It’s never a good idea to taunt the umpire, as Daytona Cubs (High Class A; Florida State League) intern Derek Dye found out when he played “Three Blind Mice” after a controversial call at first base.
Here’s the backstory. Mario Seneca was home-plate umpire for last night’s Fort Myers-Daytona game at Jackie Robinson Ballpark. First-base umpire Ramon Hernandez ruled Fort Myers’ Andy Leer was safe after Cubs first baseman Taylor Davis bobbled the ball after digging an errant throw out of the dirt. Not a clear-cut call, and although Cubs manager Brian Harper headed out of the dugout to discuss the ruling, he didn’t raise a fuss.
Play stopped, however, when Dye decided to play a recent addition to the team’s musical repertoire: an instrumental version of “Three Blind Mice.” That didn’t sit well with Seneca, who tossed the young intern and ordered the P.A. system shut down for the night.
“I thought it was me though; I knew it was my fault,” Dye told MiLB.com. “I didn’t think he’d get angry. I just started laughing. I was shocked. Disbelief.”
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