An on-field dispute between an MLB player and an umpire is not uncommon.
But Tuesday’s occurrence between Houston Astros star shortstop Jeremy Peña and home plate umpire Jerry Layne was noteworthy due to the egregious nature of a particular strike call.
During Peña’s at-bat in the bottom of the third inning, Minnesota Twins pitcher Joe Ryan threw a pitch that appeared to be well outside the designated strike zone.
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Jeremy Peña of the Astros scores against the Minnesota Twins at Minute Maid Park on May 30, 2023, in Houston, Texas. (Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
However, Layne believed the pitch was inside the zone and called a strike – much to Peña’s displeasure.
Surprisingly, the umpire stepped into the batter’s box and got into Peña’s face almost immediately upon the shortstop voicing his objection to the call.
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The Astros players and coaches in the dugout seemed upset by the umpire’s actions. Astros hitting coach Aex Cintron and some players were seen making gestures and yelling at Layne from the dugout.
Cintron was then ejected from the game.
Jeremy Peña of the Astros bats against the Minnesota Twins at Minute Maid Park on May 30, 2023, in Houston. (Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
Some MLB fans took to Twitter to voice their displeasure.
“It was the incorrect call. Jeremy Peña didn’t show boat about it Jerry Layne literally gets in his face. Don’t know what was said, but I feel like this was a bit much,” a Twitter user wrote.
Another fan who watched the play asked if umpires were subject to discipline in cases such as this. “Umpires hate when players show them up, but what about when the umpire shows up a player like this??”
Unless the majors decided to adopt automated strike zones, such as what is currently being tested at the minor league level, there will always be a human error factor when it comes to officiating games.
But an umpire’s reaction to a questionable call is something entirely different from a bad call.
Astros’ Jeremy Peña doubles against the Minnesota Twins on May 30, 2023, in Houston. (Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
The Astros went on to defeat the Minnesota Twins 5-1 in Tuesday night’s game.
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The rubber game of the three-game series is slated for May 31.
