MLB Ejections 172-3 - Brock Ballou (2-3; ATL x2)

HP Umpire Brock Ballou ejected Braves manager Brian Snitker and 1B Matt Olson (batter-runner interference call; QOCY) in the bottom of the 6th inning of the #Pirates-#Braves game. With none out and none on, Braves batter Olson hit a 3-1 changeup from Pirates pitcher Bubba Chandler on a fly ball into foul territory, whereupon catcher Henry Davis and Olson collided, resulting in an interference call by HP Umpire Ballou. Replays indicate that after hitting the fly ball, batter-runner Olson remained at home plate and failed to avoid catcher Davis as required by rule, and that the tangle-untangle exemption to the interference rule did not apply because Olson did not attempt to run toward first base, the call was correct.* At the time of the ejections, the Pirates were leading, 3-1. The Pirates ultimately won the contest, 3-1.

These are is Brock Ballou (41)'s 2nd and 3rd ejections of 2025.

*Official Baseball Rule 6.01(a)(10): "It is interference by a batter or a runner when they fail to avoid a fielder who is attempting to field a batted ball, or intentionally interfere with a thrown ball, provided that if two or more fielders attempt to field a batted ball, and the runner comes in contact with one or more of them, the umpire shall determine which fielder is entitled to the benefit of this rule."

OBR 6.01(a)(10) Comment on "Armbrister Tangle": "When a catcher and batter-runner going to first base have contact when the catcher is fielding the ball, there is generally no violation and nothing should be called."

These are the 172nd and 173rd ejections of the 2025 MLB regular season.

This is the 90th manager ejection of 2025.

This is the 55th player ejection of 2025. Ejection Tally: 90 Managers, 28 Coaches, 55 Players.

This is Atlanta's 3/4th ejection of 2025, 3rd in the NL East (WAS 10; NYM 5; ATL, MIA 4; PHI 3).

This is Brian Snitker's 3rd ejection of 2025, 1st since August 27 (Mark Wegner; QOC = U [Warnings]).

This is Matt Olson's first career MLB ejection.

This is Brock Ballou's 2/3rd ejection of 2025, 1st since July 7 (Ray Montgomery; QOC = Y [Balls/Strikes]).

Wrap: Pittsburgh Pirates vs Atlanta Braves, 9/27/25 | Video as follows:

MLB Ejection 096 - Brock Ballou (1; Ray Montgomery)

HP Umpire Brock Ballou ejected Angels interim manager Ray Montgomery (strike three call to Mike Trout; QOCY) in the bottom of the 8th inning of the #Rangers-#Angels game. With two out and none on, Angels batter Trout took a 3-2 fastball from Rangers pitcher Jacob Webb for a called third strike. Replays indicate the pitch was located over the inner half of home plate and above the hollow beneath the knee (px -0.25, pz 1.63 [sz_bot 1.81 / RAD 1.69 / MOE 1.61]), the call was correct.* At the time of the ejection, the Angels were leading, 5-4. The Angels ultimately won the contest, 6-5.

  

This is Brock Ballou (41)'s 1st ejection of 2025.

*This pitch was located 0.24 vertical inches from being deemed incorrect.

This is the 96th ejection report of the 2025 MLB regular season.

This is the 51st manager ejection of 2025. Ejection Tally: 51 Managers, 15 Coaches, 30 Players.

This is LA's 3rd ejection of 2025, 1st in the AL West (LAA, OAK, TEX 3; SEA, 2; HOU 1).

This is Ray Montgomery's first career MLB ejection.

This is Brock Ballou's 1st ejection since August 21, 2024 (Kevin Cash; QOC = Y [HBP/Ball]).

Box: Texas Rangers vs Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, 7/7/25 | Video as follows:

MLB Ejections 156-7 - Ballou, Bacchus (TB-OAK)

HP Umpire Brock Ballou ejected Rays manager Kevin Cash (HBP denied to José Caballero; QOCY) in the top of the 7th and 1B Umpire Erich Bacchus ejected A's manager Mark Kotsay (Replay Review decision which upheld U1's out call; QOCY) in the bottom of the 8th inning of the #Rays-#Athletics game. In the 7th, with none out and none on, Rays batter Caballero was touched by a 2-1 slider from A's pitcher Mitch Spence, ruled a dead ball (stay here) by HP Umpire Ballou, who ruled Caballero failed to attempt to avoid being touched by the pitch. Replays indicate Caballero failed to attempt to avoid being touched by the pitch, which was actually located within the strike zone when it touched Caballero; as the ball (not strike) call favored the ejectee's team, the call was correct (had Oakland instead been ejected, the call would be incorrect).* At the time of Cash's ejection, the game was tied, 2-2.

