Laz Diaz has a long history of making the game all about him, instigating arguments and making a big show of his authority on the field. Last night in the Yankees-Angels game it was no different.
When Yankees pitcher Shawn Kelley left the game he had some words for Diaz about the strike zone as he was leaving the field. A lot of players do that. They shouldn’t, but they do. It’s incumbent upon the umpire -- or any authority figure dealing with a temper tantrum -- to take the high road rather than exacerbate the situation. Show your authority by paying no mind to those who would fecklessly challenge it. Diaz, apparently, never learned this. Watch as he “shoos” Kelley off the field:
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There’s no place for that. If Diaz ignores Kelley he walks off the field knowing that his protestations fell on deaf ears, as they should. Instead Diaz made it personal and all about him and ended up running Kelley and manager Joe Girardi from the game.
Major League Baseball shouldn’t tolerate this kind of nonsense. There is no room in the game for umpire ego or showmanship. It’s a disgrace and Diaz should be punished for it.
