Remember Their Names

Angel Campos and Joe West. Two umperors who worked tonight's Angels-Tigers game as if they thought the fans came to watch them and not the players.

Bobby Abreu, tossed for shrugging at plate umperor Campos after being called out on strikes to end the bottom first. Skipper Leyland, by "Cowboy" Joe West in the seventh over a call Cowboy Joe missed in the second. (Howie Kendrick, the runner who was out called safe, scored the game's only run.) Justin Verlander (!!!) by Cowboy Joe in the eighth, after leaving the game, for who knows what. And Rick Porcello for good measure.

Four participants kicked out; three by the guy with the colorful nickname who, if you ask him, may say that no, the umps aren't out to call attention to themselves. Voted second worst umperor in the major leagues by players polled after last year's World Series.

Of course, they wouldn't have been if the Pretenders' offense (four .300 hitters in the starting lineup) had produced more than the two hits Dan Haren allowed while going the distance. 

Ah've got a new CD out, and aah want yew tew go out and buy yo self one! Yew hear me? Bleeper? A'hm from TEXAS! Yew smile when yew say TEXAS! Bleep!