In the 8th, with one out and none on, A's batter Miguel Andujar hit a 1-2 sweeper from Rays pitcher Garrett Cleavinger on the ground to third baseman Caballero, to catcher Alex Jackson, to first baseman Yandy Díaz, ruled out by 1B Umpire Bacchus. Upon Replay Review as the result of a challenge by A's manager Kotsay, Bacchus' call was upheld, the call was correct. At the time of Kotsay's ejection, the Rays were leading, 4-2. The Rays ultimately won the contest, 4-2.

This is Brock Ballou (119)'s 1st ejection of 2024.

This is Erich Bacchus (12)'s 4th ejection of 2024.

Official Baseball Rule 5.05(b)(2): "The batter becomes a runner and is entitled to first base without liability to be put out (provided they advance to and touch first base) when they are touched by a pitched ball which they are not attempting to hit unless (A) The ball is in the strike zone when it touches the batter, or (B) The batter makes no attempt to avoid being touched by the ball."

These are the 156th and 157th ejection reports of the 2024 MLB regular season.

This is the 79/80th manager ejection of 2024. Ejection Tally: 80 Managers, 25 Coaches, 52 Players.

This is Tampa Bay's 5th ejection of 2024, 4th in the AL East (NYY 10; TOR 9; BAL 6; TB 5; BOS 3).

This is Oakland's 8th ejection of 2024, 1st in the AL West (OAK 8; HOU, SEA 7; LAA, TEX 6).

This is Kevin Cash's 2nd ejection of 2024, 1st since June 1 (Chad Fairchild; QOC = N [Balls/Strikes]).

This is Mark Kotsay's 4th ejection of 2024, 1st since August 18 (Emil Jimenez; QOC = Y [Balls/Strikes]).

This is Brock Ballou's 1st ejection since May 15, 2023 (Merrill Kelly; QOC = U [Check Swing]).

This is Erich Bacchus' 4th ejection of 2024, 1st since August 13 (Bruce Bochy; QOC = Y [Balls/Strikes]).

Wrap: Tampa Bay Rays vs Oakland Athletics, 8/21/24 | Video as follows:

Mystery of the Vanishing Umpires - Ballou & Brown Go Missing

During MLB umpire Chris Conroy's rehab assignment last Sunday in Triple-A, two umpires mysteriously vanished from the Charlotte Knights vs Lehigh Valley IronPigs game in the 4th inning and haven't worked a game—neither minor nor major league—ever since. An umpire leaving mid-game without any apparent injury is rare, but two? What happened to MLB fill-in umpire Brock Ballou and fellow MiLB colleague Matt Brown?

Crew Chief Edwin Jimenez, who began the game as the third base umpire, left the field in the 4th inning to put on his plate gear. By the top of the 5th, both Ballou and Brown had left the field, an unnamed third umpire was added to the Jimenez/Conroy crew, and the game continued only to end on a controversial out call by the mystery umpire, likely an emergency standby or alternate called upon in case the crew ran short (MiLB crews with multiple call-ups [Jimenez, Ballou, for this crew] are susceptible to this due to the nature of these call-ups traveling to work MLB games...if the crew falls to two, an emergency local may be called on to fill in until a Minor League umpire arrives [usually a day later]).

Further complicating matters, Official Baseball Rule 8.02(d) states, "No umpire may be replaced during a game unless they are injured or become ill," which means that the league office has no rules authority to remove an umpire during a game...of course, that assumes the league is actually following the rules of the game, which may actually not be the ironclad defense it might first appear to be.

We've seen one umpire exit, usually due to injury, but two at practically the same time? And for both Ballou and Brown to have not worked a single MiLB or MLB game in nearly two weeks? MiLB umpires don't take vacations like their major league counterparts.

An umpiring mystery, indeed! | Video as follows:

MLB Ejections 063-4 - Brock Ballou (2-3; ARI x2)

1B Umpire Brock Ballou ejected Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo and pitcher Merrill Kelly (check swing ball two call) in the bottom of the 8th inning of the #Dbacks-#Athletics game. With none out and none on, A's batter Jordan Diaz attempted to check his swing on a 1-2 slider from Diamondbacks pitcher Kelly, ruled a ball by HP Umpire Hunter Wendelstedt and affirmed on appeal by 1B Umpire Ballou as no swing. At the time of the ejections, the Diamondbacks were leading, 5-2. The Diamondbacks ultimately won the contest, 5-2.

