Game Ends on the (Intentionally) Worst Strike Call You’ve Ever Seen … Because of Spite?

Umpires, being human, are going to make mistakes. Particularly behind the plate, where they are asked to keep track of so many things at once, while also watching a tiny sphere fly 90+ mph into an imaginary cube above home plate. They won’t get every call right.

HOWEVER. One thing they can do right every time is not INTENTIONALLY make the wrong call, seemingly out of spite.

Watch this:

Terrible. Terrible. I’ve never seen something quite like that.

Since that pitch was so clearly out of the strike zone – we’re not talking borderline or even “debatably not close” here – one could conclude that the umpire decided to call it a strike no matter what. Why? Well, again, you COULD conclude that it was a punishment to the batter for his demonstrative complaints about the prior strike call.

That previous one was close, and probably could’ve gone either way. Heck, I might even say the batter’s reaction was over the top. But for the umpire to follow it by calling a pitch that was a foot and a half off the plate and in the dirt a strike? To end the game? That’s unacceptable. The ump is going to be getting a phone call from his bosses at the NCAA.