Close Call Sports & Umpire Ejection Fantasy League

In this Plate Meeting Podcast, tmac interviews Greta Langhenry, co-founder and president of Level Ump, which seeks to address the game's under-representation of women and others in the umpiring profession. youtube.com/watch?v=BGL_jh…

Blue Jays batter Addison Barger's fly ball stuck in Toronto's outfield wall as Dodgers center fielder Justin Dean threw his hands up in the 9th inning of #WorldSeries Game 6, keeping Jays runner R1 Myles Straw at third base. Did umpires get the call right? youtu.be/g5PBKTHislY

Hours before Freddie Freeman's 18th inning walk-off home run gave #Dodgers a Game 3 #WorldSeries win, HP Umpire Mark Wegner called a strike on a 3-1 pitch. #BlueJays runner Bo Bichette didn't pay attention & got picked off. Did that cost Toronto the game? youtube.com/watch?v=OthMv8…

The infield fly rule didn't save Chicago when Cubs first baseman Michael Busch, blinded by the sun, lost track of William Contreras' pop fly during NLDS Game 3 vs Milwaukee. Umpires didn't call infield fly because "ordinary effort" did not exist. closecallsports.com/2025/10/cubs-w…

Umpires no-called catcher's interference during the ALDS as Yankees batter Trent Grisham's bat came awfully close to making contact with Blue Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk's mitt, drawing a perplexed look from Aaron Boone as Replay upheld the no-call. closecallsports.com/2025/10/catche…

HP Umpire John Bacon ejected A's manager Mark Kotsay (foul ball call to Bobby Witt Jr; QOCY) in the top of the 9th inning of the #Royals-#Athletics game. Instead of a 1-2 strikeout, Witt stayed alive to hit an RBI single that extended Kansas City's lead. closecallsports.com/2025/09/mlb-ej…

HP Umpire Brock Ballou ejected Braves manager Brian Snitker and 1B Matt Olson (batter-runner interference call; QOCY) in the #Pirates-#Braves game. Pirates catcher Henry Davis collided with Olson during a foul fly ball. Was the call correct? closecallsports.com/2025/09/mlb-ej…

HP Umpire Ramon De Jesus ejected Yankees manager Aaron Boone (strike one/two calls to Aaron Judge; QOCN) in the bottom of the 5th inning of the #Orioles-#Yankees game. The inside strikes followed a ball four call on a pitch in the zone against BAL. Report: closecallsports.com/2025/09/mlb-ej…

HP Umpire Gabe Morales ejected Blue Jays 1B Vladimir Guerrero Jr and hitting coach David Popkins (strike three call; QOCY) in the 7th inning of the #RedSox-#BlueJays game. Toronto has struggled offensively as of late as they compete w NY to win the AL East closecallsports.com/2025/09/mlb-ej…

HP Umpire Chad Fairchild ejected Padres manager Mike Shildt (strike three call to Freddy Fermin; QOCY) in the bottom of the 7th inning of the #Brewers-#Padres game. It was Fermin's 3rd strikeout of the game, this time with the bases loaded. closecallsports.com/2025/09/mlb-ej…

HP Umpire Manny Gonzalez ejected #Nationals manager Miguel Cairo for arguing a check swing ball four call to #Braves batter Ha-Seong Kim in Atlanta. Cairo then wanted Gonzalez to walk across the field to the Nats dugout to argue the call. Report: closecallsports.com/2025/09/mlb-ej…

HP Umpire John Tumpane ejected #Mets DH Mark Vientos for slamming his bat to argue a check swing strike three call by 1B Umpire Chris Conroy in New York vs the #Nationals. Conroy pointed for an equipment violation, but Tumpane ejected Vientos instead. closecallsports.com/2025/09/mlb-ej…

HP Umpire Stu Scheurwater ejected #Rangers manager Bruce Bochy after a strike three call to Cody Freeman, following a time out dispute. Joc Pederson requested "Time" after #Marlins pitcher Ronny Henriquez came set, but Scheurwater didn't grant the request. closecallsports.com/2025/09/mlb-ej…

HP Umpire Shane Livensparger ejected #Astros hitting coach Troy Snitker & manager Joe Espada for arguing a strike three call to Jesús Sánchez by #Mariners pitcher George Kirby. Snitker didn't realize he got tossed, so he argued twice before leaving. closecallsports.com/2025/09/mlb-ej…

HP Umpire James Jean ejected #BlueJays pitching coach Pete Walker for arguing a ball four call to Maikel Garcia & 3B Umpire Nestor Ceja ejected manager John Schneider as Toronto lost a 20-1 blowout to the #Royals in Kansas City. closecallsports.com/2025/09/mlb-ej…

Rays batter Brandon Lowe's home run stood on Replay Review as umpires called both fan interference & a home run on the same play. Blue Jays manager John Schneider met with 3B Umpire Laz Diaz afterward to discuss the unusual ruling, which we now analyze. closecallsports.com/2025/09/fan-in…

HP Umpire James Jean ejected Rockies interim manager Warren Schaeffer (strike three call to Kyle Farmer; QOCY) in the #Rockies-#Padres game. Schaeffer spiked both his hat & Farmer's batting helmet as Jean responded to Schaeffer's complaint with silence. closecallsports.com/2025/09/mlb-ej…

HP Umpire Scott Barry ejected Mets 2B Jeff McNeil (strike three call; QOCY) in the bottom of the 4th inning of the #Rangers-#Mets game. In real time, the computer/ABS had this pitch as a strike, but post-game processing changed it to a ball. closecallsports.com/2025/09/mlb-ej…

1B Umpire Laz Diaz ejected Nationals manager Miguel Cairo and pitcher Jake Irvin (Replay Review decision that upheld 2B Umpire Erich Bacchus' safe call; QOCY) in the #Nationals-#Marlins game. Bacchus originally signaled out, but then changed it to safe. closecallsports.com/2025/09/mlb-ej…

HP Umpire Junior Valentine ejected Angels interim bench coach Ryan Goins (ball four call to Trevor Larnach; QOCY) in the 5th inning of the #Twins-#Angels getaway day game. Minnesota speculated Goins had somewhere to be & took the early exit on purpose. closecallsports.com/2025/09/mlb-ej…