I am sure weirder things have happened, but what apparently went on between New York Yankees catcher Russell Martin and home plate umpire Laz Diaz on Wednesday is definitely in the bizarre category.
"The umpire wouldn't let me throw the ball back to the pitcher. That's never happened to me before. That's a good story, right?
"He said that it was a privilege that I had to earn, for me to throw the ball back. Because we kind of got into it with balls and strikes or whatever.
"That was strange."
The Yankees defeated the Anaheim Angels, 6-5.
"Even at the end of the game, after I got hit in the neck, I'm like, 'Can I throw the ball back now?'" Martin said. "He's still like, 'No.' ... Unbelievable."
Apparently, Martin hasn't earned anything in Diaz' eyes despite a seven-year career, three All-Star appearances and a Gold Glove.
Why do umpires do things like this? It isn't an umpires job, or place, to mess with a player's head or to go out of his way to bait a guy into an argument. Yet, we see it all the time.
The only good thing? It gives us the opportunity to play this epic Ken "Hawk" Harrelson rant on umpires.