Umpires Halt White Armband Protest Against 'Escalating Verbal Attacks'

The umpires will meet with commissioner Rob Manfred and have halted their protest.

The World Umpires Association halted their protest against “escalating verbal attacks” on Sunday, after accepting a proposal from commissioner Rob Manfred to meet with the union’s governing board.

We appreciate the Commissioner's willingness to engage seriously on verbal attacks and other important issues that must be addressed.

— Major League Baseball Umpires Association (@MLBUA) August 20, 2017

To demonstrate our good faith, MLB Umpires will remove the protest white wrist bands pending the requested meeting.

— Major League Baseball Umpires Association (@MLBUA) August 20, 2017

The association announced Saturday that all umpires would wear a white armband to protest "escalating verbal attacks." The release said that umpires will wear the bands until their concerns are addressed by Commissioner Rob Manfred.

The armband protest was sparked by Tigers second baseman Ian Kinsler's remarks on Wednesday. Kinsler was ejected from the game after arguing balls and strikes, and told reporters after the game that umpire Angel Hernandez should find a new line of work. 

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"This has to do with changing the game," Kinsler said. "He's changing the game. He needs to find another job. He really does. I'm not mad at him. He just needs to go away.

"But when it becomes blatant like this, there is a problem. ... What is he doing on the field? What is he doing out there? It's pretty obvious he needs to stop ruining baseball games," Kinsler added. The release states that although Kinsler thought he would be suspended for the remarks, he was only fined.