text: The Texas Rangers are looking into an incident in which catcher Yorvit Torrealba hit an umpire in the face during a winter league game in Venezuela, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported. 
   
   "(We're) aware, but we haven't got much info yet," Rangers general manager Jon Daniels told the newspaper. “We will look into it.” 
   
   The Texas Rangers are investigating an incident in which Rangers catcher Yorvit Torrealba struck an umpire in the face during a winter league game in Venezuela. (AP Photo) 
   
   The incident, captured in a video that went viral Friday on the Internet, shows Torrealba, playing for Leones del Caracas in his native country, striking out swinging and then throwing his hand up toward the umpire. The umpire immediately ejects Torrealba, leading to a face-to-face confrontation. After a few seconds, Torrealba is seen—with an open hand—pushing the umpire’s facemask. 
   
   Asked by the Star-Telegram if Major League Baseball or the Rangers might take disciplinary action for an incident in a non-MLB game, Daniels said: “Depends on circumstances.” 
   
   Torrealba is entering the second year of a two-year, $6.25 million contract with the Rangers signed last offseason. He batted .273 with seven home runs and 37 RBIs in 113 regular-season games. The Star-Telegram noted that his playing time diminished in the postseason when a red-hot Mike Napoli became the team’s No. 1 catcher. ||||| Texas Rangers catcher Yorvit Torrealba has always played the game of baseball with a lot of fire and a lot passion. Unfortunately, the 11 year big league veteran took that fire and passion too far while playing for Leones del Caracas of the Venezuelan League on Friday. 
   
   After Torrealba took an ugly cut at a breaking ball and missed for strike three, he immediately began a heated discussion with home plate umpire Dario Rivero, Jr over a disputed strike call earlier in the at-bat. The two men jawed face-to-face for a good fifteen seconds before Torrealba struck the umpire in the face mask with the palm of his hand and pushed him away. 
   
   Here's video of the incident from the Venezuelan League broadcast on Friday afternoon. The punch will come 35 seconds in. 
   
   Needless to say this is an inexcusable and disgusting display by a guy I've always respected for his passion, but even more so for his high character and leadership on and off field. To see this happen with any professional baseball player would be startling, but for it to be Yorvit Torrealba is absolutely stunning. 
   
   There's no doubt baseball can get the best of even the very best on any given day, but whatever explanation and apology Torrealba comes up will simply not be good enough. It's a very sad and very disappointing situation. There's no other way for me to put it. 
   
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target: – For any non-baseball fans out there, this is a huge no-no. Texas Rangers catcher Yorvit Torrealba was playing in the Venezuelan League on Friday when he struck out badly and began yelling at the home plate umpire—probably over a strike call earlier in the at-bat. The two of them jaw for a good 15 seconds before Torrealba smacks the ump flat in the face mask, the Sporting News reports. The blow even sends the umpire stumbling backward. The Rangers say they're looking into it. "(We're) aware, but we haven't got much info yet," Rangers manager Jon Daniels says. Possible disciplinary measures will depend "on circumstances.” Maybe Torrealba is mad because he's in the second year of a $6.25-million contract, and has seen his playing time wane with the rise of red-hot Mike Napoli. One baseball writer can barely disguise his contempt on Yahoo: "Whatever explanation and apology Torrealba comes up will simply not be good enough."