Fans Don’t Let Umpire Forget

As Public Enemy No. 1 and Public Enemy No. 1A, Doug Eddings and A.J. Pierzynski endured a torrent of abuse at Angel Stadium on Friday.

Boos rained down from every angle. There wasn’t much for the sellout crowd to cheer about, but there was plenty to boo.

“It just makes me laugh,” Pierzynski said. “A lot of people probably didn’t know what they were booing about.”

Oh, they probably did.

Newspapers and television sets are readily available throughout Southern California, and even the most casual of fans could understand the concept: The Angels were one out away from extra innings in Game 2 of the American League championship series, and Eddings appeared to call that out, but then the umpire ruled Pierzynski safe at first base. The Chicago White Sox won moments later, triggering two days of debate on sports pages and talk shows and in bars and offices.

So, when the series returned to Anaheim on Friday, the villains were identifiable before the first pitch of the Angels’ 5-2 loss. Angel Manager Mike Scioscia said his team had moved on, but his team’s fans had not.

Still, after three hours of listening to heckling directed at Eddings and Pierzynski, Chicago coach Tim Raines saluted the Angel fans on what he considered surprisingly good behavior.

“They handled it quite well,” Raines said. “They weren’t overly brutal. I expected more. If this game was in Chicago and if the call went the other way, there would probably be more. L.A. fans are pretty laid back.”

As Chicago’s first-base coach, Raines had an up-close view of the proceedings along the right-field line, where Eddings was stationed for Game 3.

In Game 2, as the plate umpire, Eddings appeared to signal that Pierzynski had struck out, for what would have been the final out of the ninth inning. But, as the Angels left the field, Pierzynski ran to first base.

After he got there, Eddings explained the pitch had bounced in the dirt, which would have required Angel catcher Josh Paul to tag Pierzynski or throw him out at first. Paul did neither, and Joe Crede then drove home the winning run.

After two days of viewing replays of Paul appearing to catch the ball in his mitt, and of Eddings clearly raising his hand in the universal “out” signal, Angel fans were not in a forgiving mood.

When the umpires were introduced, Eddings was booed loudly. When he walked to his position down the right-field line, he was booed even more loudly. He was heckled repeatedly, mocked in words and banners and was targeted on a website: www.firedoug.com.

One fan held a sign reading, “Doug Eddings, Go Back to Chicago,” with the letters in the form of an eye chart.

Anaheim police officers and private security guards stationed themselves at the front of the seats nearest Eddings.

Between innings, they protected him on the field. There were no incidents, however. There were no ejections or arrests in that area, Angel spokesman Tim Mead said.

Still, the fans let their disdain for Eddings be heard.

“He,” said Josh Kliner of Placentia, “will not sleep well tonight.”