

 

Bob mentioned during the Cubs broadcast. I didn't see it, but called a runner at first safe when he was out by a half step.

 

just like you "happened" to miss one at second base at Wrigley in (was it?) 2004 v. the Cards, eh fatman.

[TruffleShuffle]

So I heard Fat Froeming struck again tonight?

 

one of the worst calls i've ever seen.... hopefully we can get a screenshot or video of it.

Even the ESPN guys said it was ridiculous.

 

what happened?

 

just a grounder to the padres' 3B, who threw across to 1B. Froemming called the runner safe and it really was not a bang bang play at all.... the runner was out by at least half a step and he completely blew the call. If you see it, you'll understand how bad a call it was.

[jjgman21]

So I heard Fat Froeming struck again tonight?

 

one of the worst calls i've ever seen.... hopefully we can get a screenshot or video of it.

Even the ESPN guys said it was ridiculous.

 

what happened?

 

just a grounder to the padres' 3B, who threw across to 1B. Froemming called the runner safe and it really was not a bang bang play at all.... the runner was out by at least half a step and he completely blew the call. If you see it, you'll understand how bad a call it was.

 

it was just coincidence that it came with one out, a runner on, and Braun and Fielder ready to come up and give them the lead....

 

but then the Maestro took matters into his own hands.

[Coach C]

So I heard Fat Froeming struck again tonight?

 

one of the worst calls i've ever seen.... hopefully we can get a screenshot or video of it.

Even the ESPN guys said it was ridiculous.

 

what happened?

 

just a grounder to the padres' 3B, who threw across to 1B. Froemming called the runner safe and it really was not a bang bang play at all.... the runner was out by at least half a step and he completely blew the call. If you see it, you'll understand how bad a call it was.

 

I guess Philly fans had a sudden flashback to 1977 when Froemming made almost the exact call like that. Runner was clearly out, yet he called him safe.

[Omar]

"When you're that good, you'll last."

 

My ass. He's one of the worst umpires to step foot on the diamond... and certainly the worst umpires in the game today. Right in front of Angel Hernandez, CB Buckner, and Joe West.

[TruffleShuffle]

lol i just watched the replay of this... after the ground out gonzalez comes off the bag like it was an easy out, maddux turns after gonzalez catches kouzmanoff's throw and points at kouzmanoff to give him credit for a nice play, then maddux turns back around when he hears that the play was called safe. He and kouzmanoff look legitimately shocked.

 

I really hope someone can get a screenshot or a video of this, it's really stunning how bad the call is.

 

haha if you have MLB tv listen to the padres radio announcers - skip ahead to about 2 hours 11 minutes and listen to their reaction. One guy says "disgusting" several times, and the other one says "Brucie you should quit now."

[illiniguy]

Bruce is from Milwaukee, correct??

[BigbadB]

Most Cub fans (with or without the baseball package) didn't see this play. There wasn't a commercial break in the Cub game when this play happened. I had the Cubs on in front of me and the Padres game to my right. I didn't see the original play, but I saw several replays.

 

Bud Black never came out of the dugout. I was shocked. And to me, it looked like a full step. Horrible call.

 

The second base umpire probably could have corrected the call and I think someone should have.

 

This was a game with playoff implications for both teams, and it did give the Brewers a runner at 1st and 2nd in a tie game.

 

Froeming shouldn't even be working games with playoff implications at this point.

[NCCubFan]

Bruce is from Milwaukee, correct??

Yep. And just by pure coincidence I'm sure, so is Bud $elig.

[Fred Hornkohl]

Milt Pappas and the fat man ??????

 

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b137/Hornkohl/043.jpg

 

Who you calling fat ???

 

 

I missed the first inning and a half of that game as I had to work half a day that Saturday. Got home around a quarter of two, and watched the remainder of the game with my father. It's one of those memories that stays with you all your life.

 

I had the good fortune of meeting Milt Pappas ten years ago, just a few weeks before the 25th anniversary of that no-hitter. The CUBS made a big deal out of it that year, just as they did this year. I would really take exception to the poster who called Pappas a tool. He's been nothing but warm and gracious each time I've met him.

 

With regard to the pitches in question to Stahl in the 9th inning, they were surely outside the strike zone as it is defined in the rulebook. As we all know, however, umpires do not call the strike zone as it has been defined, and they never have. It's also worth noting that during the 70's, in the National League, the effective strike zone was even lower and wider than it is today. In talking to Pappas and Randy Hundley at this year's fan convention, they both offered their opinion that the 2 pitches (ball 2 and ball 4) were in locations that Froemming had been calling strikes for the first 8 innings. Suddenly, in the 9th, they're no longer strikes. That is what really set them off.

 

I shared the following anecdote with Pappas and Hundley. You can guess their reactions.......

 

During the summer of 1976, not yet 4 years after Pappas' no hitter, I was driving north on I-94 from Chicago to Milwaukee in a tractor/trailer. Not far across the Wisconsin border, I encountered a black Lincoln Town Car (it might have been a Continental, I'm not sure any more) with a Wisconsin tag the read "NL UMP", and a driver who appeared to weigh in the 350-400 lb range. Knowing that Bruce Froemming is originally from and still resides in the Milwaukee, WI area, there was absolutely no question in my mind as to the identity of the driver of that car. I pulled out in the center lane to pass the vehicle, and as I drew even with the Lincoln, it took every ounce of restraint that I could muster to hold my lane and not make a sudden lane change to the right !!!

 

The good news is..... Bruce is finally going to go away !!!

 

Good riddance to bad rubbish.