What's the worst call you've ever seen in a baseball game that wasn't at the Little League level? For me, it's got to be Jim Joyce's whiff in what would've been the last out of Armando Galarraga's near-perfect game (it's OK, though — he apologized and shed more than enough tears).
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What took place in a game Friday between the University of New Orleans and Mississippi Valley State in New Orleans has to rank right up there with the worst of the worst. The home plate umpire that game, Reggie Drummer, made such an obviously petty call against a batter that he was suspended indefinitely.
If you ask me, he should never umpire a college baseball game again.
NCAA Umpire's Awful Call Earns Him Suspension
This is a division 1 baseball game... Can't even call it a terrible call. Umpire made it personal. 😂😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/zXOvzDmIbd
— 11Point7: The College Baseball Podcast 🎙 (@11point7) March 11, 2023
All right, look: That second strike at the beginning of the video wasn't the worst called strike I've ever seen. With two outs in the ninth, I can understand the umpire is trying to get out of there.
BUT WHAT IN THE WORLD IS THAT NEXT CALL? Drummer rings up Davon Mims — who, by the way, is currently leading the NCAA in stolen bases — on a ball that was in the other batter's box. Drummer clearly made this personal, because he thought Mims was showing him up on the call before, which he absolutely was. But for an umpire at this level to call something so egregious like that — that just can't happen. It's so damn bush league I can't even fathom it. It would have been more reasonable to throw Mims out of the game than to do what he did.
"Oh my gosh! Wow! He got rung up on ball two, and the game is over!" the announcer says in disbelief. "That is horrific!"
Drummer's call was so bad — and it went so viral — that he was suspended indefinitely by the Southland Conference from umpiring in the series.
"After a thorough review of the New Orleans and Mississippi Valley State baseball contest on March 10, 2023, the Southland Conference confirmed the home plate umpire's conduct and actions were deemed detrimental to the Conference and in violation of Section 3 Character and Conduct of the CCA Mechanics Manual for Baseball," the statement read.
Umpire Reggie Drummer has been suspended indefinitely by the Southland Conference. https://t.co/hr5dTw29zD pic.twitter.com/h1M3xTz40d
— 11Point7: The College Baseball Podcast 🎙 (@11point7) March 11, 2023
The call ended the game, giving New Orleans a 7-3 win. Mims was clearly furious, and you have to respect the New Orleans catcher for trying to calm him down, clearly understanding that he was just robbed. MVSU lost the next game, 35-3, but at least there weren't any revenge calls like this.
