Bizarre, Society

Shock Video: Former Major League Player Wally Backman Goes Ballistic At Minor League Game

I just saw this on Reddit and it may be the most incredible display of bad sportsmanship and uncontrolled rage that I have seen at a sporting event. Former major league player and South Georgia Peanuts manager Wally Backman is thrown out of the game and proceeds to unleash a storm of profane comments. The highlight is when he says the umpire is a “disgrace to baseball” and, after a tirade of foul language, keeps asking what he said to justify the expulsion.

The explosion was triggered when outfielder Doc Brooks questions a strike call and has words with the umpire — leading to his being tossed out of the game and Backman’s rage. This all occurred in front of children who watched a grown man acting like an out-of-control toddler.

The video must be dated because reports indicate that Backman is now managing the Mets’ Brooklyn Cyclones. It was part of a documentary on Backman’s career called “Playing for Peanuts.”

Backman proceeded to throw 22 bats and a bucket of balls onto the field. He is then heard complaining that he broke a nail and demands a nail clipper. A rather feeble ending to a case of almost psychotic field rage.

26 thoughts on “Shock Video: Former Major League Player Wally Backman Goes Ballistic At Minor League Game”

  1. And especially after that lovely comment from the wife of former Met’s pitcher, Anna Benson.

  2. “in the bush leagues”

    Now there’s a phrase that has more meaning now than it used to.

  3. TwinOval:

    “The ump was wrong and was later reprimanded by the league for the situation he caused. Wally was just protecting his player, which is what Wally does.”

    **************

    There is no justification for that language and behavior to another person because he made a mistake. Try that on the street when someone cuts you off in traffic ( a much more serious mistake) and see if you get the old “that’s what Wally does” excuse to fly with the cop. There are no “islands” from the law or civility in sports or religion. Wally deserves to remain precisely where he is – in the bush leagues.

  5. I think he went a little overboard. I understand getting in the umps face kicking and screaming, but throwing bats and balls is a whole other issue. And this is the man Mets fans are pleading to become their new manager in a year.

  6. Actually the ump called a ball on the batter, the batter quietly asked where it was. He asked for the location of a BALL, NOT A STRIKE. He was tossed at that point. The ump was wrong and was later reprimanded by the league for the situation he caused. Wally was just protecting his player, which is what Wally does.

    The story of the season was the subject of a TV series Playing for Peanuts. The expletives are delete on the DVD but you can hear the whole miked up version at http://bit.ly/aGyqHx

    Next week Wally begins the final leg of his journey back to the major leagues as the manager of the Class A Brooklyn Cyclones, a NY Met Affiliate. He is back in affiliated baseball.

  7. CJ:

    Thanks for the link. I am particularly impressed by Ogre Wally’s restraint around the 10 year old, or so, batboy, and his athleticism in throwing those big bats and balls. Judging by his loss of breath after such a Herculean ordeal, I am happy the cardiologists weren’t summoned. I do think blue becomes jackasses now, too.

  8. This is only a fraction of what happened. After a few minutes of swearing, Wally beings throwing bats and baseballs onto the infield. Here is the entire video, including audio (Warning: A LOT of offensive language): http://bit.ly/aGyqHx

  9. I have know idea what The President and the Bush have to do with this baseball video…but hear is what I heard…The ump made a terrible call on that last pitch and the batter swore about it…the ump did not like the language ….the ump better get used to it or get into something else…this is pro ball and and when your a shitty ump you are a shitty ump…the manager came out and defended his player….like he is supposed to….if you can’t swear during a ball game? ….what is the world coming to?

  10. Big blowout arguments about baseball reminds me of a saying I’ve heard about intra-department academic disputes: They are particularly vicious precisely because the stakes are so low.

  11. CCD,

    Thanks for the link. I will read the article later today.

    Mr. Obama had the world by the tail with goodwill served to him on a silver and gold-plated platter–and then he squandered it all…

  12. My dad was deeply involved with the Football Hall of Fame especially the Induction Weekends. As Buddha said, seeing these “heroes” in action off the field was a real eye-opener. I never allowed “sports heroes” anywhere near my kids.

    An older friend’s son was the head trainer for one of the teams and she was never allowed to visit during the season and, only after pleading with him, did he allow her to attend his retirement dinner. He loved his mother and refused to expose her to the men he worked with.

  13. From the article CCD linked:

    “Irrespective of their politics, flawed leaders share a common trait. They generally remain remarkably oblivious to the harm they do to the nation they lead. George W. Bush is a salient recent example, as is former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. When it comes to foreign policy, we are now witnessing a similar phenomenon at the Obama White House.

    Here is the Obama pattern: Choose a foreign leader to pressure. Threaten him with dire consequences if he does not bend to Washington’s will. When he refuses to submit and instead responds vigorously, back off quickly and overcompensate for failure by switching into a placatory mode.”

    That’s just long hand for “spineless poser”. The only difference between Bush and Obama is who they bend over for, but both care more about placating business than protecting the citizens as a whole or the Constitution. If this weren’t so? BP CEO Hayward would be in cuffs sitting next to Cheney right now only his charges would be negligent homicide (etc.) compared to Cheney’s indefensible treason charges.

  14. Off topic:

    FF LEO while reading this Dilip Hiro article your persuasive words continued to bubble up in my head. Hiro succinctly lays out the naïveté and ineptitude of the Obama administration’s recent foreign policies decisions.

    Obama’s Rudderless Foreign Policy Underscores America’s Waning Power http://www.tomdispatch.com/dialogs/print/?id=175254

    “To announce that there must be no criticism of the president… is morally treasonable to the American public.” –Theodore Roosevelt

  15. Seconded.

    Back in the day, my dad used to frequent an establishment in KC that was the roost for quite a few football players (KC mostly, but some StL Cards too). I went along quite a few times on visitation weekends.

    To say that they acted like barbarians? Gives a bad name to barbarians. Seeing those clowns in action as a kid is the primary reason I’ve never had a “sports hero”. Strength and reflexes do not intelligence and (more importantly) character make.

  16. mespo,

    That why Janice Joplin, Jimmy Hendrix’s, Jim Morrison and Neil Young are my hero’s.

    Let rethink this, well one out of four still living and not dead by 30 is good.

  17. Anyone who would hold professional athletes up as heroes or role models needs to see this display.

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