Welcome to Week 13 of Ejection Inspection! The premise and ground rules are detailed here. The condensed version: each ejection from the previous week (Thursday through Wednesday) is listed in a table. The author – a former player/coach/umpire – analyzes each ejection and assigns it an entertainment rating of one to five Weavers in honor of late Baltimore Orioles manager Earl Weaver. This week we look at Gabe Kapler.
(For a list of every article in this series, click here.)
There were 10 ejections in Week 13 – five managers and five players. Second-year Philadelphia Phillies Manager Gabe Kapler hit a milestone when he received his first career ejection as a manager on Saturday. Two days later, he received his second. Also of note: the ejection leaders in each category (person, team, and umpire) all extended their leads. Here are all the ejections:
| Date | Team | Opp | Inn. | Name | Pos | Umpire | Pos | Reason | ||
| 1 | Thu | 6/20 | TEX | CLE | B6 | Asdrubal Cabrera | 3B | Doug Eddings | HP | Arguing balls and strikes |
| 2 | Fri | 6/21 | WSN | ATL | B8 | Gerardo Parra | PH | Chris Conroy | HP | Dissent by action |
| 3 | Fri | 6/21 | LAD | COL | B4 | Justin Turner | 3B | Chad Fairchild | HP | Arguing balls and strikes by word and action |
| 4 | Sat | 6/22 | PHL | MIA | B4 | Gabe Kapler | Mgr | Chris Guccione | HP | Arguing checked swing/HBP |
| 5 | Sat | 6/22 | DET | @CLE | T4 | Ron Gardenhire | Mgr | Roberto Ortiz | HP | Arguing balls and strikes |
| 6 | Tue | 6/25 | PHL | NYM | B6 | Gabe Kapler | Mgr | Joe West | HP | Arguing a team warning |
| 7 | Tue | 6/25 | MIA | WSN | B8 | Miguel Rojas | SS | Mike Estabrook | HP | Arguing balls and strikes |
| 8 | Tue | 6/25 | MIA | WSN | B8 | Don Mattingly | Mgr | Mike Estabrook | HP | Arguing balls and strikes |
| 9 | Tue | 6/25 | CIN | @LAA | T6 | Yasiel Puig | RF | Kerwin Danley | HP | Arguing balls and strikes |
| 10 | Tue | 6/25 | CIN | @LAA | T6 | David Bell | Mgr | Kerwin Danley | HP | Arguing balls and strikes |
Asdrubal Cabrera, Texas Rangers third baseman
When
Thursday, June 20th, vs. Cleveland Indians, bottom of the sixth
Umpire
Doug Eddings (HP)
Description
Cabrera watched strike three go by him in the bottom of the sixth with one out and the bases empty. It was over the inside corner, and he did not like the call. As the subsequent hitter, Calhoun, batted, Cabrera yelled complaints from the dugout. Eddings warned him, but he continued, so Eddings tossed him.
Manager Chris Woodward ran on the field to protest. During the discussion, Cabrera threw his batting gloves on the field.
Understand the frustration?
Yes. No hitter likes that call.
Was the ejection justified?
Yes. Eddings warned him, yet he didn’t stop.
Entertainment Rating
Two Weavers. It would have received only one, but throwing the batting gloves on the field earned a bonus point.
Gerardo Parra, Washington Nationals pinch hitter
When
Friday, June 21, vs. Atlanta Braves, bottom of the eighth
Umpire
Chris Conroy (HP)
Description
On a 3-2 count, Parra watched strike three go by him. The catcher caught the tailing fastball wide of the zone. Parra voiced his displeasure as he spun toward the dugout. Before walking away, he waved his arm at Conroy in disgust. Conroy immediately dumped him.
Understand the frustration?
Yes. Even if the pitch was over the outside corner – and it may have been, since it was hard to see when exactly it crossed the plate – it’s going to look wide to the hitter.
Was the ejection justified?
Absolutely. Expressing dissent in such a visible manner is automatic. Every umpire in the league would have thrown him out for that. Manager Dave Martinez did not even argue.
Entertainment Rating
One Weaver for not being memorable.
Justin Turner, Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman
When
Friday, June 21st, vs. Colorado Rockies, bottom of the fourth
Umpire
Chad Fairchild (HP)
Description
Turner grounded out to open the bottom of the fourth. He had to reach for a pitch that looked to be low and away because Fairchild was giving a wide strike zone on the first base side of the plate. The subsequent hitter, Cody Bellinger, hit a homer to center. The first pitch to the hitter after that, Max Muncy, also appeared to be off that side of the plate, yet Fairchild called it a strike. From the dugout, Turner yelled, “Keep it over the plate!” Fairchild looked at the dugout, took off his mask, and yelled, “Hey, Justin, that’s enough!” Turner smiled and waved hi. Upon seeing that, Fairchild booted Turner out of the game.
