Seeing umpire meltdowns too often? Well, legendary pitcher John Smoltz recently reignited the debate surrounding erroneous ejections, sharing a story from his heyday that highlights the need for a potential solution.

As he spoke to Ben Verlander on his podcast, Smoltz said, “We gotta fix that,” hinting at the lack of a system to overturn wrongful ejections. He recalls a particularly frustrating instance that happened one day – “The time I got thrown out and it cost me a game… the umpire stepped on my foot and immediately threw me out!” Getting ejected for something you didn’t do? That’s not new, remember the New York Yankees game against the Oakland Athletics when Aaron Boone got wrongfully ejected?

Aaron Boone was not the only one who got wrongfully ejected 

Smoltz’s case is backed by video replay. He explained, “They showed it afterwards,” he expressed, referring to the clip that revealed the umpire’s misstep. “There’s nothing that can be reversed.” A similar incident occurred when Boone was ejected when the umpire Hunter Wendelsted, assumed Boone hurled an insulting comment at him. Even though the video clearly shows who did it, the umpire’s response was, “I don’t care who said it. You’re gone!” In today’s era of instant replay, the ability to overturn incorrect calls on the field is quite common. Then why shouldn’t the same be applied to ejections or other wrong calls by umpires? 

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The Atlanta Braves legend revealed that the situation escalated quickly. A fired-up Smoltz confronted the umpire, Hunter Wendelstedt, only to see his manager Bobby Cox join him. Cox’s attempt to intervene resulted in his own ejection, which then created more chaos on the mound. 

Smoltz, instructed by Cox to stay in the game, found himself in a bizarre situation – ejected but refusing to leave. “There’s nothing that can be reversed,” Smoltz reinforced, underscoring the lack of recourse for such an egregious error.

John Smoltz proposes a solution 

Smoltz’s story is a stark reminder of the human element in officiating. Umpires, just like players, can make mistakes too. The current system in place offers no path to rectify a wrongful ejection. This in turn potentially impacts a player’s performance and a team’s momentum in the game. Smoltz proposes a well-thought-of approach, “There are times like that where… if everyone else can see that it was wrong.” This calls for a system for reversal.

John Smoltz’s experience only revealed this pressing issue in baseball. The ability to overturn ejections in rare instances of clear mistakes could ensure fairness and maintain the integrity of the game. As Smoltz acknowledges the flow, “We gotta fix that.” Only time will tell whether there is going to be a fix. But, Smoltz’s story has opened up an arena for discussion on this issue.