MLB Ejection 132 - Ramon De Jesus (4; Chase Utley)

2B Umpire Ramon De Jesus ejected Dodgers 2B Chase Utley (positioning disagreement; Unsportsmanlike-NEC) in the top of the 9th inning of the Padres-Dodgers game. With none out and two on (R1, R2), Padres batter Carlos Asuaje hit a 0-2 cutter from Dodgers pitcher Kenley Jansen on a fly ball to shortstop Corey Seager for an out on the infield fly rule. Following the play, Utley requested De Jesus move from his position at Deep B, presumably within Utley's line-of-sight to home plate in double-play depth; after a disagreement, De Jesus ejected Utley for unsporting conduct (NEC), the call was irrecusable. At the time of the ejection, the Dodgers were leading, 6-3. The Dodgers ultimately won the contest, 6-3.

This is Ramon De Jesus (18)'s fourth ejection of the 2017 MLB regular season.
Ramon De Jesus now has 15 points in the UEFL Standings (10 Prev + 3 AAA + 2 Irrecusable Call = 15).
Crew Chief Dana DeMuth now has 6 points in Crew Division (5 Previous + 1 Correct Call = 6).

This is the 132nd ejection report of 2017.
This is the 58th player ejection of 2017. Prior to ejection, Utley was 1-4 in the contest.
This Los Angeles-NL's 7th ejection of 2017, 1st in the NL West (LAD 7; COL 5; SF 4; ARI, SD 3).
This is Chase Utley's first ejection since April 23, 2006 (Dan Iassogna; QOC = U [Out/Safe]).
This is Ramon De Jesus' 4th ejection of 2017, 1st since August 8 (Mike Scioscia; QOC = Y [Check Swing]).

Wrap: San Diego Padres vs. Los Angeles Dodgers, 8/12/17 | Video as follows:

MLB Ejection 131 - Stu Scheurwater (4; Steve Buechele)

1B Umpire Stu Scheurwater ejected Rangers Bench Coach Steve Buechele (check swing ball three call) in the top of the 5th inning of the Astros-Rangers game. With none out and none on in the top of the 4th inning, Astros batter Jose Altuve attempted to check his swing on a 2-2 fastball from Rangers pitcher Tyson Ross, ruled a ball by HP Umpire Lance Barksdale and affirmed as no swing by 1B Umpire Scheurwater. Play was reviewed and deferred by the UEFL Appeals Board (1-0-8), the call was irrecusable. At the time of the ejection, the Rangers were leading, 4-2. The Rangers ultimately won the contest, 8-3.

This is Stu Scheurwater (85)'s fourth ejection of the 2017 MLB regular season.
Stu Scheurwater now has 10 points in the UEFL Standings (7 Prev + 3 AAA + 0 Irrecusable Call = 10).
Crew Chief Bill Welke now has 0 points in Crew Division (0 Previous + 0 Irrecusable Call = 0).

This is the 131st ejection report of 2017.
This is Texas' 7th ejection of 2017, 1st in the AL West (TEX 7; OAK, SEA 4; HOU 3; LAA 1).
This is Steve Buechele's first ejection since May 15, 2016 (Dale Scott; QOC = U [Fighting]).
This is Stu Scheurwater's 4th ejection of 2017, 1st since July 27 (Joe Girardi; QOC = N [Balls/Strikes]).

Wrap: Houston Astros vs. Texas Rangers, 8/12/17 | Still image as follows:

MLB Ejection 130 - Larry Vanover (3: Devin Mesoraco)

3B Umpire Larry Vanover ejected Reds C Devin Mesoraco (Replay Review affirming HP Umpire Chad Fairchild's foul tip call) in the top of the 10th inning of the Reds-Brewers game. With one out and one on, Reds batter Adam Duvall attempted to take a 1-2 fastball from Brewers pitcher Corey Knebel for a foul tip third strike. Upon Replay Review as the result of a Crew Chief Review, the ruling was upheld, the call was correct. At the time of the ejection, the game was tied, 5-5. The Brewers ultimately won the contest, 6-5, in 10 innings.

