Adventures in...the strike zone

by George Heidkamp SportsFanatics.net writer

Grin and Barrett, I guess.

Third baseman Herbert Perry made a fishing reel with his hands. Sandy Alomar, Jr -- a former beloved Indian -- flailed his arms in the air. Jose Valentin tossed his batting helmet back on the field. Sean Lowe was content to yell profanities. Gary Ward waved a lengthy white towel in the air, demonstrating his view of the strike zone called by home plate umpire Ted Barrett.

Time after time on the muggy night, the Sox walked back to the dugout in bitter frustration. Out of spite, Barrett ended the game on a ball 15 inches outside and five inches too high. Now, nobody's saying that Bob Wickman (who happened to be closing it out for the Indians) wouldn't have thrown a 96-mph fastball down the pipe right past Liefer to end it on the next pitch. Nobody's saying the Liefer would have cranked the next pitch out of the yard to tie it at two. But the point is this: he might have.

When you factor in what Barrett did next, it makes it that much more bewildering. First, let us retrace our steps and submit the facts to the world.

ACT I: Top of the sixth, two out, bases loaded: Barrett calls out Jose Canseco on a fastball at the letters and a tad inside. Top of the eighth, tying run on second: Barrett calls out Royce Clayton on a John Rocker slider near the ankles. Top of the ninth: Barrett notches a quick first strike against Canseco on a pitch out and up. Canseco then lets a 91-mph cookie fly by, and then has to hack at a slider four-feet outside in the dirt, in a vain effort to protect the plate. End of Act I.

Act II: Top of the ninth, one out: Jose Valentin launches a ball 465-feet...and foul. He takes ball two from Wickman, then sees what appears to be ball three sail outside. At the last second, Barrett flicks his wrist and punches out Valentin, who is none too pleased at the call. He stomps and curses back into the dugout, glancing over his shoulder letting Barrett get a crystal clear feeling of his thoughts. Barrett takes off his mask, pulls out his lineup card for a moment, then calmly sticks it back in his pocket. Meanwhile, Valentin parades around the dugout and then chucks his helmet back onto the field. Barrett calmly stares and watches Valentin practically try to get thrown out of the game, making himself a martyr for SSE (Shafted Shortstops Everywhere). Just before he signals play to resume, Barrett glares at a White Sox bench suddenly coming to the aid of their "fallen" teammate.

End of Act II.

Act III: Paul Konerko singles to keep hope alive in the top of the ninth. Jeff Liefer, a power hitting lefty with 39 hits (but 11 HRs) stands in and takes ball one low -- no, wait, strike one! Then Wickman curves a beauty at the knees to make it 0-2 with one of the few legit strikes in the inning. The Sox bench begins to rile Barrett, and he glares once more. Liefer watches ball one sail high and away -- no, strike three says Barrett, who promptly turns and heads for the cover of the locker rooms. But not before he takes one more look at the White Sox dugout, wags his finger, as if to tell them, "up yours."

Let us draw a curtain of charity over the rest of this shameless display by a rather blind old umpire.

Article courtesy of Sportsfanatics.net.