Roberts sprinted onto the field to dispute the action. Turner was in shock. He yelled, “For what?” Roberts asked, “What did he say to you?” Turner yelled, “You can’t handle being waved at?” Fairchild told Roberts several things, among them, “I can’t let him go on forever.” Roberts gave up and returned to the dugout. An incredulous Turner quipped, “Hi. Are you that soft? You’re that soft,” and walked to the clubhouse.
Understand the frustration?
Yes. German Márquez’s fastball moves so much that it’s hard to hit as it is, but when he’s being given an even wider plate, that makes life extra-difficult for hitters.
Was the ejection justified?
Hard to say. Fairchild warned him. Turner’s response was obnoxious, but was it enough to be tossed? Probably not.
Entertainment Rating
One Weaver. It was dumb, not entertaining.
Gabe Kapler, Philadelphia Phillies manager
When
Saturday, June 22nd, vs. Miami Marlins, bottom of the fourth
Umpire
Chris Guccione (HP)
Description
Phillies center fielder Scott Kingery checked his swing on a high and tight fastball on 0-2. The ball hit him on a knuckle of his right (back) hand. Guccione appealed to first base umpire Mike Everitt, who ruled that Kingery swung. Consequently, Kingery struck out instead of reaching first on a hit by pitch.
Gabe Kapler, who had a great view from the first base dugout, came on the field and vehemently argued the ruling. After an explanation by Guccione, Kapler grew angrier and continued arguing while pointing in several directions. Guccione told him to stop, angering Kapler even further. Then Guccione tossed him, and Kapler blew his top.
Everitt came over to intervene, but that only poured gasoline on the fire. Gabe Kapler immediately screamed at him, “That’s (bleeping) TERRIBLE!” He said something else that was tough to discern while pointing to his right. Then he started with the third base umpire and said what he thought of the entire crew while pointing at each member. “He (bleeping) sucks, he sucks, (to Everitt) you suck, (to Guccione) and you suck.” He pointed to the ground and made two or three more points before ending his tirade emphatically. (Pointing to the ground and stamping his foot) “That’s bull(expletive)! (Pointing again) That’s terrible!” Finished, he turned around and left to a thunderous ovation from the hometown fans.
Understand the frustration?
Yes. Any time a guy is out instead of trotting to first – even on a correct call – it’s irritating, but for the call to be wrong is infuriating. Furthermore, since Everitt ruled that Kingery swung, it became unreviewable.
Was the ejection justified?
Yes. He didn’t stop when told to.
Entertainment Rating
Four Weavers. This was hilarious. Not only did he blow a gasket, but he went around the horn and insulted the whole crew before leaving.
Ron Gardenhire, Detroit Tigers manager
When
Saturday, June 22, at Cleveland Indians, top of the fourth
Umpire
Roberto Ortiz (HP)
Description
Right fielder Nick Castellanos was rung up on a pitch over the outside corner for the first out of the top of the fourth. The first pitch to the subsequent hitter – designated hitter Miguel Cabrera – was a sinker that was caught below the knees. Ortiz called it a strike, but Gardenhire disagreed and loudly let Ortiz know. Ortiz looked at the dugout and told him to stop, but Gardenhire did not, so Ortiz gave him the heave-ho.
Gardenhire came out of the dugout and briefly let off steam before leaving the game. He pointed as he grumbled his protest.
Understand the frustration?
The pitch to Cabrera looked low, so yes.
Was the ejection justified?
Yes. Arguing balls and strikes from the dugout is automatic, and Gardenhire was told to stop.
Entertainment Rating
One Weaver. Not memorable at all.
Gabe Kapler, Philadelphia Phillies manager
When
Tuesday, June 25th, vs. New York Mets, bottom of the sixth
Umpire
Joe West (HP)
Description
The Phillies had put together a five-run inning to take a 7-2 lead. They had three consecutive two-out hits, including home runs by the previous two hitters. Scott Kingery had worked the count to 1-1 before being drilled in the helmet by reliever Wilmer Font, who had surrendered the back-to-back taters. West warned Font and both benches. Gabe Kapler, upset that his bench had been warned, came onto the field while protesting. West told him not to do so, but Kapler continued, prompting an ejection.
