Joe Mikulik is a minor league treasure. He’s given us some of the best on-field meltdowns in the sport’s history. He’s thrown bases and covered home plate in dirt, tossed bats out of the dugout, and given bases to fans in the stands.
The longtime manager for the Asheville Tourists (2000-2012) is now the skipper of the Texas Rangers’ Advanced Class A affiliate in Myrtle Beach, and none of his fire has been doused. Mikulik showed he can still throw a tantrum like no other manager in professional baseball on Sunday against the Salem Red Sox.
Mikulik was obviously upset at the out call at home plate, but perhaps he was also ticked off at his team getting swept for only the second time this season. Fortunately for him, the Pelicans have an off-day on Monday so he can recover from his latest outburst.
We need to see this at the major league level next time there’s a disputed play over a catcher blocking the path of the runner to home plate. Or maybe the Rangers can call Mikulik up in September to argue such calls. The man has turned blow-ups with umpires into an art form.
