Gleyber Calls Out Ump In Post Game Interview

The West Coast series has been a trying collection of games for the Yankees.  After being swept by the Oakland A’s earlier this week, and the beasting of the Los Angeles Dodgers in Friday’s night game 10-2, the Yankees were on the losing end of a pitchers’ 2-1 duel with an unbelievable series of events in the 9th inning.  It was this series of events that led not only to frustration, but the Yankees’ youngest player calling out the umpires.

Gleyber Torres was trying to do some heads up base running after Brett Gardner slid hard into the second base to avoid being called out and preventing a double play which would have halted the Yankees rally in the 9th. “Torres was questioning why plate ump Gabe Morales called time out,” reported the NJ.com. “I don’t know what’s wrong with the umpires today,” Torres said. “We can’t control that.”

MLB umpires have been under fire, seemingly a lot more this season than ever before, partly because of the challenge and replay functionality of the game.  This has given fans and even the media a reason to question the actual rules of the game and the latitude that umpires have in applying them.

“Morales called time out after Brett Gardner’s hard slide into second base knocked Max Muncy to the ground. Torres took off for home and crossed the plate but he was sent back to third base because Morales said he had called time out. Manager Aaron Boone said Morales told him Torres was sent back to third base because closer Kenley Jansen had called time out. But replays left the situation unclear. Jansen motioned to Morales, but it wasn’t clear whether he did it before Torres starting running home,” reported NJ.com.

YES Network’s Jack Curry reminded viewers that unlike players and managers who give post-game interviews and press conferences, umpires don’t.  Maybe now that umpires have more of a voice in the game due to technology, it is time for MLB to require umpires to give post game interviews too.

“Gabe said he killed it,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said after the game. “Just looking back, Kenley held his hands up — it looked to me Gleyber had already started down the line with a guy down on the field. Home plate umpire said he had killed it,” reported CBS Sports.

“Can you call time when an outfielder hits the wall and prevent the runner from taking an extra base? No, because the play is still live. Even when pitchers are hit by dangerous come-backers, the play is played to completion,” raised CBS Sports.  I tend to agree with that sentiment yet, regardless, the game ended with the Yankees coming up short.  This leaves us all with a bad taste in our mouths.

It certainly has been a month of umpire hell, if you will, for the Yankees and even our youngest player, who usually seems unfazed, is frustrated.  Let’s hope the Yankees can put their heated emotions into winning tonight as they close out the series with Dodgers and head to Seattle, the last stretch of the West Coast series for the Bombers.

–Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof