Toronto Blue Jays' right fielder George Springer was ejected during the seventh inning of the 6-1 win over the Los Angeles Angels, after the umpires said he wasn't hit by a pitch, while he emphatically believed he had been.
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That is to say, on a 1-2 count, pitcher Kenny Rosenberg threw a breaking ball low and inside, in which Springer apparently seemed to have thought that the ball made contact with his foot, as he started walking out of the batter's box heading to first base.
The umpire asked where he was going, and Springer responded with claims that he was hit by the pitch. Ultimately, the home plate umpire Manny Gonzalez saw things differently, and this is when Springer nodded his head and calmly asked for a review.
George Springer absolutely LOSES IT and gets ejected after review says he wasn’t hit by the pitch pic.twitter.com/3R4dRjpwh8
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) August 14, 2024
All in all, there wasn't enough video evidence to overturn this call, so the ruling stood. However, Springer was adamant about being right, so much so that he started throwing a temper tantrum.
The announcer foreshadowed the events by saying, "No way, if I'm George Springer I'm getting ejected from this game... I know it's not them, but there is no way, that ball hit George Springer's foot and directionally changed directions."
Blue Jays manager John Schneider ran out of the dugout, coming to his player's defense after he was thrown out, while teammate Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was trying to hold Springer back.
The Blue Jays' broadcast booth made a point that maybe the umpire said something to Springer that set him off, because this was a little unlike his normal calm demeanor.
"I don't need to see the replay. I know it hit me, I'm not going to say it didn't hit me if it didn't hit me," Springer said. "I want to hit, it doesn't matter how I'm doing individually. I know it hit me in the foot, but it is what it is."
The 11-year player finished the night 0-for-2 with a walk and a run, as his struggles in the batter's box continue; he currently is putting up a career-low .221 batting average and .301 on-base percentage this season.
During the postgame interviews, Springer elaborated on the situation.
"I was just kind of in shock at the call. It is what it is," the 34-year-old told reporters. "If you argue the call on that situation, it's an automatic ejection. I get it. I know the rules."
Related: Phillies' Nick Castellanos Has Heated Exchange With Umpire: 'F—-ing Speak Up'
