MLB Ejections 070-1 - Tumpane/Rehak (NYY x2)

HP Umpire John Tumpane ejected Yankees manager Aaron Boone and 1B Umpire Jeremie Rehak ejected Yankees 2B DJ LeMahieu (Replay Review decision upholding 1B Umpire Rehak's foul ball call; QOCY) in the top of the 10th inning of the #RedSox-#Yankees game. With two out and none on, Yankees batter LeMahieu hit a 0-0 sinker from Red Sox pitcher Garrett Whitlock on a line drive past first base, ruled foul by 1B Umpire Rehak. Upon Replay Review as the result of a challenge by Yankees manager Boone, the foul ball call stood. Replays indicate the batted ball first contacted the ground in right field to the foul territory side of the foul line for a foul ball, the call was correct.* At the time of the ejection, the game was tied, 1-1. The Red Sox ultimately won the contest, 2-1, in 10 innings.

  

This is John Tumpane (74)'s 1st ejection of 2025.

This is Jeremie Rehak (35)'s 2nd ejection of 2025.

These are the 70th and 71st ejection reports of the 2025 MLB regular season.

This is the 36th manager & 22nd player ejection of 2025. Ejection Tally: 36 Managers, 13 Coaches, 22 Players.

This is New York's 5/6th ejection of 2025, 4th in the AL East (NYY 6; BAL, BOS, TB, TOR 3).

This is Aaron Boone's 3rd ejection of 2025, 1st since May 13 (Mark Wegner; QOC = Y [Balls/Strikes]).

This is DJ LeMahieu's 1st career MLB ejection.

This is John Tumpane's 1st ejection since August 26, 2024 (Carl Willis; QOC = Y [Fair/Foul]).

This is Jeremie Rehak's 2nd ejection of 2025, 1st since May 9 (Mark Prior; QOC = N [Balls/Strikes]).

Wrap: New York Yankees vs Boston Red Sox, 6/13/25 | Video as follows:

MLB Ejection 024 - Jeremie Rehak (1; Mark Prior)

HP Umpire Jeremie Rehak ejected Dodgers pitching coach Mark Prior (ball four call; QOCN) in the bottom of the 6th inning of the #Dodgers-#Diamondbacks game. With two out and the bases loaded, Diamondbacks batter Eugenio Suárez took a 3-2 sweeper from Dodgers pitcher Luis García for a called fourth ball. Replays indicate the pitch was located over the heart of home plate and above the midpoint (px -0.15, pz 3.52 [sz_top 3.42 / RAD 3.54 / MOE 3.46]), the call was correct.* At the time of the ejection, the Diamondbacks were leading, 9-8. The Dodgers ultimately won the contest, 14-11.

This is Jeremie Rehak (35)'s 1st ejection of 2025.

*This pitch was located 0.72 vertical inches from being deemed incorrect.

This is the 24th ejection of the 2025 MLB regular season.

This is the 7th coach ejection of 2025. Ejection Tally: 10 Managers, 7 Coaches, 7 Players.

This is Los Angeles' 1st ejection of 2025, 3rd in the NL West (ARI, SD 2; LAD 1; COL, SF 0).

This is Mark Prior's first career MLB ejection.

This is Jeremie Rehak's 1st ejection since July 12, 2024 (Carlos Mendoza; QOC = Y [Balls/Strikes]).

Wrap: Los Angeles Dodgers vs Arizona Diamondbacks, 5/9/25 | Video as follows:

Wegner & Crew Warn Rockies & Red Sox in Sticky Situation

After Rockies pitcher Cal Quantrill and Red Sox batter Reese McGuire exchanged words, leading to a benches-clearing incident in Colorado, Chief Mark Wegner's crew met to discuss remedies, ultimately opting for warnings to both teams, issued by HP Umpire Jeremie Rehak. The game proceeded without further incident as Colorado defeated Boston, 20-7.

Although Quantrill appeared to instigate the situation, and ordinarily might have merited ejection, it would appear the crew either did not observe the misconduct or deemed it unworthy of expulsion. Instead, the crew opted to clean up the mess by warning both teams.

Official Baseball Rule 6.02(c)(9) states, "If, in the umpire’s judgment, circumstances warrant, both teams may be officially 'warned' prior to the game or at any time during the game," and this crew in the absence of observing an ejectable instigation offense, found that benches clearing constituted a circumstance to warrant warnings.

