The War on the Bubble Machine

Early yesterday morning, Ryan Walton of Valley Bay News tweeted out that the bubble machine the Dodgers use to celebrate homers (well, everything) had been shutdown by the MLB.

Word on the street is that the Dodgers bubble machine has been shut down by MLB.

— Ryan Walton (@RyanCPWalton) August 6, 2014

Sure enough, it was later revealed by Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times that Joe Torre had “advised” the team to stop the shenanigans.

Before Tuesday’s game against the Angels at Dodger Stadium, Joe Torre, Major League Baseball executive vice president, advised the Dodgers to stop using the machine.

Go away, Joe Torre.

But when I went back to check Tuesday’s game to see if the machine was used during Juan Uribe‘s homer, sure enough, it wasn’t. But was it really gone forever?

In yesterday’s game recap, I noted that the bubble machine was alive and well after Matt Kemp‘s dinger.

So what’s the deal? Um … nobody actually knows, apparently.

The ban of the bubble machine was baffling. The refusal of Dodgers officials and MLB executives to discuss it was even more baffling.

Torre, the former manager of the Dodgers, was asked through a league spokesman why the Dodgers were asked to turn off the machine and whether the Angels or any umpires had complained about its use.

“We respectfully decline comment right now,” MLB spokesman Mike Teevan said.

So the status of it is up in the air, and we’ll just have to see if it’s used going forward to figure it out.

But the actual confusing part is why they would even care to begin with. Then again, this kind of garbage seems right up the alley of the MLB. Intentionally throwing at guys and taking out star players for months during the pennant race? Cool. Bubbles and dancing and fun? Not cool.

When all is said and done, here’s hoping something was worked out and people are allowed to continue to enjoy playing a sport.

Long live the bubble machine.

#JusticeForTheBubbleMachine

#ThisIsMurica

#NeverForget