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Saturday, August 27, 2022

MLB Ejection 149 - Lance Barrett (5; Ty France)

HP Umpire Lance Barrett ejected Mariners 1B Ty France (strikes one, two, and three calls; QOCN) in the 5th inning of the #Guardians-#Mariners game. With two out and none on in the bottom of the 4th, France took fastballs from Guardians pitcher Zach Plesac for called first, second, and third strikes. Replays indicate all three were located off the outer edge of home plate (strike one: px 0.97, pz 2.71; strike two: px 1.00, pz 2.47; strike three: px 0.84, pz 1.61), although the strike three call was within the borderline margin-of-error range, the call was incorrect.* At the time of the ejection, the Mariners were leading, 2-1. The Guardians ultimately won the contest, 4-3.

This is Lance Barrett (94)'s 5th ejection of the 2022 MLB regular season.
*UEFL Rule 6-2-b-1 (Kulpa Rule): |0| < STRIKE < |.748| < BORDERLINE < |.914| < BALL.
The strike one pitch was located 0.67 horizontal inches from being deemed correct.
The strike two pitch was located 1.03 horizontal inches from being deemed correct.
The strike three pitch was located 0.89 horizontal inches from being deemed incorrect.

This is the 149th ejection report of the 2022 MLB regular season.
This is the 48th player ejection of 2022. Prior to ejection, France was 0-2 (SO) in the contest.
This is Seattle's 11th ejection of 2022, 1st in the AL West (SEA 11; LAA 9; HOU 7; OAK 5; TEX 2).
This is Ty France's first career MLB ejection.
This is Lance Barrett's 5th ejection of 2022, 1st since July 5 (Avisail Garcia; QOC = N [Balls/Strikes]).

Wrap: Cleveland Guardians vs Seattle Mariners, 8/27/22 | Video as follows:

MLB Ejection 148 - Manny Gonzalez (3; Mike Napoli)

HP Umpire Manny Gonzalez ejected Cubs 1B Coach Mike Napoli (strike three call; QOCN) in the top of the 7th inning of the #Cubs-#Brewers game. With two out and one on (R2), Cubs batter Christopher Morel took a 3-2 slider from Brewers pitcher Taylor Rogers for a called third strike. Replays indicate the pitch was located off the outer edge of home plate and thigh-high (px 0.98, pz 2.84), the call was incorrect.* At the time of the ejection, the game was tied, 0-0. The Brewers ultimately won the contest, 7-0.


This is Manny Gonzalez (79)'s 3rd ejection of 2022.
*UEFL Rule 6-2-b-1 (Kulpa Rule): |0| < STRIKE < |.748| < BORDERLINE < |.914| < BALL.
This pitch was located .79 horizontal inches from being deemed correct.

This is the 148th ejection report of the 2022 MLB regular season.
This is Chicago's 9th ejection of 2022, 1st in the NL Central (CHC 9; STL 6; PIT 5; MIL 4; CIN 2).
This is Mike Napoli's 1st ejection since August 7, 2016 (Lance Barrett; QOC = N [Balls/Strikes]).
This is Manny Gonzalez's 3rd ejection of 2022, 1st since May 19 (Anthony Rizzo; QOC = N [Balls/Strikes]).

Wrap: Chicago Cubs vs Milwaukee Brewers, 8/27/22 | Video as follows:

MLB Ejection 147 - DJ Reyburn (3; Brian Anderson)

2B Umpire DJ Reyburn ejected Marlins RF Brian Anderson (out call/runner forced off base; QOCN) in the bottom of the 4th inning of the #Dodgers-#Marlins game. With one out and one on (R2), Marlins batter Brian Anderson hit a 2-2 fastball from Dodgers pitcher Dustin May on a line drive to left fielder Joey Gallo, who threw to second baseman Chris Taylor as Marlins batter-runner Anderson arrived at second base, ruled safe initially by 2B Umpire Reyburn before being ruled out for being tagged while off the base on a potential overslide. Replays indicate that during Anderson's slide into second base, he was forced or pushed off the base by the glove of Taylor in what appeared to be a pushing action excessive to a hard tag, the call was incorrect.* At the time of the ejection, the game was tied, 1-1. The Marlins ultimately won the contest, 2-1.