Video as follows:

MLB Ejection 114 - Jeremie Rehak (2; Carlos Mendoza)

HP Umpire Jeremie Rehak ejected Mets manager Carlos Mendoza (strike three call to Jose Iglesias; QOCY) in the bottom of the 7th inning of the #Rockies-#Mets game. With one out and none on, Iglesias took a 3-2 sweeper from Rockies pitcher Peter Lambert for a called third strike. Replays indicate the pitch was located over the inner half of home plate and at the midpoint (px -0.66, pz 3.53 [sz_top 3.37 / RAD 3.49 / MOE 3.57]), the call was correct.* At the time of the ejection, the Mets were leading, 7-3. The Mets ultimately won the contest, 7-6.

This is Jeremie Rehak (35)'s 2nd ejection of 2024.

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

This is the 114th ejection of the 2024 MLB regular season.

This is the 56th manager ejection of 2024. Ejection Tally: 56 Managers, 16 Coaches, 42 Players.

This is New York's 5th ejection of 2024, T-1st in the NL East (NYM, WAS 5; MIA, PHI 3; ATL 0).

This is Carlos Mendoza's 1st ejection since June 6, 2021 (Bill Miller; QOC = Y-c [Balls/Strikes]).

This is Jeremie Rehak's 2nd ejection of 2024, 1st since April 11 (Reese McGuire; QOC = Y [Balls/Strikes]).

Wrap: Colorado Rockies vs New York Mets, 7/12/24 | Video as follows:

MLB Ejection 008 - Jeremie Rehak (1; Reese McGuire)

HP Umpire Jeremie Rehak ejected Red Sox catcher Reese McGuire (strike three call; QOCY) in the bottom of the 9th inning of the #Orioles-#RedSox game. With none out and none on, Red Sox batter McGuire took a 3-2 fastball from Orioles pitcher Craig Kimbrel for a called third strike. Replays indicate the pitch was located over the outer half of home plate and belt-high (px -0.54, pz 2.86 [sz_top 3.33]), the call was correct. At the time of the ejection, the game was tied, 3-3. The Orioles ultimately won the contest, 9-4, in 10 innings.

This is Jeremie Rehak (35)'s 1st ejection of 2024.

*UEFL Rule 6-2-b-1 (Kulpa Rule): |0| < STRIKE < |.748| < BORDERLINE < |.914| < BALL.

This pitch was located 4.49 horizontal and 8.11 vertical inches from being deemed incorrect.

This is the 8th ejection report of the 2024 MLB regular season.

This is the 4th player ejection of 2024. Prior to ejection, McGuire was 0-4 (2 SO) in the contest.

Ejection Tally: 2 Managers, 2 Coaches, 4 Players.

This is Boston's 1st ejection of 2024, T-1st in the AL East (BOS, NYY, TOR 1; BAL, TB 0).

This is Reese McGuire's first career MLB ejection.

This is Jeremie Rehak's 1st ejection since Sept 12, 2023 (Chris Johnson; QOC = N [Balls/Strikes]).

Wrap: Baltimore Orioles vs Boston Red Sox, 4/11/24 | Video as follows:

MLB Ejection 225 - Jeremie Rehak (4; Chris Johnson)

HP Umpire Jeremie Rehak ejected White Sox assistant hitting coach Chris Johnson (strike one call to Andrew Benintendi; QOCN) in the bottom of the 6th inning of the #Royals-#WhiteSox game. With two out and two on, Benintendi took a 0-0 fastball from Royals pitcher Jackson Kowar for a called first strike. Replays indicate the pitch was located over the outer half of home plate and below the hollow of the knee (px -0.54, pz 1.33 [sz_bot 1.55 / RAD 1.43 / MOE 1.35]), the call was incorrect.* At the time of the ejection, the White Sox were leading, 6-1. The White Sox ultimately won the contest, 6-2.

This is Jeremie Rehak (35)'s 4th ejection of 2023.

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

This is the 225th ejection report of the 2023 MLB regular season.

This is the 33rd coach ejection of 2023. Ejection Tally: 102 Managers, 90 Players, 33 Coaches.

This is Chicago's 13th ejection of 2023, 1st in the AL Central (CWS 13; MIN 12; KC 7; CLE 6; DET 4).

This is Chris Johnson's 1st ejection since June 22, 2014 (Mark Carlson; QOC = Y-c [Check Swing]).

This is Jeremie Rehak's 4th ejection of 2023, 1st since Aug 10 (John Schneider; QOC = Y [Balls/Strikes]).

