While ABS and instant replay have greatly improved the quality of play in Major League Baseball, they’ve really ruined one of the great joys we get from watching a game …
The managerial ejection.
Gone are the days of Bobby Cox getting tossed in the first inning for the 300th time. You just don’t see it anymore, mainly because there are so few chances for umpires to actually get something wrong. Sure, they still do, because they are generally horrible, but still. This ain’t your daddy’s game.
Heck, this is barely even your granddaddy’s game anymore.
Atlanta Braves Manager Bobby Cox argues with umpire Jim Evans after Marquis Grissom was called out at second base during the fifth inning of Game 6 of the World Series against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium in New York on Oct. 26. Umpire Tim Welke ejected Cox from the game. (Henny Ray Abrams/AFP)
We’re lucky if we see one or two real freakouts a year at this point. They used to be a dime a dozen in this league, especially during the glory years when Cox, Lou Piniella and Tony La Russa were all coaching at the same time. I believe that special era took place from 1990 to 2002, and it was beautiful.
Anyway, for those who need their fix, here’s a blast from the past. James Frisbie, the manager of the Lincoln Saltdogs, got tossed Wednesday night and promptly launched first base into the abyss during a nearly two-minute post-ejection masterpiece:
James Frisbie hit all the right notes
“Fris might lose his mind. He wants an explanation. Fris may get tossed … yeah, he’s done.”
Perfect. 10/10. No notes. Hats off to James Frisbie. We salute you! We commend you. We appreciate you.
Feels good to watch that again, doesn’t it? Again, I understand we live in a new era and technology is always advancing and AI is taking over. I get it. I loathe it, but I’ve accepted it.
James Frisbie of the Washington Nationals poses for a photo during the Washington Nationals Photo Day at Cacti Park at the Palm Beaches in West Palm Beach, Fla., on Feb. 21, 2025. (Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
I know that ABS and instant replay have both been upgrades to this great game. I fought ABS for a bit, but, obviously, it’s a good thing.
But, man, do I miss a good ejection over a blown call. Frankly, I’m not even sure this was a blown call. We only see the one replay, but I couldn’t tell if he was on the bag or not. It didn’t look that egregious.
James Frisbie was NOT having it, though. The former MLB assistant for both the Tigers and Nationals needed to blow some steam, and he saw blood in the water over this call at first.
TWO FREAK PLAYS IN ONE MLB NIGHT LEAVES ANNOUNCERS, FANS STUNNED
State Rep. J. D. Scholten, 44, pitches for the Sioux City Explorers during a game against the Lincoln Saltdogs in Sioux City on Aug. 1, 2024. (imagn images)
A perfect bag-toss, too. That’s an art, by the way. Only the greats have really executed it over the years, and I’ve got no qualms about now putting James Frisbie on that list. It’s always a risky move because you never know how stuck that sucker’s gonna be when you go to pick it up, but Frisbie gave it a couple wiggles and out she popped.
A huge sigh of relief for the 53-year-old.
Mix in a couple well-timed dirt-kicks, finger-points and some near-contact towards the end of the session, and this was a masterclass from James Frisbie.
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What a show for the Lincoln Saltdog fans, too. This is what it’s all about.
Well done, Fris. Well done.