Victorino: "I Love Ed"
The Flyin' Hawaiian's touchy-feely sentiments for the ump who ejected him
By KAREN ARAIZA
Updated 1:14 PM EST, Mon, Aug 10, 2009
Shane Victorino got his first ejection from a major league game Sunday – all the way from deep centerfield.
"I never ran so fast from centerfield to home plate," he said in the Phillies locker room after the game. By that point, he'd cooled off and even laughing a bit about his behavior. But the Flyin' Hawaiian was steamed when it happened.
Home-plate ump Ed Rapuano threw Victorino out of the game after Victorino threw up his arms over a pitch call in the seventh inning. Victorino, who says he let his emotions get to him, ran in and got up in the ump's face. For a moment it looked like he wanted to go at it with Ed.
"I definitely had no intentions of touching him or anything like that. I love the guy and that's why I'm so upset. He's one of those guys you can play grab-ass with and have fun with out there on the field. I think that's why it's more frustrating to me, that it was him that got my first ejection from a major league baseball game."
And then his ol' buddy Ed got the royal treatment from Philly fans. The sellout crowd seemed as frustrated as the players, just a few outs from a sweep by the Marlins. They booed poor Ed for the rest of the inning.
"I hope Ed forgives me for the brutal Philly crowd getting all over him and, uh, yelling at every pitch," said Victorino. "I hope I don't get too big of a suspension, or no suspension at all."
First Published: Aug 9, 2009 9:32 PM EST
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