Wrap: Kansas City Royals vs Chicago White Sox, 9/12/23 | Video as follows:

MLB Ejections 190-1 - Jeremie Rehak (2-3; TOR x2)

HP Umpire Jeremie Rehak ejected Blue Jays RF George Springer and manager John Schneider (strike three call; QOCY) in the top of the 7th inning of the #BlueJays-#Guardians game. With none out and two on, Blue Jays batter Springer took a 2-2 fastball from Guardians pitcher Trevor Stephan for a called third strike. Replays indicate the pitch was located over the heart of home plate and at the hollow of the knee (px -0.15, pz 1.52 [sz_bot 1.64 / RAD 1.52]), the call was correct.* At the time of the ejections, the Guardians were leading, 4-3. The Guardians ultimately won the contest, 4-3.

These are Jeremie Rehak (35)'s 2nd and 3rd ejections of 2023.

This pitch was located 1.00 vertical inches from being deemed incorrect.

These are the 190th and 191st ejection reports of the 2023 MLB regular season.

This is the 79th player ejection of 2023. This is the 87th manager ejection of 2023.

This is Toronto's 5/6th ejection of 2023, T-2nd in the AL East (NYY 8; BAL, TOR 6; BOS 4; TB 3).

This is George Springer's first career MLB ejection.

This is John Schneider's 2nd ejection of 2023, 1st since June 3 (Charlie Ramos; QOC = N [Balls/Strikes]).

This is Jeremie Rehak's 2/3rd ejection of 2023, 1st since June 27 (Ji Hwan Bae; QOC = Y [Balls/Strikes]).

Wrap: Toronto Blue Jays vs Cleveland Guardians, 8/10/23 | Video as follows:

MLB Ejection 119 - Jeremie Rehak (1; Ji Hwan Bae)

HP Umpire Jeremie Rehak ejected Pirates 2B Ji Hwan Bae (strike one call; QOCY) in the bottom of the 6th inning of the #Padres-#Pirates game. With two out and one on, Bae took a 1-0 fastball from Padres pitcher Adrian Morejon for a called first strike. Replays indicate the pitch was located over the inner edge of home plate and knee-high (px 0.86, pz 2.04), the call was correct.* At the time of the ejection, the Pirates were leading, 8-4. The Pirates ultimately won the contest, 9-4.

This is Jeremie Rehak (35)'s 1st ejection of 2023.

*UEFL Rule 6-2-b-1 (Kulpa Rule): |0| < STRIKE < |.748| < BORDERLINE < |.914| < BALL.

This pitch was located 0.65 horizontal inches from being deemed incorrect.

This is the 119th ejection report of the 2023 MLB regular season.

This is the 49th player ejection of 2023. Ejection Tally: 58 Managers, 49 Players, 12 Coaches.

This is Pittsburgh's 4th ejection of 2023, 4th in the NL Central (STL 6; CIN, MIL 5; PIT 4; CHC 3).

This is Ji Hwan Bae's first career MLB ejection.

This is Jeremie Rehak's 1st ejection since May 1, 2022 (Bob Melvin; QOC = Y [Balls/Strikes]).

Wrap: San Diego Padres vs Pittsburgh Pirates, 6/27/23 | Video as follows:

Ask UEFL - Pirates Score as Nats Fail to Appeal Fourth Out

We received many Ask the UEFL questions on a botched appeal play during Wednesday's Pirates-Nationals game in Washington as Pittsburgh scored the go-ahead run thanks to the Nats' failure to appeal a fourth out on Jack Suwinski's baserunning in the 5th inning.

Play: With one out and two on (R2, R3), Pirates batter Ke'Bryan Hayes hit a line drive that was caught on the fly by Nationals first baseman Josh Bell (as signaled by 1B Umpire Mark Wegner), who threw to third baseman Ehire Adrianza as Pirates baserunner R2 Hoy Park arrived at third base (from second). Replays indicate that both R2 Park and lead runner R3 Jack Suwinski failed to tag up after batter Hayes' line drive was caught, and Nats F5 Adrianza tagged R2 Park to appeal that he left early, signaled an out by 3B Umpire Jeremie Rehak. Washington then left the field as Pirates manager Derek Shelton exited his dugout to argue with 1B Umpire Wegner about the catch/trap call.

Call: Upon consultation, the umpires ruled batter Hayes out on the caught batted ball and runner R2 Park out on appeal for failing to tag up. R3 Suwinski's run was allowed to score, however, as the Nationals failed to appeal that R3 left early. The Nationals, having already left the playing field, then attempted to return to the field and appeal R3's infraction, but the umpires denied this attempt, ruling the team had forfeited its opportunity to appeal since the infielders had already left the field for the dugout.

Reducing the Play into Its Parts: There are four distinct parts to this play:

1) Batter Hayes' line drive—was it a catch or a trap?

