Umpire Quinn Wolcott
MLBBy Arthur Weinstein on

Home-plate umpire Quinn Wolcott lost his temper in a bizarre confrontation that led to the ejection of Pittsburgh Pirates manaager Derek Shelton Wednesday.

In the top of the fourth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays, Shelton began shouting from the dugout, apparently contending that the pitch clock had not been reset for Pirates hitter Austin Hedges. Wolcott took off his mask and began shouting back at Shelton, dropping a loud F-bomb at one point.

“Do I look like I have a clock buzzer here!” Wolcott shouted at Shelton “I run the ——- clock, don’t worry about the clock! That’s my job, not your job!”

Shelton then began shouting at third base umpire Adrian Johnson, who immediately ejected him. Shelton quickly charged out of the dugout, right in the middle of Rays pitcher Shane McClanahan’s windup.

Johnson walked away, and first base umpire Manny Gonzalez got involved, herding Shelton off the field.

It’s not unusual for managers or players to lose their cool in an argument. It’s much rarer to see an umpire blow his top, especially by using profanity everyone in the stadium could hear.

Baseball fans weren’t sure what they’d just witnessed.

[MLB.com; Photo Credit: AT&T Sportsnet]

About Arthur Weinstein

Arthur spends his free time traveling around the U.S. to sporting events, state and national parks, and in search of great restaurants off the beaten path.

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