Wally Bell Defends Decision To Toss Twins P Scott Diamond

Diamond was ejected in the third inning of the Rangers' win Thursday, for throwing at Josh Hamilton's head

Rangers’ starter Roy Oswalt maintains that he didn’t hit Twins’ catcher Joe Mauer on purpose on Thursday night, and Scott Diamond maintains that the pitch that sailed over Josh Hamilton’s head, in the bottom half of the same inning, was not a purpose pitch. But Diamond was ejected without a warning, as was Twins’ manager Ron Gardenhire.

After the 10-6 Rangers’ win, homeplate umpire Wally Bell defended the decision to send Diamond to an early shower, saying that the judgment came down to location, location, location. Basically, the pitch came too close to Hamilton’s head to be brushed aside and addressed with a warning.

“Any time in an umpire's judgment that they go in the head area, we have to take care of business," Bell said, per ESPN Dallas. "I felt at the time that he had to be ejected for it.”

Oswalt--who, remember, says he didn’t intentionally drill Mauer on the pitch that found its way to the All-Star catcher’s back--wasn’t exactly shocked by Bell’s quick reaction to what may or may not have been a retribution pitch.

"If it would have been lower, it would have been warnings. I understand the situation," Oswalt said. "One of their guys got hit, so they are trying to throw at one of our guys. He may not have. You don’t ever know. I don’t know."

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