2) Appeal on R2—is R2 Park safe or out?

3) Time Play with R3—does R3 Suwinksi's run score?

4) Fourth Out—does R3 Suwinski's run score?

MLB Ejection 064 - Paul Emmel (1; Terry Francona)

3B Umpire Paul Emmel ejected Guardians manager Terry Francona (obstruction runner placement/penalty call by 2B Umpire Jeremie Rehak; QOCY) in the bottom of the 6th inning of the #Athletics-#Guardians game. With one out and one on, Guardians baserunner R1 Steven Kwan attempted to steal second base, drawing a throw from A's catcher Sean Murphy. The throw evaded A's shortstop Elvis Andrus and continued into center field, leading Kwan, who had slid into second base, to attempt to advance to third base, becoming entangled with Andrus and tripping, resulting in an obstruction call from 2B Umpire Rehak. Kwan returned to second base as A's center fielder Cristian Pache backed up the throw and retrieved the loose baseball. Replays indicate Andrus, while the defense was not actively making a play on the runner, obstructed Kwan (Type 2 or Type B), but that Kwan likely would not have safely achieved third base had obstruction not occurred, due to Pache's defense, the call was correct.* At the time of the ejection, the A's were leading, 4-2. The Guardians ultimately won the contest, 8-4.

This is Paul Emmel (50)'s 1st ejection of 2022.

Paul Emmel now has 4 points in the UEFL Standings (1 Prev + 2 MLB + 1 Correct-Crewmate = 4).

Crew Chief Paul Emmel now has 3 points in Crew Division (2 Previous + 1 Correct Call = 3).

*Official Baseball Rule 6.01(h)(2): "When obstruction occurs, the umpires shall call or signal 'Obstruction.' If no play is being made on the obstructed runner, the play shall proceed until no further action is possible. The umpire shall then call “Time” and impose such penalties, if any, as in their judgment will nullify the act of obstruction."

OBR 6.01(h) Comment: "After a fielder has made an attempt to field a ball and missed, they can no longer be in the 'act of fielding' the ball. For example: An infielder dives at a ground ball and the ball passes them and they continue to lie on the ground and delay the progress of the runner, they very likely have obstructed the runner."

This is the 64th ejection report of the 2022 MLB regular season.

This is the 33rd manager ejection of 2022.

This is Cleveland's 1st ejection of 2022, T-4th in the AL Central (DET, KC, MIN 2; CLE, CWS 1).

This is Terry Francona's 1st ejection since July 9, 2021 (James Hoye; QOC = N [Out/Safe]).

This is Paul Emmel's 1st ejection since August 24, 2019 (Yonathan Daza; QOC = N [Balls/Strikes]).

Wrap: Oakland Athletics vs. Cleveland Guardians, 6/9/22 | Video as follows:

MLB Ejection 021 - Jeremie Rehak (3; Bob Melvin)

HP Umpire Jeremie Rehak ejected Padres manager Bob Melvin (ball one call; QOCY) in the bottom of the 7th inning of the #Padres-#Pirates game. With two out and one on (R2), Pirates batter Roberto Perez took a 1-1 slider from Padres pitcher Joe Musgrove for a called second ball before subsequently hitting an RBI single three pitches later. Replays indicate the 1-1 pitch was located off the outer edge of home plate and at the hollow of the knee (px 0.83, pz 1.60 [sz_bot 1.55]) and that all other pitches during the at-bat were properly officiated, the call was correct.* At the time of the ejection, the Padres were leading, 3-1. The Padres ultimately won the contest, 5-2.

This is Jeremie Rehak (35)'s 3rd ejection of the 2022 MLB regular season.

Jeremie Rehak now has 9 points in the UEFL Standings (5 Prev + 2 MLB + 2 Correct Call = 9).

Crew Chief Mark Wegner now has 5 points in Crew Division (4 Previous + 1 Correct Call = 5).

*UEFL Rule 6-2-b-1 (Kulpa Rule): |0| < STRIKE < |.748| < BORDERLINE < |.914| < BALL.

This pitch was located 1.0 horizontal inches from being deemed incorrect.

This is the 21st ejection report of the 2022 MLB regular season.

This is the 9th manager ejection of 2022.

This is San Diego's 1st ejection of 2022, T-1st in the NL West (SD, SF 1; ARI, COL, LAD 0).

This is Bob Melvin's 1st ejection since September 22, 2021 (Greg Gibson; QOC = N [Foul No-Call]).

