The Automatic Ejection Rule

On May 1st, 1987, Bart Giamatti issued an edict that charging the mound was an automatic ejection. It came 12 days after umpire Doug Harvey did not eject anyone in a bench clearing brawl. The LA Times piece from July 12th, 1987 is saying that perhaps that is why there had been so many charges of the mound. And it sure seems to have been because of a lively ball. So he's basically suggesting lots of people hit in homers. In their bean balls, people are pissed about the bean balls and then suddenly they're charging the mound.