Gibson? He spends his off hours hiding behind a rule that really doesn't seem to exist, or at least operates more as a guideline.
Six days after handing Washington star Ryan Zimmerman his first career ejection during a game against the Cubs, Barry threw out Ryan Howard in the 14th inning for tossing his bat following a second awful checked-swing reversal from third base.
When Howard rolled his head after the first, Barry took a step toward him and leered back. It seemed like goading to me. Incensed after the second, Howard marched toward Barry as players, coaches and even Gibson attempted to impede his momentum.
"I've never seen him upset like that," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said after the Astros beat the Phillies, 4-2, in 16 innings. "I've seen him mad, but never like that."
Two nights, two controversies for the Big Piece, whose ejection came the night after Gibson blew a base-line tag call, compounded it with what Manuel described as the most liberal interpretation of what a base line is, then hid behind his crew chief as the media sought clarification afterward.
Howard's ejection, so late in a game in which both teams had depleted their benches, forced the Phillies to play Roy Oswalt in leftfield and Raul Ibanez at first. Oswalt actually caught the only ball hit to him, and Ibanez made a nice diving play to beat Michael Bourn to the bag. But his muff of a doubleplay relay allowed Houston's fourth run to score and, well, it's awful that an umpire's quick thumb forced all that in the first place.
Fearing a suspension, Manuel didn't want to start trouble afterward, especially after getting ejected himself the night before over Gibson's game-deciding call. "I don't want to get caught up criticizing them," Manuel said. "I don't think that's going to do us any good."
I'm not trying to start trouble, either, but if I'm Ryan Madson and I take the hill tonight, I wouldn't try to pick anyone off at second.
