Close Call Sports & Umpire Ejection Fantasy League

Yankees pitcher Nestor Cortes executed an unusual delivery against Cleveland, pantomiming a fake pitch during his windup to Guardians batter Andrés Giménez. HP Umpire Mark Carlson and crew no-...

https://www.closecallsports.com/2024/04/nestor-cortes-fake-pitch-legal-or.html

HP Umpire Derek Thomas ejected White Sox pitcher Tim Hill (balls/strikes; QOCY) in the top of the 9th inning of the #Reds-#WhiteSox game. With none out and none, Reds batter Nick Martini singled...

https://www.closecallsports.com/2024/04/mlb-ejection-011-derek-thomas-1-tim-hill.html

HP Umpire John Libka ejected Nationals 1B Joey Gallo (strike two and three calls; QOCY) in the top of the 8th inning of the #Nationals-#Athletics game. With one out and none on, Gallo took a 2-1...

https://www.closecallsports.com/2024/04/mlb-ejection-010-john-libka-1-joey-gallo.html

HP Umpire Clint Vondrak ejected Giants manager Bob Melvin (strike three call to Jorge Soler; QOCY) in the top of the 7th inning of the #Giants-#Rays game. With two out and two on, Giants batter ...

https://www.closecallsports.com/2024/04/mlb-ejection-009-clint-vondrak-1-bob.html

HP Umpire Jeremie Rehak ejected Red Sox catcher Reese McGuire (strike three call; QOCY) in the bottom of the 9th inning of the #Orioles-#RedSox game. With none out and none on, Red Sox batter Mc...

https://www.closecallsports.com/2024/04/mlb-ejection-008-jeremie-rehak-1-reese.html

Oakland turned an inning-ending double play against Texas when Rangers batter Jared Walsh's soft infield pop fly evaded diving A's second baseman Zack Gelof near the pitcher's mound, with 2B Ump...

https://www.closecallsports.com/2024/04/as-rangers-double-play-infield-fly-or.html

HP Umpire John Bacon ejected Yankees manager Aaron Boone (strike two call; QOCY) in the bottom of the 7th inning of the #Marlins-#Yankees game. With none out and none on, Yankees batter Alex Ver...

https://www.closecallsports.com/2024/04/mlb-ejection-007-john-bacon-1-aaron.html

We again saw a potential pitch clock loophole as HP Umpire Gabe Morales called Giants pitcher Jordan Hicks for a violation and automatic ball, resulting in a walk, as San Francisco complained th...

https://www.closecallsports.com/2024/04/the-reasonably-set-pitch-clock-loophole.html

After HP Umpire Angel Hernandez called Yankees batter Gleyber Torres out on strikes in the 1st inning vs Toronto, New York manager Aaron Boone argued the strikeout shouldn't count because Blue J...

https://www.closecallsports.com/2024/04/angel-again-step-off-disengagement.html

HP Umpire Alfonso Márquez ejected Nationals bench coach Miguel Cairo (strike one call to Jacob Young; QOCY) in the bottom of the 2nd inning of the #Phillies-#Nationals game. With two out and tw...

https://www.closecallsports.com/2024/04/mlb-ejection-006-alfonso-marquez-2.html

HP Umpire Brennan Miller ejected Twins hitting coach David Popkins (strike two and three calls to Matt Wallner; QOCN) in the bottom of the 4th inning of the #Guardians-#Twins game. With two out ...

https://www.closecallsports.com/2024/04/mlb-ejection-005-brennan-miller-1-david.html

Detroit manager AJ Hinch argued after being told he couldn't challenge HP Umpire Angel Hernandez's foul tip call in the 11th inning in New York because Hernandez's on-field ruling that batter Sp...

https://www.closecallsports.com/2024/04/angels-swinging-strike-call.html

Mets batter Jeff McNeil and HP Umpire Angel Hernandez exchanged words in the bottom of the 6th inning of New York's Thursday matinee vs Detroit over a pitch clock rule-related "Time" out request...

https://www.closecallsports.com/2024/04/jeff-mcneil-angel-hernandez-disagree.html

HP Umpire Mike Muchlinski ejected Pirates manager Derek Shelton (check swing strike three call) in the top of the 7th inning of the #Pirates-#Nationals game. With two out and one on, Pirates bat...

https://www.closecallsports.com/2024/04/mlb-ejection-004-mike-muchlinski-1.html

2B Umpire Vic Carapazza ejected Mariners bench player Dylan Moore (check swing no-call by 1B Umpire Adam Hamari and HBP Replay Review during Ramón Laureano's at-bat) in the top of the 3rd innin...

https://www.closecallsports.com/2024/04/mlb-ejection-003-vic-carapazza-1-dylan.html

By popular demand, we analyze a few quirky plays from the off-beat baseball experience known as the Savannah Bananas. Which of their peculiar stunts are legal in a regulation game? Stick arou...

https://www.closecallsports.com/2024/04/savannah-bananas-rules-analysis-april-1.html

2B Umpire Todd Tichenor ejected Blue Jays pitcher Génesis Cabrera (fighting) in the bottom of the 7th inning of the #BlueJays-#Rays game. With two out and one on, Rays batter José Caballero bu...

https://www.closecallsports.com/2024/03/mlb-ejection-002-todd-tichenor-1.html

3B Umpire Alfonso Márquez ejected Mets pitcher Yohan Ramírez (throwing at Brewers DH Rhys Hoskins) in the top of the 7th inning of the #Brewers-#Mets game. With one out and one on, Brewers bat...

https://www.closecallsports.com/2024/03/mlb-ejection-001-alfonso-marquez-1.html

Following a look at whether Brewers 1B Rhys Hoskins' block of Mets runner DJ Stewart was obstruction or not, we determine whether Hoskins' slide into Mets 2B Jeff McNeil satisfied the bona flide...

https://www.closecallsports.com/2024/03/hoskins-slide-into-mcneil-obstruction.html

A pair of Opening Day plate blocking replays at home in Houston and Miami brought out some fiery opinions from the Marlins broadcasters while a missed foul ball call led to Chicago's 9th-inning ...

https://www.closecallsports.com/2024/03/plate-blocking-replay-missed-foul-ball.html

Georgia batter Kolby Branch found himself ejected and suspended after tossing his helmet while celebrating a walk-off grand slam, umpires opting to enforce NCAA baseball's unsportsmanlike conduc...

https://www.closecallsports.com/2024/03/ncaa-ejection-for-helmet-toss-during.html

After Dodgers acquisition Shohei Ohtani's baserunning blunder during MLB's Seoul Series, Padres batter Xander Bogaerts struck out on a pitch timer violation when HP Umpire Andy Fletcher called a...

https://www.closecallsports.com/2024/03/shoheis-blunder-bogaerts-strikes-out-on.html

As Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor appeared to tag out Tigers baserunner Carson Kelly on a stolen base attempt, 2B Umpire Brennan Miller called the New York fielder for obstruction pursuant to M...

https://www.closecallsports.com/2024/03/lindor-called-for-obstruction-after.html

After Phillies 3B Esteban Quiroz failed to catch a two-out fly ball vs Detroit, 2B Umpire Matt Brown called Tigers baserunner Eddys Leonard out for interference, ruling that the runner illegally...

https://www.closecallsports.com/2024/03/interference-ends-tigers-8th-vs.html

After umpires ejected UConn's Matt Malcolm and Penn State's Kyle Hannon, both for bat flips after hitting a home run, you asked us how a college player can avoid ejection for celebrating a big h...

https://www.closecallsports.com/2024/03/bat-flip-ejections-how-to-not-be.html