It has not been a great season so far for Major League Baseball umpires. Angel Hernandez ushered us all back to the game with some wild spring training calls and it’s been downhill ever since. Umpire Marty Foster decided to give Hernandez a break on Wednesday and pick up the mantle for the “worst call of the season” with a truly bizarre decision during the Milwaukee Brewers – Miami Marlins game.
The call in question occurred in the 2nd inning when Marlins’ second baseman Isan Diaz hit a dribbler towards first base. Brewers pitcher Zack Godley ran over to the ball, scooped it up, and easily threw Diaz out at first base. At least, that’s what it looked like. However, despite the fact that Godley never left the grass was not in Diaz’s way at all, Foster called interference on the pitcher, giving Diaz the base.
It’s even crazier when you actually see it play out.
E1 🚨 🚨 🚨
Most bizarre “error” of the year pic.twitter.com/oFB81HNMkl
— MLB Errors (@mlberrors) April 28, 2021
Brewers bench coach Pat Murphy went (rightly) ballistic and got ejected. But that didn’t stop the Brewers from letting Foster know he made a truly terrible call that anyone with a modicum of baseball knowledge should know better than making.
Some members of the Brewers coaching staff are not particularly happy today. pic.twitter.com/7xywdHh2SE
— Bally Sports Florida: Marlins (@BallyMarlins) April 28, 2021
So egregious was the call that fans and viewers went beyond calling it stupid and veered into “what are we even doing here?” befuddlement.
Marty Foster just did this in an MLB game. This is a complete joke. NOTHING will come of this. He won't be asked about it. He won't address it. And baseball will not care about it at all. pic.twitter.com/1ZMQHpSzzR
— Grant Paulsen (@granthpaulsen) April 28, 2021
Look, I’m all for the Marlins winning every game. But a call like this should get an empire suspended without pay. Or sent to the minors, like what happens to players when they suck. Completely unacceptable. https://t.co/IJtXIRQZiG
— Brad Ziegler (@BradZiegler) April 28, 2021
At some point, the MLB is going to have to have some sort of accountability with these umpires. Behind the plate has been worse than I've ever seen it & you have calls like this being made… https://t.co/3gxO4NMoVM
— Aaron Leming (@AaronLemingNFL) April 28, 2021
Replay challenges should be able to undo foolishness like this. I don't even know what else to say about this call. https://t.co/s3qAM6L3Ol
— Grant McAuley (@grantmcauley) April 28, 2021
Believe it or not, Foster defended the call afterward, saying that Godley was in the basepath of the runner and that it was “clear-cut.”
Marty Foster even defended the call lol pic.twitter.com/hZE5luf1QQ
— B-L-M/Life Long Ravens and (AZ) Cardinals fan (@advancedstats23) April 28, 2021
Robot umpires by 2025, please.
[FTW]