This is DJ Reyburn (70)'s 3rd ejection of the 2021 MLB regular season.
Official Baseball Rule 5.06(a)(1): "A runner acquires the right to an unoccupied base when they touch it before they are out. They are then entitled to it until they are put out, or forced to vacate it for another runner legally entitled to that base."
MLB Umpire Manual Interpretation for Rule 5.06(a)(1) (Runner Pushed Off Base): "If in the judgment of an umpire, a runner is pushed or forced off a base by a fielder, intentionally or unintentionally, at which the runner would have otherwise been called safe, the umpire has the authority and discretion under the circumstances to return the runner to the base they were forced off following the conclusion of the play."

This is the 147th ejection report of the 2022 MLB regular season.
This is the 47th player ejection of 2022. Prior to ejection, Anderson was 1-2 in the contest.
This is Miami's 9th ejection of 2022, 1st in the NL East (MIA 9; WAS 4; ATL, PHI 2; NYM 1).
This is Brian Anderson's first career MLB ejection.
This is DJ Reyburn's 3rd ejection of 2022, 1st since July 15 (Aaron Boone; QOC = Y [Balls/Strikes]).

Wrap: Los Angeles Dodgers vs Miami Sideburns, 8/27/22 | Video as follows:

MLB Ejection 146 - Shane Livensparger (2; John Schneider)

HP Umpire Shane Livensparger ejected Blue Jays interim manager John Schneider (ball four call; QOCY) in the top of the 8th inning of the #Angels-#BlueJays game. With two out and two on (R2, R3), Angels batter Mike Ford took a 3-1 curveball from Blue Jays pitcher Yimi Garcia for a called fourth ball. Replays indicate the pitch was located over the outer half of home plate and below the hollow of the knee (px 0.70, pz 1.11 [sz_bot 1.51 / RAD 1.39 / MOE 1.30]) and that all other pitches during the at-bat were properly officiated, the call was correct.* At the time of the ejection, the Angels were leading, 1-0. The Angels ultimately won the contest, 2-0.

This is Shane Livensparger (43)'s 2nd ejection of 2022.
*This pitch was located 2.33 vertical inches from being deemed incorrect.

This is the 146th ejection report of the 2022 MLB regular season.
This is the 80th manager ejection of 2022.
This is Toronto's 9th ejection of 2022, 2nd in the AL East (NYY 10; TOR 9; BOS 6; BAL 4; TB 3).
This is John Schneider's 1st ejection since August 26, 2021 (Jordan Baker; QOC = Y [Balls/Strikes]).
This is Shane Livensparger's 2nd ejection of 2022, 1st since April 28 (Scott Servais; QOC = N [Balls/Strikes]).

Wrap: Los Angeles Angels of USA vs Toronto Blue Jays, 8/27/22 | Video as follows:

Quickie - Mechanics of Calling a Foul Ball from 2nd Base

While fair/foul decisions are generally reserved for home plate and line umpires, it nonetheless is proper for an umpire at second base to call a foul ball under the specific circumstance of a batted ball which contacts the batter still in the box.

In this brief example from the Hawaii-California game during the 2022 Little League Intermediate World Series, we see the proper mechanics of a 2B Umpire calling "Time" from the middle infield to signify a foul ball after observing a batted ball that struck the foot of the batter at home plate.

This specific foul ball call is one the home plate umpire might be blocked out from seeing due to the catcher's position, meaning that field umpires can assist in making the "foul ball" call if they clearly see that the batted ball has made contact with the batter at home plate.

Video as follows:

Friday, August 26, 2022

MLB Ejections 144-145 - Dan Merzel (2-3; Winker, Servais)

HP Umpire Dan Merzel ejected Mariners LF Jesse Winker and manager Scott Servais (strike three call; QOCY) in the bottom of the 8th inning of the #Guardians-#Mariners game. With two out and one on (R1), Mariners batter Winker took a 2-2 curveball from Guardians pitcher James Karinchak for a called third strike. Replays indicate the pitch was located over the outer half of home plate and at the midpoint (px -0.36, pz 3.37 [sz_top 3.32 / RAD 3.44 / MOE 3.53]) and that all other pitches during the at-bat were properly officiated, the call was correct.* At the time of the ejection, the game was tied, 2-2. The Mariners ultimately won the contest, 3-2, in 11 innings.

