MLB’s removal of a recent viral video showing an on-field argument between an umpire and former Mets manager Terry Collins was due to being a CBA issue for the league, according to Commissioner Rob Manfred. “We made a commitment to the umpires that if they would wear microphones, certain types of interactions that we all know go on would not become public,” he said. “We promised them that. It’s in the collective bargaining agreement. We have no choice in a situation like that than to do everything possible to live up to our agreement. It’s kind of labor relations 101" (Eric Fisher, Staff Writer). In K.C., Pete Grathoff noted the video "shows an incident from a game" in '16 when Mets P Noah Syndergaard "threw a pitch behind" Dodgers 2B Chase Utley. Umpire Tom Hallion, who was "wearing a microphone, was working at first base when Syndergaard was tossed." At first, listeners can hear Hallion "utter the newest catchphrase when talking to the Mets players: 'Our (butt) is in the jackpot we don't do something there.'" The person who "tweeted the video had removed it by Thursday afternoon." However, MLB is "going to have a hard time expunging the video completely." In fact, at least one YouTube user "posted the video" (KANSASCITY.com, 6/14).
GIMME MORE: Before the clip was taken down, SNY’s Jon Hein asked MLB for "more of that video." Hein: "Could we hear that sound instead of sounds of the game where I hear a guy step on first base or, ‘Wow, that’s a long shot there?’ Stuff like that (Collins rant) is great. You can bleep it, I don’t care about that. But that’s what you need watching baseball.” WFAN's Maggie Gray said, “I wish MLB would do something like this, but they’re really brand conscious, image conscious so I don’t know if they will. And they want to protect the umpire” (“Loud Mouths,” SNY, 6/13).
