The Umpire Strikes Back, Throws Out Mondesi : Dodgers: Davidson, who called the forfeit in August, ejects right fielder for cursing at him.

Bob Davidson, Dodger Stadium’s least favorite umpire, returned to the scene of the crime Wednesday.

Davidson, who ordered the Dodgers to forfeit a game to the St. Louis Cardinals on Aug. 10 after fans threw promotional baseballs onto the field with one out in the ninth inning to protest the ejections of Raul Mondesi and Eric Karros, ejected Mondesi for using profanity before the top of the eighth inning in the Dodgers’ 5-4 loss to the Cincinnati Reds in Game 2 of the division series.

Mondesi, who was in the on-deck circle, apparently objected to Davidson’s calling a second strike on Delino DeShields, who was at bat with the bases loaded and a three-and-one count.

DeShields fouled out to third to end the inning as the Dodgers, who stranded 11 runners, left the bases loaded for the second consecutive inning.

Davidson, who was working first base in the forfeit game, doesn’t think Mondesi had any lingering resentment from the controversial forfeit.

Mondesi apparently uttered an obscenity at Davidson, who was working home plate Wednesday, as he was running out to right field.

“He cussed Davidson,� third base umpire Bruce Froemming said. “[Reds third base coach] Ray Knight came right to third base and told me what he said and whether it’s June 6, August 6 or whatever it is, you can’t say what he said and stay in the ballgame.�

Knight confirmed it.

“It’s not my place to get into it, but he did pop off at Davidson,� Knight said. “Having such respect for players, it’s hard for me to sit up here and say something bad about a player. I don’t think it’s anybody’s business but Bob’s and Mondesi’s, but he definitely popped off.

“He [Mondesi] said something to Davidson and Davidson told him to go to right field and then Raul said what he said to him and then Davidson threw him. It’s not my place to say what he said.�

DeShields thought the ejection was unwarranted.

“He has to basically come up and smack [Davidson] for him to kick him out of the game like that,� DeShields said. “It’s a big game. You can’t throw out one of our best players like that.

“I respect Bob Davidson. He’s a good umpire, but there was no reason for him to kick Mondesi out like that. I don’t care what he said. You let the players decide the game. You don’t take the game into your hands. This is the playoffs.

“He couldn’t have said anything worse that what [Red Manager] Davey Johnson said out there [in an earlier argument with the umpires].�

Mondesi, who went one for three and made a fine running catch of a drive by catcher Benito Santiago against the bullpen gate in the second inning, had already departed by the time reporters were admitted to the Dodger clubhouse and was unavailable for comment.

Dodger Manager Tom Lasorda said the ejection wasn’t justified.

“Davidson said [Mondesi] cursed him and this guy [Davidson] is out by first base,� Lasorda said. “I don’t know how the hell he could hear it from where he was. He was out by the grass.

“The players told me that [Mondesi] has never used that word. The fans didn’t come to see the umpire and they didn’t come to see the manager. He’s got a reputation for kicking guys out the the game.

“I have no idea [if there was any carryover from the forfeit], I was just wondering why he threw him out of the ballgame. Of all the times to throw a guy out.�

First baseman Eric Karros agreed.

“I said to Bob, ‘You can’t throw a guy out in that situation,’ but he said that [Mondesi] cursed at him. If you put a ‘you’ in front of anything you say to an umpire, you’re going to get thrown out.