These are Dan Merzel (107)'s 2nd and 3rd ejections of 2022.
*This pitch was located 1.92 vertical inches from being deemed incorrect.

These are the 144th and 145th ejection reports of the 2022 MLB regular season.
This is the 46th player ejection of 2022. Prior to ejection, Winker was
This is the 79th manager ejection of 2022.
This is Seattle's 9/10th ejection of 2022, 1st in the AL West (SEA 10; LAA 9; HOU 7; OAK 5; TEX 2).
This is Jesse Winker's 2nd ejection of 2022, 1st since June 26 (Adrian Johnson; QOC = U [Fighting]).
This is Scott Servais' 4th ejection of 2022, 1st since June 26 (Adrian Johnson; QOC = U [Fighting]).
This is Dan Merzel's 2/3rd ejection of 2022, 1st since May 25 (David Ross; QOC = U [Warnings]).

Wrap: Cleveland Indians vs Seattle Mariners, 8/26/22 | Video as follows:

Thursday, August 25, 2022

CCS Stats Explanation - How to Read Pitch Strike Zone Data (px, pz)

If you've watched our MLB content, you'll notice certain variables and numbers appear on-screen during ball/strike ejections. In this illustrative video, we will teach you how to read pitch strike zone data—px, pz, RAD, MOE, etc.—to calculate umpire expected ball/strike calls. All numerical values presented are in feet.

In this video, you will learn about the following variables:
px - The pitch's horizontal location.
pz - The pitch's vertical location.
sz_bot - The batter's bottom-of-zone boundary.
sz_top - The batter's top-of-zone boundary.
RAD - The radius of a baseball subtracted from sz_bot or added to sz_top.
MOE - The margin of error variable applied to vertical pitch values (it is embedded within the core formula for horizontal location, since horizontal is a static entity whereas vertical changes depending on each batter's individual sz_bot and sz_top values).

For horizontal location, Umpire Expected Calls:
All else equal, |0| < STRIKE < |.748| < BORDERLINE-ABSOLUTE STRIKE < |0.831| < BORDERLINE-ABSOLUTE BALL < |.914| < BALL. This is known as the Kulpa Rule (UEFL Rule 6-2-b-1).

For vertical location, Umpire Expected Calls:
All else equal, BALL < sz_bot - RAD +/- MOE < STRIKE < sz_top + RAD +/- MOE < Ball. The borderline zone for vertical pitches is located in the span between sz_bot - RAD - MOE to sz_bot - RAD + MOE, and between sz_top + RAD - MOE to sz_top + RAD + MOE. This is known as the Miller Rule UEFL Rule 6-2-b-2).

Video as follows:

Wednesday, August 24, 2022

MLB Ejection 143 - John Libka (2; Nolan Arenado)

HP Umpire John Libka ejected Cardinals 3B Nolan Arenado (check swing strike three call) in the top of the 3rd inning of the #Cardinals-#Cubs game. With two out and two on (R1, R2), Arenado attempted to check his swing on a 3-2 fastball from Cubs pitcher Luke Farrell, ruled a swinging strike by HP Umpire Libka. Play was reviewed and adjudicated by the UEFL Appeals Board, the call was correct. At the time of the ejection, the Cubs were leading, 3-0. The Cubs ultimately won the contest, 7-1.

This is John Libka (84)'s 2nd ejection of 2022.
OBR Definition: "A STRIKE is a legal pitch when so called by the umpire, which is struck at by the batter and is missed."

This is the 143rd ejection report of the 2022 MLB regular season.
This is the 45th player ejection of 2022. Prior to ejection, Arenado was 0-2 (SO) in the contest.
This is St Louis' 6th ejection of 2022, 2nd in the NL Central (CHC 8; STL 6; PIT 5; MIL 4; CIN 2).
This is Nolan Arenado's 2nd ejection of 2022, 1st since April 27 (Jeremie Rehak; QOC = U [Fighting]).
This is John Libka's 2nd ejection of 2022, 1st since May 30 (Torey Lovullo; QOC = Y [Balls/Strikes]).