This is Jeremie Rehak's 3rd ejection of 2022, 1st since April 27 (Arenado/Clapp; QOC = U [Fighting]).

Wrap: San Diego Padres vs. Pittsburgh Pirates, 5/1/22 | Video as follows:

MLB Ejections 014-15 - Jeremie Rehak (1-2; STL x2)

HP Umpire Jeremie Rehak ejected Cardinals DH Nolan Arenado and 1B Coach Stubby Clapp (fighting) in the bottom of the 8th inning of the #Mets-#Cardinals game. With none out and none on, Cardinals batter Arenado took a first-pitch fastball from Mets pitcher Yoan Lopez for a called ball, resulting in a benches-clearing incident after Arenado reacted to nearly being hit by the pitch. Replays indicate the pitch was located inside and shoulder-high and that warnings had been issued prior to this incident (warnings were issued following this event), the call was irrecusable. At the time of the ejections, the Cardinals were leading, 10-5. The Cardinals ultimately won the contest, 10-5.

This is Jeremie Rehak (35)'s 1st ejection of the 2021 MLB regular season.
Jeremie Rehak now has 5 points in the UEFL Standings (1 Prev + 2*[2 MLB + 0 Irrecusable Call] = 5).
Crew Chief Mark Wegner now has 4 points in Crew Division (2 Previous + 2*[1 Irrecusable Call] = 4).

Official Baseball Rule 6.02(c)(9): "If, in the umpire’s judgment, circumstances warrant, both teams may be officially “warned” prior to the game or at any time during the game."

These are the 14th and 15th ejection reports of the 2022 MLB regular season.

This is the 6th player ejection of 2022. Prior to ejection, Arenado was 3-3 in the contest.

This is St Louis' 1/2nd ejection of 2022, 1st in the NL Central (STL 2; CHC 1; CIN, MIL, PIT 0).

This is Nolan Arenado's 1st ejection since August 18, 2021 (Alan Porter; QOC = Y [Check Swing]).

This is Stubby Clapp's first career MLB ejection.

This is Jeremie Rehak's 1st ejection since June 30, 2021 (Andy Haines; QOC = Y [Balls/Strikes]).

Wrap: New York Mets vs. St Louis Cardinals, 4/27/22 | Video as follows:

2021 No-Hitter 9, Jeremie Rehak (1; MIL Combined)

HP Umpire Jeremie Rehak called the Milwaukee Brewers' combined no-hitter (pitchers Corbin Burnes and Josh Hader) Saturday night in Cleveland, joined by 1B Umpire Scott Barry, 2B Umpire and Crew Chief Dan Iassogna, and 3B Umpire John Bacon.

In accordance with UEFL tradition, the following are umpire Rehak's three plate scores, including a 99.3% (137/138) performance under ML Private/Zone Evaluation Equivalent conditions, 97.8% (135/138) UEFL f/x score, and 92.8% (128/138) value for ML Public / the broadcast-facing zero error system.

The UEFL f/x look:

Balls: 90 called balls outside strike zone / 0 called balls within strike zone = 90/90 = 100.0% accuracy.

Strikes: 45 called strikes within strike zone / 3 called strikes outside strike zone = 45/48 = 93.8% accuracy.

Total Raw Accuracy Score for Barry = 123/130 = 94.6% accuracy (+1 MIL [favored Brewers by 1 pitch]).

CHC-MIL Runner's Lane Interference No-Call Analysis

In this Ask the UEFL, we consider a possible runner's lane interference play in Milwaukee after Brewers batter-runner Tyrone Taylor collided with Cubs first baseman Patrick Wisdom, no-called by HP Umpire Jeremie Rehak.

You'll recall that Official Baseball Rule 5.09(a)(11) requires several elements for RLI:

> Ball is being fielded to first base.

> Batter-runner fails to run within 45' lane.

> In doing so, interferes with fielder taking the throw.

> Throw could have otherwise reasonably retired runner.

Additionally, if the runner entered the lane legally and ran within it or on the foul line the entire length of the 45' lane, the runner is allowed to exit the lane "in the immediate vicinity of first base for the sole purpose of touching first base."

Did OBR 5.09(a)(11) apply here and if so why didn't Rehak call Taylor for interference?

First and foremost, we establish that (1) the ball was being fielded to first base by virtue of pitcher Jake Arrieta's throw to first baseman Wisdom. Second (2), batter-runner Taylor failed to run within the lane. Third (3), although Wisdom failed to catch the throw, was this due to illegal hindrance from Taylor? Your mileage may vary. Fourth (4), because the throw glanced off Wisdom's mitt, he likely would have otherwise been able to catch the ball and retired the runner (reasonable).

