MLB’s new rules are designed to speed up the game, but sometimes, umpires can weaponize those rules against the batter. Brewers shortstop Willy Adames certainly felt that umpire Adam Beck did just that on Saturday.
During Adames’ sixth-inning at-bat against the Angels’ Jaime Barría, the Brewers shortstop wanted timeout after a first-pitch ball was high and tight. Now, Adames let the pitch clock run down close to the eight-second cutoff. But he did appear to call timeout in time. Umpires aren’t required to grant a timeout to the batter, and Beck opted to let Barría continue with the pitch even as Adames left the box.
The problems really sparked by how Beck handled the situation. He not only didn’t grant Adames timeout, but he also missed the call, ruling that a high pitch was a strike.
Both Craig Counsell and Willy Adames got ejected after Adames wasn't granted time then received an automatic strike pic.twitter.com/WOKGNSzgKH
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) April 30, 2023
Both the broadcast and MLB’s strike-zone chart had the pitch missing the zone.
As Adames returned to the box, he voiced his frustration towards Beck. And in that time, he didn’t become alert to the pitcher before the eight-second mark, so Beck signaled an automatic strike. That led to manager Craig Counsell being ejected for arguing.
Once Adames struck out swinging on the next pitch, he had more words for Beck and was ejected for the first time in his big-league career.
For the first time in his career Willy Adames was ejected. This came shortly after Adam Beck tossed manager Craig Counsell
— Tyler Koerth (@TylerKoerth) April 30, 2023
Between the no timeout, missed call, automatic strike and double ejections, the entire sequence was peak Ump Show. And fans weren’t pleased with Beck’s antics either. The umpire instigated the entire incident.
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