Wrap: St Louis Cardinals vs Chicago Cubs, 8/24/22 | Video as follows:

MLB Ejection 142 - Mark Ripperger (3; JP Crawford)

HP Umpire Mark Ripperger ejected Mariners SS JP Crawford (strike three call; QOCN) in the bottom of the 7th inning of the #Nationals-#Mariners game. With two out and none on, Crawford took a 3-2 fastball from Nationals pitcher Carl Edwards Jr for a called third strike. Replays indicate the pitch was located off the outer edge of home plate and at the midpoint (px -0.95, pz 3.43 [sz_top 3.30 / RAD 3.42 / MOE 3.50]), the call was incorrect.* At the time of the ejection, the Nationals were leading, 1-0. The Nationals ultimately won the contest, 3-1. 

This is Mark Ripperger (90)'s 3rd ejection of 2022.
*UEFL Rule 6-2-b-1 (Kulpa Rule): |0| < STRIKE < |.748| < BORDERLINE < |.914| < BALL.
This pitch was located 0.43 horizontal inches from being deemed correct (it was vertically QOCY).

This is the 142nd ejection report of the 2022 MLB regular season.
This is the 44th player ejection of 2022. Prior to ejection, Crawford was 0-3 (SO) in the contest.
This is the Mariners' 8th ejection of 2022, 2nd in the AL West (LAA 9; SEA 8; HOU 7; OAK 5; TEX 2).
This JP Crawford's 2nd ejection of 2022, 1st since June 26 (John Bacon; QOC = U [Fighting LAA]).
This is Mark Ripperger's 3rd ejection of 2022, 1st since July 9 (Don Mattingly; QOC = Y [Balls/Strikes]).

Wrap: Washington Nationals vs Seattle Mariners, 8/25/22 | Video as follows:

Teachable - Historic Triple Challenge & Tosi in the Middle

Phillies interim manager Rob Thompson scored a historic feat this season during a Nick Castellanos at-bat, challenging three elements of one play via Replay Review—an umpire's catch/trap call, a base touching appeal (leaving early) call, and an out/safe tag call—during a game at Citizens Bank Park.

With none out and two on (R1, R2), Phillies batter Castellanos hit a drive into deep right field, with Braves right fielder Adam Duvall diving in an attempt to catch the sinking fly ball. 1B Umpire Quinn Wolcott ruled a catch, and Duvall quickly threw the ball back to the infield, where baserunner R1 Rhys Hoskins was tagged out between first and second, and runner R2 Kyle Schwarber was called out for leaving second base early (failing to timely tag up) and prior to the outfielder's first touch of the ball.

Upon Replay Review as the result of Thompson's multi-pronged challenge, the Castellanos air out stood, Hoskins' tag out was confirmed, and Schwarber's base touch was overturned, averting a triple play.

In this Teachable Moment, we watch Wolcott's responsibility relative to catch/no catch calls in right field, as well as 2B Umpire Alex Tosi's multiple responsibilities at second base, which include the plays on R1 Hoskins, R2 Schwarber's tag up, and, oh yeah, keeping tabs on whether the ball was caught, and when that occurred.

Video as follows:

Tuesday, August 23, 2022

MLB Ejection 141 - Stu Scheurwater (2; Brandon Drury)

HP Umpire Stu Scheurwater ejected Padres DH Brandon Drury (strike three call; QOCN) in the bottom of the 4th inning of the #Guardians-#Padres game. With none out and none on, Drury took a 3-2 curveball from Guardians pitcher Aaron Civale for a called third strike. Replays indicate the pitch was located off the inner edge of home plate and below the hollow of the knee (px 0.95, pz 1.22 [sz_bot 1.73 / RAD 1.61 / MOE 1.52]), the call was incorrect.* At the time of the ejection, the Guardians were leading, 1-0. The Guardians ultimately won the contest, 3-1.

This is Stu Scheurwater (85)'s 2nd ejection of 2022.
*UEFL Rule 6-2-b-1 (Kulpa Rule): |0| < STRIKE < |.748| < BORDERLINE < |.914| < BALL.
This pitch was located 0.43 horizontal and 3.60 vertical inches from being deemed correct.