So the only question is whether Taylor impeded Wisdom in catching the ball. If your answer is yes, this is runner's lane interference. If no, this is a no-call.

We also look at Rehak's positioning on this play. It's critical that the play begins with a runner on third base because that means Rehak has to stay point of plate (or thereabouts) in anticipation of a potential tag play: tags at home are more important than potential RLI at first. Only when Rehak reads Arrieta's commitment to first base does he shift to first baseline extended.

Unfortunately, that's too late as the runner is already nearing their last stride to first base. With no definitive knowledge as to whether the runner was legal prior to this last stride, the umpire errs on the side of granting Taylor last stride exit protection (which Taylor was not entitled to, but would have required seeing the totality of the play to judge).

Discussion question: Could the first base umpire have helped here? Does it matter when the expected call appeared to be a no-call, with Cubs manager David Ross not arguing the no-call and the broadcast appearing not to pick up on the potential for RLI.

Video as follows:

MLB Ejection 084 - Jeremie Rehak (2; Andy Haines)

HP Umpire Jeremy Rehak ejected Brewers hitting coach Andy Haines (strike three call; QOCY) in the bottom of the 4th inning of the #Cubs-#Brewers game. With one out and the bases loaded, Brewers batter Christian Yelich took a 1-2 slider from Cubs pitcher Tommy Nance for a called third strike. Replays indicate the pitch was located over the heart of home plate and at the hollow of the knee (px 0.29, pz 1.66 [sz_bot 1.76 / 1.64 / MOE 1.55]) and that all other pitches during the at-bat were properly officiated, the call was correct.* At the time of the ejection, the Brewers were leading, 10-7. The Brewers ultimately won the contest, 15-7.

This is Jeremie Rehak (35)'s 2nd ejection of 2021.
Jeremie Rehak now has 4 points in the UEFL Standings (0 Prev + 2 MLB + 2 Correct Call = 4).
Crew Chief Jeff Nelson now has 2 points in Crew Division (1 Previous + 1 Correct Call = 2).

*This pitch was located 1.27 vertical inches from being deemed incorrect.

This is the 84th ejection report of the 2021 MLB regular season.

This is Milwakee's 7th ejection of 2021, 1st in the NL Central (MIL 7; CIN 6; CHC, PIT 3; STL 2).

This is Andy Haines' 1st ejection since Sept 4, 2020 (Jerry Meals; QOC = N [Check Swing]).

This is Jeremy Rehak's 2nd ejection of 2021, 1st since April 8 (Brandon Hyde; QOC = Y [Check Swing]).

Wrap: Chicago Cubs vs. Milwaukee Brewers, 6/30/21 | Video as follows:

Missed Base Appeals Cost Pittsburgh & Arkansas Runs

The Official Baseball Rules hold a runner is out for missing a base when appealed by the defense and on Tuesday, MLB's Pittsburgh Pirates and Double-A's Arkansas Naturals lost home runs on appeal when Ke'Bryan Hayes (PIT) and Bobby Witt Jr (ARK) were declared out for failing to touch first base and home plate, respectively.

The governing rule is OBR 5.09(c)(2): "Any runner shall be called out, on appeal, when, with the ball in play, while advancing or returning to a base, they fail to touch each base in order before they, or a missed base, is tagged." This rule applies not just to physical touches that (don't) occur during a live ball but also to any touches (or missed touches) that occur during a dead ball wherein the runner has been awarded a base (or bases) due to actions that occurred while the ball was live (such as a home run being hit).

Pittsburgh: Hayes' fly ball off of Dodgers pitcher Walker Buehler to deep right field hit the base of PNC Park's right field foul pole, 1B Umpire Adam Beck ruling the play a home run having dashed down the right field line to get an optimal look at the play. With U1 Beck in right field, that left HP Umpire Jeremie Rehak with rotational base touch responsibility for batter-runner Hayes, although Rehak had a more important job just as Hayes was rounding first base.

OBR's General Instruction to Umpires in Rule 8.00 states, in part, "Keep your eye everlastingly on the ball while it is in play. It is more vital to know just where a fly ball fell, or a thrown ball finished up, than whether or not a runner missed a base."

For this reason, when Los Angeles appealed Hayes' failure to touch first base, HP Umpire Rehak did not have definitive knowledge that Hayes had missed first base: Rehak was concentrating on the flight of the ball along the right field foul line at the crucial moment that Hayes missed first base—providing backup for Beck on both the fair/foul decision (due to Rehak's angle on the foul line) and the HR/in play ruling.

