A bizarre moment of confusion involving Major League Baseball’s new pitch clock rule led to the ejection of a catcher and a manager during a Friday contest between the Miami Marlins and San Francisco Giants.
Marlins catcher Jacob Stallings and manager Skip Schumaker were tossed by home plate umpire Marvin Hudson in the row.
The pair were incensed over a pitch-clock violation walk in the bottom of the eighth inning — in which the visiting Marlins trailed the Giants 3-4.
Marlins manager Skip Schumaker and catcher Jacob Stallings were ejected tonight after arguing with the home plate umpire about a timeout not being called.
(via @NBCSGiants)pic.twitter.com/fPWsyyvwVz
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) May 20, 2023
YouTube baseball analyst Jomboy Media covered the on-field argument in a video summary — providing his own estimated lip-reading of the words exchanged.
WARNING: The following video contains language that some viewers may find offensive.
Stallings urged Hudson to call timeout — noticing that Giants designated hitter J.D Davis had failed to square up in the batting box with eight seconds remaining on the clock.
Pitcher Bryan Hoeing delivered a pitch — a ball — in spite of both Stallings and Hudson giving the hands-up baseball signal for timeout.
Hudson opted to award Davis first base on a walk though there appeared to have been a violation of baseball’s pitch clock rules.
Umpires are obligated to enforce violations of baseball’s pitch clock rules.
An on-field argument involving Stallings, Schumaker and Hudson ensued — in which the umpiring crew appeared to assume that Stallings himself called timeout, instead of Hudson.
Stallings and Schumaker — both exasperated — were ejected from the game — all for pointing out that Hudson gave every indication he was calling timeout well before Hoeing delivered ball four.
“We saw the umpire call timeout with his hands up,” Schumaker said during a post-game news conference, according to the Miami Herald.
“[Stallings] said [Hudson] called the timeout. That was the disagreement. It was still Ball 4. Trying to figure out what happened.”
Baseball rules restrict the ability to call timeout to umpires.
Major League Baseball’s new pitch clock has spurred confusion and uncertainty since its introduction this season.
Some baseball purists oppose the introduction of clocks in a sport that has long eschewed time limits, but those who support reforming the game argue the clock will help shorten games that have become too lengthy for some fans.
The Marlins ultimately lost the contest, 3-4.
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