The bar to earn an ejection seems to be getting lower.
Nationals outfielder Lane Thomas was ejected after taking a called strike three in the sixth inning of Thursday’s 7-2 loss to the Tigers — despite visual proof that he did not say anything to warrant the call.
“What? Are you s–ting me? I didn’t look at you, it was at the ball!” an exasperated Thomas was heard shouting at home plate umpire Emil Jimenez in his defense after the ejection.
Thomas appeared to momentarily look in the direction of the second-year umpire after the questionable strike call on a 2-2 pitch from Detroit starter Casey Mize.
Jimenez’s bizarre call was slammed by the Nationals’ broadcast team.
“We literally have video and voice audio,” Nationals announcer and ex-MLB infielder Kevin Frandsen fumed. “He never said anything that, that’s just bad.
“That makes me even more mad.”
Thomas, who went 1-for-3 in the game before getting tossed, said after the game that he never made any remarks toward the umpire and labeled the ordeal as “frustrating.”
“Looking back, what I said was nothing that I haven’t said in the past and I thought it was a little quick,” Thomas said, according to the Washington Post. “I definitely didn’t say anything toward him. So that was the frustrating part for me.”
The 28-year-old Thomas has appeared in 39 games with Washington this season, slashing .225/.292/.338 with four home runs and 18 RBIs.
Controversial ejections and run-ins with umpires have been a recurring theme this year — ironically in the same season where arguably the game’s most controversial umpire, Angel Hernandez, retired after 33 seasons.
On Wednesday, Phillies outfielder Nick Castellanos told umpire Derek Thomas to ‘f–king speak up‘ over a misunderstanding involving a pitch clock violation.
Nevertheless, he was not ejected over the exchange.
Fellow Phillies outfielder Bryce Harper was not so lucky in late May when he was tossed by umpire Brian Walsh after a seemingly cordial discussion over a called third strike.
“I mean, I feel like John Tumpane, Alan Porter, Pat Hoberg, even Vic [Carapazza] at second tonight, there’s professionals in this league and there’s guys that are really good at their job and they understand it,” Harper said to reporters after that game before referencing the number that Walsh was wearing. “I guess 120 didn’t understand it.”
Aaron Boone was ejected just minutes into a late April game after a fan in the stands said something in the direction of umpire Hunter Wendelstedt — who had exchanged words with the Yankees skipper.
An incensed Boone pleaded his case that a fan behind the dugout said something, but it fell on deaf ears.
“I don’t care who said it. You’re gone!” Wendelstedt replied.
Not even Yankees captain Aaron Judge was spared.
He got an early hook from umpire Ryan Blakney in early May after he voiced displeasure over a called third strike, referring to the call as ‘bulls–t’ on his way back to the dugout.
“Very surprised,” Judge said of the ejection. ““I’ve said a lot worse. I usually try not to make a scene in situations like that. So little surprised walking away that happened.”
