Baseball Stadium D.J. Ejected From Game

If you've listened to my (alleged) show for any time at all, then you most likely know for that the last 15-plus years, I moonlight in the summer as the P.A. announcer/D.J. for the Yakima Bears at County Stadium.

The job requires not only announcing batters as the come to home plate, but to try and add an element of entertainment for the spectators with appropriate musical selections - even if it's at the expense of the opposing team.  Hell, ESPECIALLY if it's at their expense!

I'll play Linda Ronstadt's "You're No Good" when announcing the visitor's line-up.  I LOVE to play Rita Coolidge's "Don't Cry Out Loud" when the out-of-town team's manager comes to argue a call.  When the enemy team has to pull their pitcher from the game, I will cue up Tom Petty's "Don't Come Around Here No More."

Even the umpires are not immune.  I still get a kick out of spinning the theme to TV's "Odd Couple" or "Devil With A Blue Dress" when the umps (they wear blue clothing and work in pairs in the N.W.L.) come out onto the field.

Maybe I should re-think that.

A stadium D.J. (for lack of a better term) in Florida was literally thrown out of the game by an umpire for a song he played over the public address system the other day at a game in Daytona!

Listen and watch the "offensive" music after the jump.

While I have played this exact piece in the same situation, I have yet to be ejected.  I did come thisclose once however.

It was my first or second year behind the mic.  The home plate ump missed a call badly and cost the Bears a run while also ending the inning.  As the two squads switched sides, "Blue" went to sweep the dirt off of the plate.  When he bent over to dust it off, I played the sound effect of material being torn -RRRRIIIIIIPPPPP!!!! - to make it seem like he split his trousers.

It got a laugh from the crowd but probably because it kind of sounded more like a fart than  anything.  The ump stood up and glared at the press box area for a good five seconds.  I was ducking under the table so he could not identify the culprit!  I still owe former Bears general manager Bob Romero an apology for that one as he got lit up by the official following the game with words that I cannot publish here.

While I look back and laugh at it now, I still cannot out-do the story that former P.A. announcer Mike Bastinelli has.

When the Bears used to play their games at Parker Field, Mike handled the duty I now have the pleasure of.  During a game, the manager was ejected for arguing a call.  Mr. Bastinelli simply announced that "Bears manager Jerry Royster has just been ejected by home plate umpire 'Dicky McButthurt' (or whatever his name was.)

The umpire, similar to what you saw in the video, signaled to the box and tossed him!

The fans, also like those in Daytona, gave Mike a round of applause as he exited the stadium.

Note to self: Ditch "Three Blind Mice" from the playlist!