This is the 141st ejection report of the 2022 MLB regular season.
This is the 43rd player ejection of 2022. Prior to ejection, Drury was 0-2 (2 SO) in the contest.
This is San Diego's 6th ejection of 2022, 1st in the NL West (SD 6; ARI 5; SF 4; COL 2; LAD 1).
This is Brandon Drury's first career MLB ejection.
This is Stu Scheurwater's 2nd ejection of 2022, 1st since June 28 (Aaron Boone; QOC = N [Balls/Strikes]).

MLB Ejection 140 - Todd Tichenor (3; Rocco Baldelli)

1B Umpire Todd Tichenor ejected Twins manager Rocco Baldelli (mound visit limitation rule/second visit/visit charged during benches-clearing incident) in the bottom of the 5th inning of the #Twins-#Astros game. With none out and none on, Astros batter Jose Altuve took a 1-1 sinker from Twins pitcher Aaron Sanchez for a hit-by-pitch, resulting in a benches-clearing incident. During the incident, as Astros manager Dusty Baker spoke with Altuve, Twins manager Rocco Baldelli spoke with Sanchez. Pursuant to Official Baseball Rule 5.10(m) [Limitation on the Number of Mound Visits Per Game, a Pace of Play Modification], "a manager or coach trip to the mound to meet with the pitcher shall constitute a visit" (the only exception is potential injury), so Baldelli was charged with a visit. When pitching coach Pete Maki subsequently visited the mound after Sanchez walked ensuing batter Yuli Gurriel on four pitches, umpires enforced the two-visits-per-pitcher-per-inning rule (5.10(l)) and ordered Sanchez's removal from the game, resulting in Baldelli's ejection, the call was correct...technically. At the time of the ejection, the Astros were leading, 2-0. The Astros ultimately won the contest, 4-2.

This is Todd Tichenor (13)'s 3rd ejection of 2022.

This is the 140th ejection report of the 2022 MLB regular season.
This is the 78th manager ejection of 2022.
This is Minnesota's 4th ejection of 2022, T-2nd in the AL Central (CWS 5; DET, MIN 4; CLE, KC 3).
This is Rocco Baldelli's 4th ejection of 2022, 1st since August 7 (Alan Porter; QOC = N-c [Replay Review]).
This is Todd Tichenor's 3rd ejection of 2022, 1st since August 19 (Alex Cora; QOC = Y [Balls/Strikes]).

Wrap: Minnesota Twins vs. Houston Astros, 8/23/22 | Video as follows:

Ask UEFL - NY's Failed Dead Ball Appeal Distraction

During Monday's Mets-Yankees Subway Series, a first-inning attempted appeal play prompted confusion from both New York teams as Mets starting pitcher Max Scherzer's throw into center field when Yankees runner Anthony Rizzo took off toward second during an appeal of Andrew Benintendi's tagging up timeliness ultimately didn't count, leading Yanks manager Aaron Boone to seek an explanation from the umpires (and for some of you to seek an explanation from us!).

Here's why the appeal didn't count:

Although the too-long-didn't-read version is "the ball was dead," there's a bit more to it than that, so let's dive in.

We begin with Yankees batter DJ LeMahieu hitting a sacrifice fly to right field, allowing baserunner R3 Benintendi to score on a close play at the plate. As Mets manager Buck Showalter and company considered whether or not to request a Replay Review of HP Umpire Lance Barrett's safe call, umpires called "Time" and the ball became dead.

Although no challenge to the play at the plate was requested, the Mets felt that Benintendi may have left third base prior to right fielder Starling Marte's first touch of the fly ball, so the team from Queens set up to appeal at third base.
Relevant Rule: OBR 5.09(c)(1): "Any runner shall be called out, on appeal, when, after a fly ball is caught, they fail to retouch their original base before they or their original base is tagged."

