ANALYSIS : Robinson’s Feud With Umps May Affect Orioles

The danger is not that Frank Robinson will quit. Oh, he threatened as much, but it was heat-of-the-moment type stuff, not rational thought. The Baltimore Orioles are in first place at the All-Star break. It’s highly doubtful the man who guided them there will jump ship.

The real danger is exactly what Robinson fears -- the effect his fiery disputes with umpires will have on his young club. Robinson exploded after Sunday’s 7-2 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers, fuming over his treatment by umpires. His anger probably will subside. His problem may not.

Among other things Sunday, Robinson accused umpire John Shulock of lying after hearing his post-game version of a contested play at second base. Then, 10 minutes after his initial tirade, he dropped his bombshell: “I’m seriously thinking about stepping aside.”

Said Robinson: “How can I manage the ballclub the way I want to manage the ballclub? You tell me. I can’t stand in the dugout and question a call. I can’t go out on the field and talk about a play I think they missed. It’s not fair to these guys (the players) if I can’t manage the way I want.”

That wasn’t all. Robinson also cursed Brewers Manager Tom Trebelhorn and called him “very ... unprofessional” for protesting the Orioles’ protest of the game. It was a misunderstanding -- Trebelhorn actually objected to the way the umpires handled the protest -- but the perceived insult only fueled Robinson’s rage. He said he lost respect for Trebelhorn.

Surely, Robinson and Trebelhorn will patch up their differences, especially since they identified a common enemy. Robinson’s threatened resignation is something else. The Orioles’ coaching staff expressed shock when informed of the news, but hitting coach Tom McCraw said, “If that’s what he said, I’m sure he’s serious.” Bullpen coach Elrod Hendricks said he knew nothing about it. Indeed, Robinson said the idea just popped into his head.

The question is what happens next. McCraw charged that the umpires’ treatment of Robinson may be racially motivated. Robinson is one of two black managers (the Toronto Blue Jays’ Cito Gaston is the other) in the majors. McCraw also is black. All four umpires Sunday were white.

“I’m sure he’s getting more respect from umpires than he did before,” McCraw said. “But they’ll have to come around to the fact he’s a good manager. A lot of them resent Frank, I truly believe that.”

Plate umpire Ken Kaiser denied any grudge against Robinson or his club. “If we didn’t have it in for Earl Weaver, why would we have it in for Frank Robinson?” Kaiser said. “He’s a small-time complainer compared to Earl. His timing may be a little off, that’s all. He was a Hall of Fame player. He’s got to realize umpires and players might not be on his level.”

The friction between Robinson and the umpires has been present since he took over as Orioles manager six games into last season, but it became intense on the club’s 3-3 road trip. First-base coach Johnny Oates said an umpire in Toronto told him the Orioles were “the luckiest team in the world,” but refused to identify who said it -- Greg Kosc, John Hirschbeck, Dale Ford or Larry Barnett.

Are the Orioles victims of unfair treatment? Oates said no. “This is my first year in the league, but I don’t see anything out of the ordinary,” he said. “In this business, you can’t take it personally. I think it was just a tough day for Frank. Wait ‘til Thursday (when the season resumes). If we win, everything will be fine.”

Robinson was not ejected from Sunday’s game; nor was he ejected Saturday night, when he had a heated exchange with crew chief Jim McKean and wound up arguing with every umpire but Shulock. As he walked off the field following the Orioles’ 5-2 victory, Robinson said he told (umpire) Larry Young, “I dislike you as much as you dislike me.”

Sunday’s turmoil erupted with the score tied 1-1 and none out in the fifth inning. Phil (5-for-5) Bradley was on first when Joe Orsulak hit a chopper up the middle. Bradley crashed into Brewers second baseman Jim Gantner as they reached second simultaneously, and Shulock called him out for interference. Shulock also called Orsulak out, saying Bradley’s action thwarted a possible double play.

It is a judgment call based on whether Gantner had the ball. Shulock told reporters he did not -- “There was contact before the ball was there,” Shulock said. “That caused the interference.”

Robinson and Bradley, however, insisted Shulock told them precisely the opposite, that Gantner fielded the ball. “Then it’s nothing more than a fielder’s choice,” Bradley said.

Soon after, Robinson filed his protest -- the Orioles were stifled by Chris Bosio (9-5, 2.76) and Tony Fossas the rest of the way, as Dave Schmidt (8-8, 4.91) allowed 10 of the Brewers’ 14 hits in six innings. Trebelhorn lodged his protest when Kaiser allowed play to continue instead of immediately noting Robinson’s action. Trebelhorn said he was only trying to protect his club by objecting to procedure in the event Robinson wins his protest.

The crowd of 39,238 booed when the public-address announcer said Robinson protested the game, then cheered Trebelhorn’s apparent mockery of Robinson, which led to his mistaken appearance on Robinson’s post-game hit list. “Frank did right. Frank did fine,” Trebelhorn said. “This has nothing to do with Frank, nothing to do with the Baltimore Orioles. He doesn’t know all of it.”

The real danger is not that Robinson will quit. The real danger is that the umpires, human beings that they are, might not forget. Which, ironically enough, was Robinson’s point from the start.