Fredi Gonzalez was tossed because of a new rule.
Neither the Marlins' Fredi Gonzalez nor the Padres' Bud Black was aware Monday of a first-year rule that prohibits a manager from arguing a reversed call after the umpires meet on the field to discuss the play. That's partially why Gonzalez was ejected quickly by Joe West on Monday after West's crew turned what originally was ruled an RBI double by Hanley Ramirez into a foul ball. Black asked third base umpire Chris Guccione to review the "fair ball" call he made while jumping out of the way of Ramirez's liner down the left-field line. The call was reversed after the four umpires huddled. As Gonzalez came onto the field to argue the reversal, West could be seen signaling the Marlins manager to stop while saying, "You can't argue that." After Gonzalez persisted and said the magic word, he was ejected. "I didn't know you couldn't argue that," said Black, who argued a reversed call last year in Pittsburgh -- when Josh Bard's homer was correctly reduced to a double -- and was ejected after a lengthy debate. "But it makes sense. If they reversed a call, they aren't going to reverse it back again."
No, it doesn't make sense.
I will admit I didn't know the new rule was in place. The last time I read the rule book was about two years ago and let me tell you, it is a cure for insomnia.
So the way it stands is the manger who feels the call was missed can come out and argue but if the call reversed the manager of the other team doesn't have the right to make his case. Exactly, how is that fair? So once the four umpires get together and make a decision they become infallible and someone else's opinion should not be heard, though his counterpart was allowed to make his case, ludicrous.
I could go on and on, but it won't change anything. I will say this however, I still don't like Joe West and his talk to the hand routine just cemented that further.