Sidebar: You might notice that the foul pole in Pittsburgh is painted black at its base atop the outfield wall, near the wall's painted yellow line. For more information on why this coloring scheme exists, refer to our following article from 2013.

Related Post: On the Black: Official Foul Pole Coloring Scheme Explained (5/19/13).

Hayes' miss of first base occurred on the outfield side of the base (see first still image), meaning Rehak's angle from the opposite side of first base would likely not have enabled him to see the missed contact.

No matter, Replay Review took care of LA's appeal in short order, with Crew Chief Dan Iassogna signaling Hayes out and the run nullified.

Arkansas: As for Royals prospect Bobby Witt, Jr., a 430-home run turned into a dead ball triple when the Frisco RoughRiders ruled that Witt failed to touch home plate during his HR trot.

The primary difference between the LA-Pittsburgh play and the Arkansas-Frisco one is that Witt's hit was clearly fair and plainly left the playing field in flight: unlike Rekah, HP Umpire Chris Presley-Murphy didn't have to help a base umpire with a boundary call at the moment Witt arrived at his last base touch responsibility (home plate), as opposed to his first one (first base).

Thus, the umpire (joined by Frisco catcher Matt Whatley) were able to stare at home plate to see whether Witt's foot touched it during his gallop. Whatley appeared to immediately notice Witt failed to touch home plate and, upon the ball being put back into play and made live, pitcher Hever Bueno threw to Whatley, who touched home plate to ask for the missed base appeal, resulting in an out call as the umpire agreed that Witt had missed home plate, resulting in a triple.

Rules Difference: Appeals must occur during a live ball in professional and college baseball, while high school allows for dead ball appeals. Live ball appeals that follow a missed base wherein the ball remains live during the play, such as a ground ball to the outfield, can occur during the initial play itself (aka a real-time appeal). These appeals may also occur after the ball has been declared dead, returned to the pitcher, and put back into play (aka delayed or traditional appeals, as ordinarily occurs after dead ball situations, such as home runs).

For more information about so-called real-time appeals, refer to this article from 2017.

Related Post: Rare Real-Time Appeal Retires Runner over Retouch Rule (6/15/17).

For an example of where a real-time appeal would have helped a team, refer to this play in New York and correction to an inaccurate statement regarding missed base plays by the Yankees broadcast.

Related Post: Commentary Critique - Ball is Live After Missed Base (8/16/18).

Play Difference, Scenario: The Pittsburgh play occurred at first base while the Arkansas play occurred at home plate. Thus, if there had been two out in the inning and runners on base at the time of the home run, no runs would be allowed to score in LA-Pittsburgh while all runners preceding Witt would be allowed to score in Arkansas-Frisco. The reason is because Hayes (PIT), by virtue of failing to touch first base, becomes a batter-runner making the third out of the inning prior to touching first base (by rule, no runs may score on such a play), while Witt (ARK) is a batter-runner who makes the third out after touching first base. The Hayes (PIT) play is thus scored as a fly out (no hit) while the Witt (ARK) play is a triple, with all runners ahead of him allowed to score because the third out on appeal constitutes a time play.

Video as follows:

MLB Ejection 002 - Jeremie Rehak (1; Brandon Hyde)

HP Umpire Jeremie Rehak ejected Orioles Manager Brandon Hyde (dead ball strike check swing call; QOCY) in the bottom of the 4th inning of the #RedSox-#Orioles game. With two out and none on, Orioles batter Rio Ruiz was touched by a 0-1 changeup from Red Sox pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez, ruled a swinging strike on appeal by 3B Umpire Scott Barry, resulting in a dead ball strike two call. Replays indicate Ruiz attempted to strike the pitch as the baseball touched his lower leg, the call was correct (OBR Definition of Terms: "A STRIKE is a legal pitch when so called by the umpire, which...touches the batter as he strikes at it"). Play was reviewed and adjudicated by the UEFL Appeals Board, the call was correct.* At the time of the ejection, the Orioles were leading, 3-2. The Red Sox ultimately won the contest, 7-3.

This is Jeremie Rehak (35)'s first ejection of the 2021 MLB regular season.
Jeremie Rehak now has 3 points in the UEFL Standings (0 Prev + 2 MLB + 1 Correct-Crewmate = 3).
Crew Chief Dan Iassogna now has 1 point in Crew Division (0 Previous + 1 Correct Call = 1).

*Reason was deemed "Check Swing" and QOC was deemed "Correct."

This is the second ejection report of the 2021 MLB regular season.

This is the first manager ejection of 2021.