This is Larry Vanover (27)'s third ejection of the 2017 MLB regular season.
Larry Vanover now has 9 points in the UEFL Standings (5 Prev + 2 MLB + 2 Correct Call = 9).
Crew Chief Larry Vanover now has 13 points in Crew Division (12 Previous + 1 Correct Call = 13).

This is the 130th ejection report of 2017.
This is the 57th player ejection of 2017. Prior to ejection, Mesoraco was 0-3 in the contest.
This is Cincinnati's 5th ejection of 2017, T-1st in the NL Central (CIN, MIL 5; PIT 4; STL 3; CHC 2).
This is Devin Mesoraco's first ejection since July 30, 2012 (Chad Fairchild; QOC = Y [Balls/Strikes]).
This is Larry Vanover's 3rd ejection of 2017, 1st since August 3 (Ned Yost; QOC = Y [Replay Review]).

Wrap: Cincinnati Reds vs. Milwaukee Brewers, 8/12/17 | Video as follows:

MLB Ejection 129 - Pat Hoberg (1; Nolan Arenado)

1B Umpire Pat Hoberg ejected Rockies 3B Nolan Arenado (check swing strike three call) in the top of the 7th inning of the Rockies-Marlins game. With two out and none on, Arenado attempted to check his swing on a 2-2 fastball from Marlins pitcher Drew Steckenrider, ruled a swinging third strike. Play was reviewed and adjudicated by the UEFL Appeals Board (9-0-0), the call was correct. At the time of the ejection, the Marlins were leading, 4-2. The Marlins ultimately won the contest, 4-3.

This is Pat Hoberg (31)'s first ejection of the 2017 MLB regular season.
Pat Hoberg now has 9 points in the UEFL Standings (5 Prev + 2 MLB + 2 Correct Call = 9).
Crew Chief Gerry Davis now has 1 point in Crew Division (-1 Previous + 2 Correct Call = 1).

This is the 129th ejection report of 2017.
This is the 56th player ejection of 2017. Prior to ejection, Arenado was 0-4 (SO) in the contest.
This is Colorado's 5th ejection of 2017, 2nd in the NL West (LAD 6; COL 5; SF 4; ARI, SD 3).
This is Nolan Arenado's first ejection since Sept 22, 2016 (Alfonso Marquez; QOC = N [Balls/Strikes]).
This is Pat Hoberg's first ejection since September 20, 2016 (Mike Scioscia; QOC = U [Throwing At]).

Wrap: Colorado Rockies vs. Miami Marlins, 8/12/17 | Video as follows:

Replay Oddity - Vanover Overturned 3 Times Thurs

An ominous Replay Review record was set Thursday as four of Larry Vanover's calls were challenged in Detroit, and an existing Replay Review record was tied when three of those calls were overturned.

Larry Vanover ejects Ned Yost on August 3.

Replay Review #1: In the top of the 2nd inning, Tigers Manager Brad Ausmus challenged Vanover's safe call at first base on a pickoff attempt. The call was overturned to an out.
Replay Review #2: In the top of the 3rd, Ausmus challenged Vanover's safe call at first base on the batter-runner. The call was upheld as safe ("call stands"), but we marked this as an incorrect ruling from New York-Replay Operations Center on the UEFL spreadsheet. Officially, though, Vanover received a QOCY score.
Replay Review #3: In the top of the 5th, Pirates Manager Clint Hurdle challenged Vanover's out call at first on the BR. The call was overturned to safe.
Replay Review #4: In the bottom of the 7th, Hurdle challenged Vanover's safe call at first on the BR. The call was overturned to out.

As mentioned above, this is the first time an umpire has been challenged four times in one game, and the second time this season an umpire has received three overturns in a single game.

A quick note: It would be rather difficult to compile statistics to precisely show the opposite condition (how many times an umpire makes the correct call that never makes it to Replay Review due to the call's accuracy). Because of the selective sample created by a manager's discretion in choosing to challenge a play or withhold the challenge, reporting on "stands" and "confirmed" calls would be misleading and rather uninformative.

That said, here are some other notable Replay Review events from earlier this season:

Umpire Has Three Calls Overturned Via Replay Review in One Game [Two Times]
On August 10, four of Larry Vanover's calls were challenged and three were overturned.
On July 9, three of John Libka's calls were sent to Replay Review and all three were overturned.

Umpire Has Two+ Calls Overturned via Replay Review in One Game [17 + 2 = 19 Times]
On August 10, four of Larry Vanover's calls were challenged and three were overturned.
On August 5, two of James Hoye's calls were challenged and overturned via Replay Review.
On July 29, two of DJ Reyburn's calls went to Replay Review and both were overturned.
On July 25, two of DJ Reyburn's calls were sent to Replay Review and both were overturned.
On July 16, three of Chad Whitson's calls went to Replay Review and two of them were overturned.
On July 9, three of John Libka's calls were sent to Replay Review and all three were overturned.
On July 2, three of Gabe Morales' calls went to Replay Review and two of them were overturned.
On June 23, two of Carlos Torres' calls were sent to review and both were overturned.
On June 18, two of Andy Fletcher's calls were replayed and both of them were overturned.
On June 16, two of Joe West's calls went to Replay Review and both were overturned.
On June 16, two of Lance Barksdale's calls were sent to Replay Review and both were overturned.
On June 11, two of Mark Ripperger's calls were replayed and both were overturned.
On June 8, two of Clint Fagan's calls went to Replay Review and both were overturned.
On June 7, two of Dana DeMuth's calls were replayed in New York, both of which were overturned.
On June 1, two of Tom Hallion's calls were sent to review and both were overturned.
On May 22, two of Chris Conroy's calls were sent to Replay Review and both were overturned.
On May 7, three of Bill Miller's calls were replayed and two of them were overturned.
On May 5, two of Ben May's calls were sent to Replay and both of them were overturned.
On May 3, two of Dan Bellino's calls went to Replay Review and both were overturned.

Umpire Has Three Calls Sent to Replay Review in One Game [Three Times]
On August 10, four of Larry Vanover's calls were challenged and three were overturned.
On July 9, three of John Libka's calls were sent to Replay Review and all three were overturned.
On June 16, three of Clint Fagan's calls were reviewed, and only one of them was overturned.

As one might surmise, experiencing three overturned calls in one day also decreased Vanover's league standing on the Umpires' Replay Review leaderboard, but not by all that much. Vanover fell just seven spots, from 68th place before Thursday's games to 75th on Friday morning. (6-for-15 [.400 RAP] prior to Thursday and 7-for-19 [.368 RAP] after.)

Instead, the one stat that does stand out is Vanover's raw count of overturned calls: With 12 reversals, Vanover now leads the league over second-place Clint Fagan and Chris Conroy (each with 11 overturned calls), and third-place Sam Holbrook/Manny Gonzalez (10 apiece). By contrast, Chad Fairchild (6 upheld calls), Pat Hoberg (5 upheld), Sean Barber (2 upheld) and Dale Scott (2 upheld) all have yet to be overturned in 2017.

On a somewhat coincidental note, Vanover was Replay Review's pioneer back in 2014, serving as the Replay Official in New York who affirmed the first call ever challenged under the expanded review system.

Video as follows:

Retired AL Umpire Ken Kaiser Dead at 72

Former American League umpire Ken Kaiser has died. He was 72.

Retired AL Umpire Ken Kaiser passed away.

An AL arbiter from 1977 to 1999, when his was one of the many resignations accepted by Major League Baseball, Kaiser officiated 2,815 regular season games, three Division Series (1981, 96, 97), four League Championship Series (1980, 88, 93, 95), and two World Series (1987, 97). He also served as second base umpire for the 1991 All-Star Game.

Kaiser ejected 75 players and managers during his 23-year Major League career, from his first ejections of Ken Henderson and Balor Moore for fighting on September 21, 1977, to his final heave-ho of then-Anaheim Angels Manager Terry Collins in July 1998.

Prior to making it to the AL, Rochester, New York-native Kaiser took an off-season gig as a professional wrestler known as "The Hatchet."

Kaiser reportedly had been in poor health recently and was diabetic. We would expect a black memorial "KK" patch in remembrance of Kaiser to be added to umpire uniforms later this season. There are presently three other deceased umpires whose lives are being memorialized in such a fashion; Kaiser is the fourth former American League umpire to pass away since the 2016 World Series (Mark Johnson, Russ Goetz, Steve Palermo, Kaiser).

Black Memorial Patches Currently Worn on MLB Umpire Sleeves (+ Kaiser):
1) MJ - Mark Johnson. Passed away October 26, 2016 at the age of 65. Umpired in the American League (1979-99).
2) RG - Russ Goetz. Passed away March 15, 2017 at the age of 86. Umpired in the American League (1968-83).
3) SP - Steve Palermo. Passed away May 13, 2017 at the age of 67. Umpired in the American League (1976-91).
4) KK - Ken Kaiser. Passed away August 9, 2017 at the age of 72. Umpired in the American League (1977-99).

MLB Ejections 127-128 - Ramon De Jesus (2-3; LAA x2)

1B Umpire Ramon De Jesus ejected Angels DH Albert Pujols and Manager Mike Scioscia (check swing strike three call) in the bottom of the 6th inning of the Orioles-Angels game. With two out and none on, Pujols attempted to check his swing on a 0-2 changeup from Orioles pitcher Jeremy Hellickson. Play reviewed and adjudicated by the UEFL Appeals Board (8-1-0), the call was correct. At the time of the ejections, the game was tied, 1-1. The Angels ultimately won the contest, 3-2.

This is Ramon De Jesus (18)'s second, third ejection of the 2017 MLB regular season.
Ramon De Jesus now has 10 points in the UEFL Standings (5 Prev + 3 AAA + 2 Correct Call = 10).
Crew Chief Dana DeMuth now has 5 points in Crew Division (4 Previous + 1 Correct Call = 5).

This is the 127th, 128th ejection report of 2017.
This is the 55th player ejection of 2017. Prior to ejection, Pujols was 0-3 (2 SO) in the contest.
This is the 63rd Manager ejection of 2017.
This is LA-AL's 2nd/3rd ejection of 2017, T-4th in the AL West (TEX 6; OAK, SEA 4; HOU, LAA 3).
This is Albert Pujols' first ejection since August 14, 2016 (Clint Fagan; QOC = Y [Balls/Strikes]).
This is Mike Scioscia's first ejection since March 25, 2017 (Mike Cascioppo; QOC = U [Balls/Strikes]).
This is Ramon De Jesus' 2/3rd ejection of 2017, 1st since April 23 (John Gibbons; QOC = Y [Illegal Pitch]).

Wrap: Baltimore Orioles vs. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, 8/8/17 | Video as follows:

Source - Joe West Suspended 3 Games for Beltre Comment

MLB suspended veteran umpire and crew chief Joe West for unsportsmanlike comments about Rangers slugger Adrian Beltre, according to Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times, who learned of the suspension from the World Umpires Association (WUA). According to the report, the length of West's suspension is three games.

MLB has suspended Joe West for 3 games.

The WUA, whose President is none other than West himself, issued a statement conveying the union's disagreement with the suspension: "Joe West is the most senior umpire in our ranks, having served MLB since 1976, under six different baseball commissioners. Joe has upheld the rules of fair play for more than 5,000 Major League Baseball games, and is on his way to the record for most career games ever worked by an MLB umpire. He should be on the field today...We disagree strongly with the decision to punish Joe West simply for sharing a humorous exchange with a player."

The union contended that West's comments about Beltre were meant as a joke, and were taken as such by Rangers Manager Jeff Banister and by Beltre.

According to Shaikin, Major League Baseball declined to comment on the matter, although the League reportedly informed the umpires' union that West's comments created an "appearance of lack of impartiality." The League also failed to issue a Press Release regarding the suspension before it began on Tuesday. In general, the League has disclosed disciplinary actions imposed on umpires only if suspension is involved.

West was suspended in 2014 for one game.

The suspension effectively corresponds to this week's three-game Dodgers vs. Diamondbacks series in Arizona: the crew will instead feature veteran Alfonso Marquez working in West's place alongside West crew regulars Alan Porter and Hunter Wendelstedt. The fourth umpire, Rob Drake, is working in place of Andy Fletcher, whose absence is unrelated to the West suspension.

West and Beltre both reached significant milestones this season: West officiated his 5,000th game in June while Beltre recently collected his 3,000th career hit.

In an interview conducted with USA Today in anticipation of his momentous 5,000th game, West was asked about a variety of baseball subjects, and stated his belief that the biggest complainer in baseball is Beltre:

[The biggest whiner has] got to be Adrian Beltre. Every pitch you call that’s a strike, he says, “Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!” I had a game with him recently and the pitch was right down the middle. He tells me, “That ball is outside.” I told him, “You may be a great ballplayer, but you’re the worst umpire in the league. You stink.”

MLB most recently suspended Joe West in 2014 for improper physical contact with a player during his ejection of Jonathan Papelbon earlier that September.

One Replay on Game Day - Review Distribution Rate

MLB hasn't experienced zero Replay Reviews during a regular season game day since April 2015, although we came close to matching that mark on Monday, when only a 9th inning review on the West Coast (Cubs at Giants) kept the streak alive.

Headsets are used less often on Mondays.

August 7's one Replay Review ("call stands") signified the first baseball game day with only one Replay Review since June 13, 2017. The feat was also accomplished on May 15 and June 5 of this season. Of these dates, June 13 (a Tuesday) was the only one with a "full" MLB schedule of games, as May 15 and June 5 both were Mondays, which, along with Thursday, is a "slow" day on the schedule when a portion of the league's teams experience off days, as opposed to Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, when all 30 teams are in action (barring any postponements).

As of our most recent MLB Umpire Sabermetrics update, baseball had compiled a rate of 1.77 games played for ever Replay Review (or 0.56 reviews per game; 889 Replay Reviews for 1574 Games Played, as of 7/31), which means that for Monday, August 7's abbreviated slate of seven contests, we should have expected approximately three or four reviews (3.96 expected reviews). Instead, we saw just one.

Histogram graphic: Count of days featuring X number of Replay Reviews.

The accompanying histogram indicates the number of game days in 2017 (Y-Axis) to feature a specified number of Replay Reviews (X-Axis). For instance, the left-most bar represents days with just one review on that game day while the right-most bar represents days with 16 reviews on that day (July 2 featured 16 reviews, which signifies the most daily replays in 2017).

The average number of daily Replay Reviews in 2017 is seven.

The last regular season game day to feature zero Replay Reviews whatsoever was April 7, 2015 (the second day of the 2015 regular season). As was the case on Monday, 4/7/15's scoreboard also featured seven games played. An eighth game originally scheduled for 4/7/15 was postponed and made up on July 7, 2015. The makeup game was also replay-less, meaning that all eight games originally scheduled for April 7 concluded without a review amongst them. That eight-game drought remains an expanded Replay Review record.

By contrast, recall the 2017 World Baseball Classic, whose Championship Round Games 1 and 2 set, then broke, Replay Review records for most video reviews in a game or fraction thereof.

MLB Ejection 126 - Carlos Torres (5; Larry Bowa)

HP Umpire Carlos Torres ejected Phillies Bench Coach Larry Bowa (ball one call; QOCN) in the bottom of the 7th inning of the Phillies-Rockies game. With two out and one on, Rockies batter Charlie Blackmon took a 0-1 curveball from Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola for a called first ball. Replays indicate the pitch was located over the heart of home plate and thigh-high (px .165, pz 2.310), the call was incorrect. At the time of the ejection, Rockies were leading, 2-0. The Phillies ultimately won the contest, 3-2.

This is Carlos Torres (37)'s fifth ejection of the 2017 MLB regular season.
Carlos Torres now has 6 points in the UEFL Standings (8 Prev + 2 MLB - 4 Incorrect Call = 6).
Crew Chief Dana DeMuth now has 4 points in Crew Division (4 Previous + 0 Incorrect Call = 4).

This is the 126th ejection report of 2017.
This is Philadelphia's 2nd ejection of 2017, T-4th in the NL East (MIA 6; WAS 5; ATL 4; NYM, PHI 2).
This is Larry Bowa's first ejection since July 27, 2016 (Pat Hoberg; QOC = N [Balls/Strikes]).
This is Carlos Torres' 5th ejection of 2017, 1st since June 19 (Christian Colon; QOC = Y [Balls/Strikes]).

Wrap: Philadelphia Phillies vs. Colorado Rockies, 8/6/17 | Video as follows:

MLB Ejection 125 - Rob Drake (1; Josh Reddick)

HP Umpire Rob Drake ejected Astros RF Josh Reddick (strike three call; QOCY) in the bottom of the 9th inning of the Blue Jays-Astros game. With none out and one on (R1), Reddick took a 2-2 slider from Blue Jays pitcher Roberto Osuna for a called third strike. Replays indicate the pitch was located over the outer edge of home plate and waist-high (px -.758, pz 3.224 [sz_top 3.275]), the call was correct. At the time of the ejection, the Blue Jays were leading, 6-3. The Astros ultimately won the contest, 7-6.

This is Rob Drake (30)'s first ejection of the 2017 MLB regular season.
Rob Drake now has 5 points in the UEFL Standings (1 Prev + 2 MLB + 2 Correct Call = 5).
Crew Chief Gerry Davis now has -2 points in Crew Division (-3 Previous + 1 Correct Call = -2).

This is the 125th ejection report of 2017.
This is the 54th player ejection of 2017. Prior to ejection, Reddick was 0-5 (2 SO) in the contest.
This is Houston's 3rd ejection of 2017, 4th in the AL West (TEX 6; OAK, SEA 4; HOU 3; LAA 1).
This is Josh Reddick's first career MLB ejection.
This is Rob Drake's first ejection since April 17, 2016 (Justin Upton; QOC = Y [Balls/Strikes]).

Wrap: Toronto Blue Jays vs. Houston Astros, 8/6/17 | Video as follows:

MLB Ejection 124 - Tripp Gibson (2; Andy Green)

HP Umpire Tripp Gibson ejected Padres Manager Andy Green (batter's interference call; QOCN) in the bottom of the 10th inning of the Padres-Pirates game. In the top of the 10th, with two out and none on, Padres batter Wil Myers hit a 3-2 slider from Pirates pitcher Joaquin Benoit on the ground in front of home plate, whereupon the ball struck Myers. Replays indicate the batted ball made contact with Myers as he was in a legal position within the batter's box, the call was incorrect. At the time of the ejection, the game was tied, 4-4. The Pirates ultimately won the contest, 5-4, in 12 innings.

This is Tripp Gibson (73)'s second ejection of the 2017 MLB regular season.
Tripp Gibson now has 4 points in the UEFL Standings (6 Prev + 2 MLB - 4 Incorrect Call = 4).
Crew Chief Dan Iassogna now has 0 points in Crew Division (0 Previous + 0 Incorrect Call = 0).

This is the 124th ejection report of 2017.
This is the 62nd Manager ejection of 2017.
This is San Diego's 3rd ejection of 2017, T-4th in the NL West (LAD 6; COL, SF 4; ARI, SD 3).
This is Andy Green's 3rd ejection of 2017, 1st since June 30 (Greg Gibson; QOC = U [Fighting]).
This is Tripp Gibson's 2nd ejection of 2017, 1st since May 16 (Don Cooper; QOC = Y [Balls/Strikes]).

Wrap: San Diego Padres vs. Pittsburgh Pirates, 7/6/17 | Video as follows: