Are the umpires out to get the Nevada Griffons?

I am not a conspiracy theorist. Generally my belief is that those who subscribe to vast governmental conspiracies are either struggling to cope with logic or have fallen off the cliff of reality.

That being said, something stinks in the Jayhawk League and it just might be the umpiring.

I know that the umpires at Griffons games in Nevada are not even part of the same association as those you might get in Wichita or Liberal. And not having been to a Griffons road game this season, all I can fairly comment on is what I have seen in our own back yard, at Lyons Stadium.

What caught my attention recently was at a game Sunday when the Griffons were in the final match of a four-game series with the Southwest Slashers out of Joplin.

Nevada head coach John Hill III was tossed from the game after arguing with home plate umpire Gary Mitchell, who also happens to be the president of the Mid-America Collegiate Umpires Association based out of Springfield. The association is the regular supplier for the Griffons, and they are actually a pretty reputable group.

The association is not a fly-by-night, small potatoes operation. They have umpires as high up as AAA-level minor league baseball.

The Big 12, Conference USA, MIAA and the Pacific Coast League all use umpires from the MCUA.

Mitchell himself has done such games as the NCAA Division II World Series, among other big events.

In other words, the credentials of the umpires sent to do Jayhawk League games is not really in question.

What is in question is the way things transpired Sunday with the end result being Hill thrown out of a game for the first time ever as a player or a coach.

In the bottom of the second inning, many players in the Nevada dugout were goofing off, acting as young men in their early 20s often do when they get together.

They were making references to Joe Dirt, and they were being rather loud in these references. Loud enough that Mitchell heard them and mistakenly thought the players were taunting Slashers' pitcher Andy Woods with chants of "dirt ball."

Mitchell, displaying a short temper that generally isn't associated with a head umpire, threatened to throw out the player who was making the noise. He then told Hill that he needed to control his players and keep them from taunting the pitcher.

Hill told the players to quiet down, even though they weren't taunting anybody, and that should have been the end of it.

Unfortunately, things got worse. Hunter Johnson was hit by a pitch in the left elbow as he stood over the plate with a 1-2 count. The pitch was not anywhere near the strike zone (it was at least high) and Johnson tossed his bat down and headed for first base.

Mitchell called him out and this prompted Hill to confront the umpire for an explanation.

Mitchell started justifying his call by saying something about Hays (Nevada's opponent the week before) and how some complaints were made and how he didn't like the way Nevada's players handled themselves.

Hill kept asking what the relevance was to the play in question but Mitchell would not let the Hays argument go.

Eventually Hill lost his temper, at one point yelling loud enough for everyone to hear, "Why don't you drive to Hays and bring it up with them!"

Mitchell then tossed Hill from the game.

Mitchell was completely out of line to even mention Hays in the conversation. Umpires are supposed to be an unbiased third party. That is what allows them to cover a game fairly.

Mitchell was biased Sunday and it was evident. Something about the Hays series had gotten into his head.

Could it have been the complete lack of control his staff had during the game on June 19 when three Nevada players were hit by pitches and only one Hays player was plunked? That was the same game Nevada was issued a warning before they even hit one batter, but Hays proceeded to hit three Griffons with pitches without retribution.

To top it off, Hays hit nine Nevada batters in the four-game series. Conversely, Nevada pitchers hit only three of their counterparts.

Could Mitchell be in the back pocket of veteran Hays coach Frank Leo? Could he have a vendetta against Nevada for some other reason? I wouldn't think so.

Nonetheless, it was unprofessional for Mitchell to even mention the Hays game when a play in a different game is being questioned. Mitchell should know better.

I don't blame Mitchell for throwing Hill out. Hill was loud and in Mitchell's face. I don't blame Hill either. Mitchell was questioning the integrity of his club.

I've met most of the Griffons, they seem to be good guys. Can they get obnoxious? Sure, but any group of athletes can. The Griffons play hard, they aren't complainers and they have self control. There is no reason for the MCUA to hold anything against them. Maybe Mitchell should unload the chip on his shoulder and notice.