Tuesday, August 07, 2012

Minor league deejay ejected for playing 'Three Blind Mice'

(David Massey / Associated Press / August 3, 2012
Daytona Cubs intern Derek Dye is asked to
sign an autograph on Thursday.

August 3, 2012

A University of Illinois student playfully taunted an umpire by playing the song "Three Blind Mice" after he made a questionable call during a minor league baseball game between the Daytona Cubs and the Fort Myers Miracle in Florida on Wednesday.

Umpire Mario Seneca apparently didn't find the dig funny and ejected the deejay, 21-year-old Derek Dye.

Dye, a sports management major, was surprised that Seneca was so offended by his music choice.

"It was the first time we've ever played it," Dye told the Chicago Tribune, "and within about three or four seconds, the home plate umpire looks at me, points directly at me and yells, 'You're gone!' as loud as he can.

"He ejected me, said no more music, no more PA."

Dye said the song was given to him by Daytona Cubs team officials who wanted to create an atmosphere similar to that at Wrigley Field at Jackie Robinson Ballpark.

After he got the boot, he was worried he'd be fired.

"Initially when it happened, I feared for my own well-being," Dye said. "I thought Brady [Ballard, Dayton Cubs general manager] was going to send me back to Illinois, get me out of here for the summer. I've never heard of the intern getting ejected. I was thinking of the worst right away."

Dye, however, said he's received support from Ballard and other team officials since the incident -- but he was slapped with a $25 fine from the Florida State League.

The college student has since become something of a sensation. He's reportedly received more than a dozen media requests to discuss the incident, including inquiries from ESPN and ABC's "Good Morning America."

According to Yahoo!, Seneca later posted this statement to his Facebook page, "The good news is that I called my league president afterwards, and he said I did the correct thing. His opinion is pretty much the only one that matters, since he's my boss."

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