Gabe Kapler asked, “What the (expletive) did we do” and told West that the warning was terrible, awful, and atrocious, with f-bombs interspersed. West calmly stood there and hardly said a word. He walked toward the Phillies dugout, and Kapler naturally backed toward it as West did so. The protest quickly ended after that.
Understand the frustration?
Yes, although it’s understandable that West would warn both benches so quickly, given the history between these two teams.
Was the ejection justified?
Yes. Although it seemed quick, West did warn him.
Entertainment Rating
Two Weavers. Kapler looked a little bit like a preschooler who didn’t get his way, and that was slightly amusing.
Miguel Rojas, Miami Marlins shortstop
Don Mattingly, Miami Marlins manager
When
Tuesday, June 25th, vs. Washington Nationals, bottom of the eighth
Umpire
Mike Estabrook (HP)
Description
Rojas took a 1-2 breaking ball just above the knees and very close to the inside corner. Estabrook rang him up. Rojas turned around and said a sentence or two to Estabrook before heading to the dugout.
During the subsequent hitter’s at-bat, Rojas yelled something from the dugout that prompted an ejection. Rojas charged onto the field. However, he had to come almost all the way across the dugout to reach the staircase first, and as he passed Mattingly, Mattingly grabbed his arm.
Mattingly kept a hold of his arm as Rojas marched up to Estabrook and scolded him. Rojas said, “Hey, Mr. You gotta be professional. That’s two guys. (Inaudible) You gotta be a professional with yourself and with everyone in the dugout.” He walked away, but Mattingly stayed and read off his mental laundry list of complaints from earlier in the game. He complained about a called strike and a checked swing from an at-bat in the first innings. He also complained about the zone Nationals pitcher Max Scherzer was getting.
Understand the frustration?
Facing Scherzer will frustrate anyone. Rojas felt wronged, and as a result, he was understandably frustrated. Mattingly also felt like Estabrook had different strike zones for each team, so his frustration was also understandable.
Was the ejection justified?
No answer can be given on Rojas, since nobody knows what he said. Mattingly certainly deserved it since he came out of the dugout to not only argue balls and strikes but argue something that had occurred several innings ago.
Entertainment Rating
Three Weavers. Rojas’ argument was so polite that it was funny. However, the coup de grâce was the way that Mattingly marched Rojas to the plate. It looked like he should have been dragging him there by the ear. That made it hilarious.
Yasiel Puig, Cincinnati Reds right fielder
David Bell, Cincinnati Reds Manager
When
Tuesday, June 25th, at Los Angeles Angels, top of the sixth
Umpire
Kerwin Danley (HP)
Description
Puig took a first-pitch curveball from new pitcher Noe Ramirez. It appeared to be a tad inside, but Danley called it a strike. Puig leaned over to calm down in a manner that drew a lot of attention to him. The next pitch was a curveball at the knees that completely fooled him, but he managed to foul it off, bringing the count to 0-2. The at-bat ended with a fastball just above the knees and over the outer half of the plate for a called third strike.
Puig spun around to Danley and said, “The first one” as he made a number one with his finger. Danley sent him to the showers, angering him further. Puig got right in his face and started pointing with every syllable. Danley stood there with a blank look on his face. Bell and the on-deck hitter, Jose Iglesias, tried to get Puig away from Danley before he did something that would warrant suspension.
Bell discussed matters further with Danley as Puig continued complaining to second base umpire and crew chief Gerry Davis. Eventually Bell grew livid and started yelling at Danley, who threw him out. Puig tried to get in Danley’s face again but was held back, so he threw his helmet and bat toward home plate. Bell started to leave but came back to yell at Danley some more. Then he finally left.
Understand the frustration?
Yes, to an extent, about the first pitch. However, there were two more strikes. Puig should have shaken it off and tried to finish the at-bat on a high note. Instead, he let it bother him for the rest of the at-bat.
Was the ejection justified?
Absolutely. Puig was pouting for the entire at-bat and then started to pitch a fit when he was called out.
Entertainment Rating
Two Weavers. Puig and Bell looked like two whiny, spoiled brats throwing a tantrum when they didn’t get their way, but it was more memorable than the low-key ejections that had been happening for most of the week.
Leaderboard
After 13 weeks, here are the leaders. Fight-related ejections are not counted toward the leaderboard.
Individual: Detroit Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire (six)
Team (excluding fights): Cincinnati Reds (nine)
Umpire (excluding fights): Mike Estabrook (eight)
Look for Week 14 on Thursday, July 4th.
Evan Thompson played baseball as a youth and teenager. He also umpired between 1995 and 2004 and has coached at the high school level.
Main Photo
Embed from Getty Images
