[FONT="]It looked like umpire Tom Hallion wanted to get some extra work in before spring training came to an end. That's the only reasonable explanation for the ump show that went down during Thursday's Grapefruit League game between the Tigers and Phillies.
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[FONT="]The fireworks started in the fifth inning when Tigers pitcher Matt Boyd was inexplicably ejected for his 3-1 pitch that made minimal contact with the Phillies' Odubel Herrera. If anything, Herrera appeared to move into the pitch. How it was a straight ejection for the first hit batter of a game, I have no idea. The announcers speculated that a previous pitch over Herrera's head may have been on purpose (in Hallion's opinion), but no warning was issued. Boyd laughed as he walked off the field.
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[FONT="]After that, it got especially weird.
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[FONT="]With a 1-2 count in the eighth inning, Phillies pitcher Parker Frazier hit Derek Hill on the leg with an 81 mph breaking ball. Totally oblivious to the situation, Hallion ejected Frazier. Phillies manager Gabe Kapler left the dugout to argue why Hallion would eject a pitcher on a 1-2 breaking pitch a full three innings after the last batter was hit - and he too got ejected.
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[FONT="]Like, dude was wearing No. 99 - he's not trying to defend anyone's honor with an 81 mph slider. Frazier was just trying to get some work in before he's sent to the minors.
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[FONT="]And Hallion wasn't done! In the ninth inning, Pedro Beato was ejected when his fastball grazed Dylan Rosa's jersey. Bench coach Rob Thomson was baffled by how Hallion could completely forget that he's working a spring training game and eject another pitcher for no reason. So, of course, Thomson was ejected too.
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[FONT="]Umpiring doesn't get much worse than that.[/FONT]
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[FONT="]The fireworks started in the fifth inning when Tigers pitcher Matt Boyd was inexplicably ejected for his 3-1 pitch that made minimal contact with the Phillies' Odubel Herrera. If anything, Herrera appeared to move into the pitch. How it was a straight ejection for the first hit batter of a game, I have no idea. The announcers speculated that a previous pitch over Herrera's head may have been on purpose (in Hallion's opinion), but no warning was issued. Boyd laughed as he walked off the field.
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[FONT="]After that, it got especially weird.
[/FONT]
[FONT="]With a 1-2 count in the eighth inning, Phillies pitcher Parker Frazier hit Derek Hill on the leg with an 81 mph breaking ball. Totally oblivious to the situation, Hallion ejected Frazier. Phillies manager Gabe Kapler left the dugout to argue why Hallion would eject a pitcher on a 1-2 breaking pitch a full three innings after the last batter was hit - and he too got ejected.
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[FONT="]Like, dude was wearing No. 99 - he's not trying to defend anyone's honor with an 81 mph slider. Frazier was just trying to get some work in before he's sent to the minors.
[/FONT]
[FONT="]And Hallion wasn't done! In the ninth inning, Pedro Beato was ejected when his fastball grazed Dylan Rosa's jersey. Bench coach Rob Thomson was baffled by how Hallion could completely forget that he's working a spring training game and eject another pitcher for no reason. So, of course, Thomson was ejected too.
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[FONT="]Umpiring doesn't get much worse than that.[/FONT]