Sensing the impending appeal, Yankees baserunner R1 Rizzo, perhaps worried that R3 Benintendi might have left early and that the appeal would be successful, took off for second base, sacrificing himself in the hopes of drawing a throw from Mets pitcher Scherzer, with the goal of goading the Mets into making a play on Rizzo so as to prevent the possibility of an appeal on Benintendi, since no appeal may occur once the defensive team has made a play or attempted play after the continuous action of the play-to-be-appealed has ended. A throw to retire (or in an attempt to retire) Rizzo qualifies as a "play or attempted play." Important to note: this "play or attempted play" rule is exclusive to professional baseball as high school and college rules state that the defense does not lose the right to its appeal if the offense initiates a play before the next pitch. The offensive "bait" play to prevent an appeal on another runner, thus, works in pro ball but not in high school/college.
Relevant Rule: OBR 5.09(c): "Any appeal under this rule must be made before the next pitch, or any play or attempted play."

Scherzer took Rizzo's bait, but threw the ball wildly into center field, enabling Rizzo to advance to third base...before the umpires ordered Rizzo back to first base, ruling that none of what just occurred actually happened. This is because HP Umpire Barrett never put the ball back into play by stating "Play" such that the entire sequence—Rizzo's advancement, wild throw into center field taking away the opportunity to appeal—occurred while the ball was still dead, meaning that none of it counted because under the professional (and NCAA/college) ruleset, the ball must be live during an appeal (in NFHS/high school, the ball can be dead during an appeal...runners can't advance during dead balls [unless it's a pre-existing base award from a live ball period] in all rulesets).
Relevant Rule: OBR 5.06(c): "While the ball is dead no player may be put out, no bases may be run and no runs may be scored, except that runners may advance one or more bases as the result of acts which occurred while the ball was alive."

Once play was reset, Scherzer took the rubber, batter Josh Donaldson entered the batter's box, HP Umpire Barrett put the ball back into play, thus making it live, the appeal was properly executed (Rizzo didn't try to draw a throw this time), and 3B Umpire Dan Merzel signaled "safe," ruling that Benintendi left third base in a timely manner after all.
Relevant Rule: OBR 5.09(c) Comment: "Time is not out when an appeal is being made."

tldr: the ball was dead | Video as follows:

Monday, August 22, 2022

Former AL Umpire Bill Haller Dies, Age 87

21-year American League umpire Bill "Fox" Haller, whose career spanned 1961 through 1982, passed away at the age of 87. The Joliet, Illinois-born Haller and brother of Tom, who played in the majors from 1961 to 1972, began umpiring after graduation from Juliet Jr College in 1955 and worked through the Goergia-Florida, New York-Penn, Northwest, and Pacific Coast minor leagues before debuting in the American League for a total of 14 games in 1961.

After a stint in Triple-A's International League in 1962, Haller joined the American League staff permanently in 1963, where he remained for the next two decades. In 1972, he worked a game behind the plate while his brother Tom caught for the Tigers, the only-ever game in which plate umpire and catcher were brothers. 

He was the last umpire to wear a balloon-style (outer) chest protector in a World Series game, which he did in 1982.

After retiring from the AL Staff, Haller joined the league office as a supervisor until 1985 and worked for the Baseball Umpire Development program until 1994.

Haller, who officiated four League Championship Series and four World Series, famously wore a microphone during a Tigers-Orioles game in September 1980, during which he ejected Baltimore manager Earl Weaver for arguing a first-inning balk call.

Weaver was Haller's most common ejectee by far, with the pair combining for five ejections from 1969 through 1982. California Angels skipper Bill Rigney was second-most, with three ejections in 1966 and 1967. In all, Haller finished his career with 71 ejections.

After he retired, the independent/unaffiliated Joliet Jackhammers (now the Frontier League's Joliet Slammers, named for famous Joliet-area prisons) gave away a Bill Haller bobblehead as part of a hometown promotion honoring the veteran umpire.

Haller's sleeve number 1 is currently worn by MLB umpire Bruce Dreckman.

