Jose Siri Ejected From Winter League After Drawing a Line

A Dominican Winter League HP Umpire ejected Gigantes de Cibao CF José Siri (strike one call) in the top of the 10th inning of the Giants-Eagles game. With one out and none on, Siri took a 1-0 pitch from Eagles pitcher Neftali Feliz for a called first strike, resulting in a dispute over the pitch call. Siri was ejected not for verbally arguing the call, but what the Umpire Manual refers to as "actions intended to ridicule," which specifically includes drawing a line in the dirt or making other gestures indicating resentment. At the time of the ejection, the game was tied, 3-3. The Eagles ultimately won the contest, 4-3, in 10 innings.

Wrap: Gigantes del Cibao [Giants] vs Aguilas Cibaeñas [Eagles] (LIDOM), 12/11/22 | Video as follows:

MLB Ejection 177 - Chad Fairchild (2; Austin Romine)

The following ejection occurred on September 17, 2022: HP Umpire Chad Fairchild ejected Reds catcher Austin Romine (runner's interference no-call; QOCY) in the bottom of the 11th inning of the #Reds-#Cardinals game. With none out and the bases loaded, Cardinals batter Paul Goldschmidt hit a 1-2 splitter from Reds pitcher Fernando Cruz on the ground to center fielder Nick Senzel (playing in on the shift), who threw to home plate as Cardinals baserunner R3 Andrew Knizner attempted to score. Replays indicate the throw hit Knizner's left arm before bouncing away from catcher Romine; because the runner establishes their own base path and no tag attempt was being attempted at the time of the ball contacting the runner, who did not intentionally interfere with the thrown ball, the no-call was correct.* At the time of the ejection, the Cardinals had won the contest, 1-0, in 11 innings.

This is Chad Fairchild (4)'s 2nd ejection of 2022.

For scorekeeping purposes, this is logged as Ejection 177 despite occurring between Ejections 164 & 166.

*There is no base path violation pursuant to Official Baseball Rule 5.09(b)(1) governing base paths and out-of-the-base-path (three-foot) calls. There is no runner's lane violation because the runner's lane only applies at first base. This leaves the question as to whether or not the runner intentionally interfered with a thrown ball, as in OBR 5.09(b)(3), which is unlikely given that the throw did not yet exist as the runner established his running motion in fair territory between third base and home plate.

Refer to our September 18 analysis for further explanation.

Related Post: Cardinals Win When Reds' Throw Hits Runner - Legal? (9/18/22).

This is the 177th ejection report of the 2022 MLB regular season.

This is the 62nd player ejection of 2022. Prior to ejection, Romine was 0-4 (2 SO) in the contest.

This is Cincinnati's 5th ejection of 2022, 4th in the NL Central (CHC 10; PIT, STL 6; CIN 5; MIL 4).

This is Austin Romine's 1st ejection since August 24, 2017 (Dana DeMuth; QOC = U [Fighting]).

This is Chad Fairchild's 2nd ejection of 2022, 1st since Sept 11 (Max Scherzer; QOC = Y [Replay Review]).

Wrap: Cincinnati Reds vs St Louis Cardinals, 9/17/22 | Video as follows:

Jim Reynolds Retires Following 24 Major League Seasons

A member of MLB's large Class of 1999, 24-year Major League umpire Jim Reynolds announced his retirement after 2,815 regular season games, three Wild Cards, seven Division Series, five League Championship Series, and two World Series.

Born in Marlborough, Massachusetts, Reynolds' professional baseball career began after meeting University of Connecticut classmate Dan Iassogna during a 1987 fire drill on the north campus. Iassogna's father had been a football referee, and the pair began working games here and there under the tutelage of UConn baseball coach Andy Baylock.

After college, Reynolds and Iassogna were roomates at the Jim Evans Academy of Professional Umpiring in Arizona, with both candidates making it to the lower minor leagues after graduation. Reynolds officiated the New York-Penn League in 1992, advancing through the South Atlantic, California, Eastern, Southern, American Association, and International Leagues before getting the call in June 1999.

Two and a half months after Reynolds' first American League game on June 4, 1999 in Boston, he found his first ejection in Tampa Bay's Larry Rothschild on July 25. Reynolds ejected 43 players, coaches, and managers during his big league career.

Reynolds, who confirmed his retirement on The Jay and Brian Show, retires as a crew chief, having received that promotion ahead of the 2020 season. Thursday is Jim Reynolds' 54th birthday.

Video as follows:

Watch the Berti - 1B Umpire Ceja's Teachable Moment

Tmac's latest offseason Teachable Moment highlights an adjustment at first base. Nationals batter Luis Garcia grounds out after a bad bounce that looked to ruin Miami's play at first, but then Marlins 2B Jon Berti makes a snazzy play to beat the runner, 1B Umpire Nestor Ceja instinctually adjusting both his physical position and point of focus in order to make a call ultimately confirmed following Replay Review.

The key for this play is to always keep in mind one's responsibilities while reacting to the unexpected. In this scenario, Ceja knows his responsibility after signaling "fair" is to first base, so after locating the ball and reading that fielder Berti has backed up the play and fielded the ball, Ceja turns his attention back toward first base in order to rule on the out/safe issue.

Video as follows: