An MLB ump was caught mocking a Marlins challenge into a hot mic before overturning the call.
Replay review remains a fiercely debated topic even years after being adopted by every major sports league in America. On one hand, it’s great that referees and umpires can consult video replay to make sure they get calls correct. On the other, it slows the game down and often loses the momentum of what’s happening on the field, ice, or court.
The pro-replay types have a new argument in their favor after Saturday night’s Los Angeles Angels vs. Miami Marlins game: sometimes they can be intentionally hilarious. That was the case after a hot mic caught an umpire mocking the Marlins for challenging a call in the 10th inning when they believed Angels catcher Matt Thaiss never touched home plate on what was originally called on double-play for LA.
When the Marlins challenged the call, an umpire was accidentally caught mocking the challenge on a live mic: “They got their heads up their ass.”
The best part? The umps reversed the call and gave Miami another run. Listen to the clip of the umpire here:
Here’s video of the play. It’s clear Thaiss wasn’t even close to touching home. The Marlins beat the Angels, 8-5, in 10 innings.
Watch the play that was challenged here:
The Angels thought they had an inning-ending double play but instead they give up another run because Matt Thaiss wasn’t touching home plate pic.twitter.com/ZJDeR4sYUp
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) May 28, 2023
Maybe the umps are the ones that actually have their heads up their ass?
The Angels got an incredible performance from Shohei Ohtani, and a pair of hits from Mike Trout, but still found a way to lose a baseball game. Stop me if you’ve heard that one before. Ohtani started the game for the Angels as a pitcher and struck out 10 in six innings, but his bullpen coughed up the lead. Trout ended the game 2-for-4 with a walk.
