There’s bad umpiring, and then there’s what took place Monday night in the Southeast Regional tournament for the 2018 Little League World Series.
With Georgia leading Alabama in the second inning, Georgia batter Chase Fralick began trotting to first base after a 3-0 pitch missed high. Clearly displeased with Fralick’s premature exit from the batter’s box, the home plate umpire called a very late strike, prompting Fralick to turn around.
If that weren’t bad enough, the same thing happened on the next pitch, except the ball was even more outside and the umpire’s call was made even more egregiously late.
(You can click here to watch the baffling sequence.)
Listen, we understand umpires don’t want batters showing them up, and it’s not a bad idea to keep little leaguers in check.
Those calls were complete garbage, though, and that umpire should be ashamed of himself.