This is Baltimore's 1st ejection of 2021, 1st in the AL East (BAL 1; BOS, NYY, TB, TOR 0).

This is Brandon Hyde's 1st ejection since Sept 15, 2020 (Brennan Miller; QOC = Y [Check Swing]).

This is Jeremie Rehak's 1st ejection since Sept 18, 2020 (Jacob Stallings; QOC = Y [Balls/Strikes]).

Wrap: Boston Red Sox vs. Baltimore Orioles, 4/8/21 | Video as follows:

MLB Hires Jeremie Rehak to Full-Time Umpire Staff

MLB has hired Wendelstedt Umpire School alum Jeremie Rehak to its full-time staff after three baseball seasons and 281 games of major league experience. Born in Murrysville, Pennsylvania, Rehak officiated his first game at the big league level on April 9, 2018 in Kansas City.

After graduating from Wendelstedt School in Florida during its 2011 course, Rehak journed through Minor League Baseball's Gulf Coast, Appalachian, Florida Instructional, Midwest, California, Eastern, Arizona Instructional, International, and Arizona Fall Leagues before earning an invitation to Major League Spring Training as well as a sleeve number assignment of #35 in 2018 alongside fellow Pennsylvanian and MLB staff member Jansen Visconti, whom MLB hired in early 2020.

Rehak has 13 ejections through his three years of call-up service and was named the UEFL's Fill-In Umpire of the Year in 2020, having previously won the same award in 2018.

News of Rehak's hire was first reported by the Wendelstedt Umpire School on Facebook and leaves a temporary overfill on the staff as MLB has yet to officially announce a corresponding retirement. Not many winters go by with excess staff on payroll, though.

2020 UEFL Award for Fill-In Umpire - Jeremie Rehak

Jeremie Rehak wins UEFL's Fill-In Umpire of the Year Award for 2020 [2019 Winner: Jansen Visconti].

Voting Results: Rehak (19.3%), Ben May (16.3%), Sean Barber (15.8%), John Libka (14.9%).

Jeremie Rehak is the 2020 UEFL Fill-In Umpire of the Year.

Two years after last capturing this award, Rehak again takes the Fill-In of the Year title. Rehak's two ejections in 2020 were both associated with correct calls and his on-field performance throughout the season prompted a simple summation from Turducken: "Jeremie Rehak is ready."

2020 was Rehak's third season as a minor league call-up umpire (thus, he won Fill-In of the Year following his rookie season) and, having entered 2020 with 231 games of MLB experience, Rehak has been on pace for a quality look at a full-time opportunity.

UEFL Awards History, Jeremie Rehak

Fill-In Umpire of the Year: 2018

Jeremie Rehak now has 15 points in the UEFL Standings (13 Previous + 2 Award = 15).

The next postseason award to be announced will be Crew Chief of the Year.

MLB Ejection 64 - Jeremie Rehak (2; Jacob Stallings)

HP Umpire Jeremie Rehak ejected Pirates C Jacob Stallings (strike three call; QOCY) in the top of the 7th inning of the #Pirates-#Cardinals game. With one out and one on, Stallings took a 3-2 sinker from Cardinals pitcher Seth Elledge for a called third strike. Replays indicate the pitch was located over the heart of home plate and at the hollow of the knee (px 0.19, pz 1.56 [sz_bot 1.66 / RAD 1.54]) and that all other pitches during the at-bat were properly officiated, the call was correct.* At the time of the ejection, the Cardinals were leading, 7-2. The Cardinals ultimately won the contest, 7-2, in 7 innings. 

This is Jeremie Rehak (35)'s second ejection of 2020.
Jeremie Rehak now has 13 points in the UEFL Standings (9 Prev + 2 AAA + 2 Correct Call = 13).
Crew Chief Jerry Meals now has 11 points in Crew Division (10 Previous + 1 Correct Call = 11).

*This pitch was located 1.24 vertical inches from being deemed incorrect.

This is the 64th ejection report of the 2020 MLB regular season.

This is the 30th player ejection of 2020. Prior to ejection, Stallings was 0-1 (SO) in the contest.

This is Pittsburgh's 5th ejection of 2020, 2nd in the NL Central (CIN 7; PIT 5; MIL 4; CHC 3; STL 1).

This is Jacob Stallings' first career MLB ejection.

This is Jeremie Rehak's 2nd ejection of 2020, 1st since Aug 18 (Marwin Gonzalez; QOC = Y [Balls/Strikes]).

Wrap: Pittsburgh Pirates vs. St Louis Cardinals, 9/18/20 | Video as follows: