As much controversy as there is in baseball now regarding umpiring (calls for instant replay, Price/Hallion dispute, daily Blue Jay whining, and even requests for robotic decision making) we all need a reminder than officials are an integral part of the game and that we are responsible to remain professional, knowledgeable and respectful.
There are dangers in what we do and we need to be cognizant of the situations that may occur. As an association, I ask that we all keep in our thoughts Riccardo Portillo who is fighting for his life due to an incident that should never have escalated to the level it did.
UPDATE: Unfortunately, Riccardo Portillo succumbed to his injuries on Saturday night. We wish his family the best.