These are Brock Ballou (119)'s 2nd and 3rd ejections of 2023.

These are the 63rd and 64th ejection reports of the 2023 MLB regular season.

This is the 27th player ejection of 2023.

This is the 30th manager ejection of 2023. Ejection Tally: 30 Managers, 27 Players, 7 Coaches.

This is Arizona's 3/4th ejection of 2023, T-1st in the NL West (ARI, COL 4; LAD, SD 2; SF 0).

This is Torey Lovullo's 2nd ejection of 2023, 1st since April 12 (Gabe Morales; QOC = Y [Balls/Strikes]).

This is Brock Ballou's 2/3rd ejection of 2023, 1st since May 11 (Bob Melvin; QOC = N [Balls/Strikes]).

Wrap: Arizona Diamondbacks vs Oakland Athletics, 5/15/23 | Video as follows:

MLB Ejection 052 - Brock Ballou (1; Bob Melvin)

HP Umpire Brock Ballou ejected Padres manager Bob Melvin (strike one call to Fernando Tatis; QOCN) in the top of the 8th inning of the #Padres-#Twins game. With none out and none on, Tatis took a 1-0 cutter from Twins pitcher Brock Stewart for a called first strike. Replays indicate the pitch was located over the heart of home plate and below the hollow of the knee (px 0.27, pz 1.54 [sz_bot 1.78 / RAD 1.66 / MOE 1.58), the call was incorrect.* At the time of the ejection, the Twins were leading, 5-3. The Twins ultimately won the contest, 5-3.

This is Brock Ballou (119)'s 1st ejection of 2023.

*This pitch was located 0.48 vertical inches from being deemed correct.

This is the 52nd ejection report of the 2023 MLB regular season.

This is the 25th manager ejection of 2023. Ejection Tally: 25 Managers, 22 Players, 5 Coaches.

This is San Diego's 2nd ejection of 2023, T-2nd in the NL West (COL 3; LAD, SD 2; ARI 1; SF 0).

This is Bob Melvin's 1st ejection since August 13, 2022 (Paul Emmel; QOC = Y [Replay Review]).
This is Brock Ballou's first career MLB ejection.

Wrap: San Diego Padres vs Minnesota Twins, 5/11/23 | Video as follows:

MLB Debut of Umpire Brock Ballou

Umpire Brock Ballou made his MLB debut during Saturday's Rockies-Nationals doubleheader in Washington, DC alongside Crew Chief Larry Vanover, Junior Valentine, and Sean Barber. Ballou served as the first base umpire for Game 1 of the doubleheader and as the third base umpire for Game 2. Vanover worked the first game as HP Umpire with David Rackley serving as plate umpire for the second.

His first taste of professional baseball came in 2013 in the American Association under Kevin Winn. From there, Ballou began a minor league journey in the Appalachian League in 2014, since working in the Midwest League (2015), Carolina League (2016), Southern League (2017-19), Pacific Coast (2020), and Triple-A East [International] League (2021). Ballou has also officiated the Arizona Instructional League. He graduated from the Wendelstedt Umpire School.

Ballou wears sleeve number 119 and is the first umpire to make his MLB debut in 2022 (Ballou is the only umpire that has been added to the MiLB call-up list since 2020).

MiLB Umpires Clark, Ballou Praised for RV Rescue

When an RV crashed on I-95, MiLB umpires Cody Clark and Brock Ballou sprung into action to assist its occupants, preserving the scene until police, fire, and medical services could arrive.

Cody Clark (L) and Brock Ballou. Photo: MiLB

While driving along the North Carolina portion of the highway enroute to a Carolina Mudcats game in April, an RV just ahead of the A Advanced Carolina League umpiring crew blew a tire before slamming into a guardrail, rupturing its undercarriage and fuel line, and littering the road with debris, all while one of the loose tires had flown free and smashed into the umpires' own windshield.

After coming to a stop, Clark and Ballou ran to the disabled RV and found the door jammed while two off-duty detectives also traveling I-95 helped control traffic.

When the RV's cabin became exposed, one of the items that fell out of the vehicle was a tool box containing a wrench, which Clark used to smash open one of the RV's windows before climbing in and checking on the elderly couple and their three cats within.

H/T: In highway rescue, umps make the right call (MiLB)