Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Karl Rasmussen

Umpire's Late-Game Strike Call Had MLB Fans Crowning It the Worst of 2024 Season

MLB Patrick Wisdom Rowdy Tellez Rob Friedman Cubs
Rowdy Tellez pitches against Patrick Wisdom in the top of the ninth inning at PNC Park. | Screenshot via Rob Friedman on X

Umpires are people, too.

That was never more evident than during Monday night's clash between the Chicago Cubs and Pittsburgh Pirates, a game which the Cubs quickly turned on its head, winning 18–8.

Things got so bad at PNC Park that the Pirates opted to trot Rowdy Tellez onto the mound to pitch in the ninth inning. Tellez wasn't looking to light up the radar gun, effectively throwing soft toss to Patrick Wisdom, and often missing the zone badly.

Home plate umpire Scott Barry looked as if he'd seen enough and was just about ready to call it a night during Wisdom's at-bat against Tellez. Barry called a strike on a pitch so far outside of the zone, just about no one knew how to react.

Tellez's eephus—if you can call it that—clocked in at around 42 mph, and was practically in the left-handed batter's box. Wisdom wisely laid off the pitch, but Barry stunned everyone by ruling it a strike. Wisdom had a few words for the umpire, who barely seemed to give him any sort of response.

The bizarre exchange left baseball fans bewildered, and they were quick to declare Barry's egregious mistake as the worst called strike of the 2024 MLB season.


This article was originally published on www.si.com as Umpire's Late-Game Strike Call Had MLB Fans Crowning It the Worst of 2024 Season.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
"I’m not making this up. There is no joke in this”: Billy Corgan thinks that comedian Bill Burr might be his half brother, but an unearthed video suggests that Burr was no great fan of The Smashing Pumpkins
"I’m not making this up. There is no joke in this”: Billy Corgan thinks that comedian Bill Burr might be his half brother, but an unearthed video suggests that Burr was no great fan of The Smashing Pumpkins
MusicRadar
MusicRadar
Disney Cruise Line will soon debut the first ‘Moana’ stage show
As Moana 2 hits theaters, the countdown is on for the premiere of “Disney The Tale of Moana” on board the new Disney Treasure ship.
The Street
The Street
Rock Singer Says He’s Done Living As A Trans Woman, Will Make Full Surgical “Detransition” Soon
Keith said he “rose above my misunderstanding of my soul and spirit,” emphasizing that he is detransitioning. The post Rock Singer Says He’s Done Living As A Trans Woman, Will Make Full Surgical “Detransition” Soon first appeared on Bored Panda.
Bored Panda
Bored Panda
Billboard apologizes to Taylor Swift for ‘error’ in video celebrating pop star’s achievements
Apology comes after Swift fans slammed the music magazine for including a clip from Kanye West’s controversial music video ‘Famous’
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Sarah Michelle Gellar teases I Know What You Did Last Summer return
Sarah Michelle Gellar has teased she will be appearing in Sony's legacy sequel to 'I Know What You Did Last Summer'.
BANG Premier
BANG Premier
Food journaling helped me change the way I eat for the better—here's how
If you're thinking of keeping tabs on what you eat, I recommend using pen and paper rather than an app—it made all the difference for me
Fit & Well
Fit & Well
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.
Download on the AppStore Get it on Google Play