Now it can be told

A few days ago, I mentioned an incident wherein Bob Melvin went out to discuss things with an umpire.

For seemingly no reason. The truth has come out, but I like my version better.

“Now batting …

As a hitter, being “locked in” is usually a good thing. But not when “locked in” means you’re actually trapped inside Safeco Field’s video room — and you’re the next announced batter, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reported. On May 22 against the Tigers, John Olerud and Rich Aurilia were stuck inside the screening room because, less than 24 hours earlier, someone bashed the lock enough so that it no longer worked properly. In the fourth nning, just after Scott Spiezio’s homer, manager Bob Melvin informed the umpires and stalled for time. Olerud’s first telephone call for help, according to the newspaper, had him placed on hold. Finally, one of the stadium engineers came and drilled out the lock. “After I was done looking at the video (of his previous at-bat), I went and the door was jammed,” Olerud told the Post-Intelligencer. “I was able to signal to Randy Winn in the batting cage. I figured he could open it from the other side. That’s when we found out we were in trouble.”