Sunday, August 21, 2022

MLB Ejection 139 - Bill Miller (2; Mark Kotsay)

1B Umpire Bill Miller ejected Athletics manager Mark Kotsay (check swing ball call) in the top of the 7th inning of the #Mariners-#Athletics game. With two out and one on (R3), Mariners batter Cal Raleigh attempted to check his swing on a 2-2 fastball from A's pitcher AJ Puk, ruled a ball by HP Umpire Doug Eddings and affirmed on appeal as no swing by 1B Umpire Miller. One pitch earlier, Raleigh took a 1-2 slider from Puk for a called second strike located off the outer edge of home plate and waist-high (px 1.08, pz 2.98 [Expected Call: Ball]). Kotsay was ejected two at-bats later, when HP Umpire Eddings called Ty France for a swinging strike as France attempted to check his swing on a 1-0 slider from A's pitcher Zach Jackson. Play was reviewed and adjudicated as a swinging strike by the UEFL Appeals Board (7-0), the call was INCORRECT. At the time of the ejection, the A's were leading, 4-3. The A's ultimately won the contest, 5-3.

This is Bill Miller (26)'s 2nd ejection of 2022.

This is the 139th ejection report of the 2022 MLB regular season.
This is the 77th manager ejection of 2022.
This is Oakland's 5th ejection of 2022, 4th in the AL West (LAA 9; HOU, SEA 7; OAK 5; TEX 2).
This is Mark Kotsay's 4th ejection of 2022, 1st since July 2 (Chris Segal; QOC = N [Balls/Strikes]).
This is Bill Miller's 2nd ejection of 2022, 1st since May 10 (Joe Girardi; QOC = U [Denied Replay]).

Wrap: Seattle Mariners vs Oakland Athletics, 8/21/22 | Video as follows:

MLB Ejection 138 - CB Bucknor (3; Oliver Marmol)

HP Umpire CB Bucknor ejected Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol (strike one call; QOCN) in the top of the 3rd inning of the #Cardinals-#Diamondbacks game. With one out and two on (R1, R2), Cardinals batter Nolan Arenado took a 0-0 fastball from Diamondbacks pitcher Carson Kelly for a called first strike. Replays indicate the pitch was located above the knee and off the inner edge of home plate (px -1.11, pz 1.80), the call was incorrect.* At the time of the ejection, the game was tied, 3-3. The Cardinals ultimately won the contest, 5-4.

This is CB Bucknor (54)'s 3rd ejection of 2022.
CB Bucknor now has -2 points in the UEFL Standings (0 Previous + 2 MLB - 4 Incorrect Call = -2).
Crew Chief Jeff Nelson now has 2 points in Crew Division (2 Previous + 0 Incorrect Call = 2).
*UEFL Rule 6-2-b-1 (Kulpa Rule): |0| < STRIKE < |.748| < BORDERLINE < |.914| < BALL.
This pitch was located 2.35 horizontal inches from being deemed correct.

This is the 138th ejection report of the 2022 MLB regular season.
This is the 76th manager ejection of 2022.
This is St Louis' 5th ejection of 2022, T-2nd in the NL Central (CHC 8; PIT, STL 5; MIL 4; CIN 2).
This is Oliver Marmol's 3rd ejection of 2022, 1st since July 22 (Ryan Additon; QOC = Y [Balls/Strikes]).
This is CB Bucknor's 3rd ejection of 2022, 1st since July 23 (David Ross; QOC = N [Balls/Strikes]).

Wrap: St Louis Cardinals vs Arizona Diamondbacks, 8/21/22 | Video as follows:

Playing Out the 5th Out - Another Little League What If

Saturday night's Little League World Series elimination game between Massachusetts and Pennsylvania saw PA's 5th inning superfluously extended to record extra outs after a caught fly ball-turned-inning-ending-double play on an advancing runner didn't end at the third out, but continued as the defense tagged out an uninvolved baserunner along with the retired batter.

Here's what happened:
Batter out (fly ball caught) & R2 out (tagged off of a base).

And here are a few what if this happened scenarios, all else equal:

If 0 outs to begin play: Batter out (fly ball caught), R2 out (tagged off a base), R1 out (tagged).
Outfielder doesn't catch ball: R2 out (tag), batter-runner out (passing preceding runner R1).
No catch & 0 outs: R2 out (tag), batter-runner out (passing), R1 out (tagged).
Challenged for home plate collision rule: Coin flip to determine outcome.
Catcher called for HP collision rule: Batter out (fly ball caught), R2 awarded home, R1 stays at 1st.
Defense appeals R2 left early: Batter out (catch), R2 out (having left prior to defense's first touch).
Everyone falls asleep: Batter and R1 out (abandonment).

Video as follows: