If you needed any indication as to why Major League Baseball is testing an automated strike zone in the minor leagues, just check out what happened during Sunday’s game between the Yankees and Cardinals.
Ed Hickox has worked as an umpire in MLB since 1990. And despite his 32 years of experience, he’s among the worst umpires behind the plate in the entire league. Earlier this season, he called a ball on a pitch that was right down the middle.
That was terrible, sure, but situationally, you won’t see many worse calls than his full-count strikeout call on Marwin Gonzalez with the bases loaded on Sunday. If that wasn’t bad enough — he had 20 missed calls through six innings.
Full count and bases loaded and a great take by Marwin González for ball four. Wait, Ed Hickox called that a strike. 😮
cc: @TalkinBaseball_ @TalkinJake pic.twitter.com/wxucMyzASQ— Codify (@CodifyBaseball) August 7, 2022
With the bases loaded and a full count, umpire Ed Hickox rang up Marwin Gonzalez on a pitch that missed outside by 4.19 inches.
The #Yankees #Cardinals game is in the top of the 6th and Hickox has already missed 20 calls. pic.twitter.com/Ey84WLwzOG
— Umpire Auditor (@UmpireAuditor) August 7, 2022
The ball, which was four inches off the plate, robbed the Yankees of a run in the game. And Hickox’s struggles weren’t limited to the strike zone either. He incorrectly called Paul DeJong out at home plate despite having a solid view of the play. The Cardinals had to use a challenge to get that run back.
https://t.co/zDdWWigG64 pic.twitter.com/usQy9D2Muz
— cardinalsgifs (@cardinalsgifs) August 7, 2022
While it’s not an easy job to work behind the plate as a big-league umpire, the lack of accountability for umpires remains a huge problem in baseball. Umpires know they can have a bad game and be back out there the next day with no repercussions. And few umpires have made a career out of that philosophy more than Hickox.
You can’t blame Yankees fans for being upset.