A Call So Bad, Even the Crowd Couldn’t Believe It
Being an MLB umpire is no easy gig. With blazing fastballs and breaking pitches dancing all over the zone, calling balls and strikes requires focus, precision, and nerves of steel. But every so often, a call is so far off the mark that even the most understanding fans are left stunned.
That’s exactly what happened Monday night when Brian Walsh, home plate umpire in the Orioles vs. Blue Jays matchup, made a call that has quickly gone viral.
Read More: MLB Ump Gets Slammed by Mariners Announcer After Blown Strike Call
Pitch Down the Middle? Called a Ball.
In the top of the fourth inning, with Baltimore leading 6-3, Toronto’s Ernie Clement stepped in to face Orioles starter Zach Eflin. After an opening pitch was ruled a ball, Eflin followed up with a sinker that couldn’t have been more perfect, right down the heart of the plate.
But somehow, Walsh called it ball two.
The reaction was instant. Orioles announcers were baffled.
“That’s literally right down the middle,” exclaimed Kevin Brown.
Former pitcher Ben McDonald added, “You couldn’t set it on a tee in the heart of the plate any better than that… How do you miss that?”
You can watch the pitch for yourself
The Fallout and the MLB Possible Explanation
Though Clement eventually singled and scored to cut the lead to 6-4, Baltimore held on for the win. Still, this moment stood out like a sore thumb.
So what went wrong? Some speculate that Adley Rutschman’s setup might have confused Walsh. The catcher set up outside, but the pitch broke sharply inside, back over the plate. That sudden glove movement may have misled the umpire.
Even so, from Walsh’s vantage point directly behind the plate, it’s hard to explain how such a meatball went unnoticed.
Calling balls and strikes will never be easy, and maybe that’s why debates around automated strike zones won’t go away. But Monday’s gaffe shows why fans and players still have trust issues with human umpires.
Sometimes, the strike zone is just… invisible.
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