"And hinch just sat there quietly like a mook. Dude never sticks up for his guys" - MLB fans on Reddit react to Minnesota Twins manager’s feud with umpire
Yesterday, in the first game of a doubleheader for the Minnesota Twins and the Detroit Tigers, Twins coach Rocco Baldelli got into it with home plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt over a check swing call when Max Kepler was up at the plate.
"You can't see from there, Rocco, you want to start an argument?" Hunter Wendelstedt gets into it with the Twins' manager on a check swing call." - @r/baseball
The umpire made questionable calls the entire game, going as far as calling strikes at the players' ankles. The calls were so bad that even MLB veteran and legend Miguel Cabrera called out Wendelstedt during the game. Baseball fans on Reddit had a lot to say about Minnesota Twins manager Rocco Baldelli's interaction with the umpire.
MLB fans react to Minnesota Twins manager's feud with umpire
"And hinch just sat there quietly like a mook. Dude never sticks up for his guys" - @ Wolverwings
A lot of fans on Reddit were saying how Twins manager Rocco Baldelli took the correct approach when sticking up for his players, unlike the Tigers manager A.J. Hinch, who did not do anything when bad calls were against his team.
"If I was Rocco I think you have to reply with 'you can't see from there either'" - @ mjst0324
When the Minnesota Twins manager argued with the umpire, the ump responded by saying, "You can't see from there," because Baldelli was all the way in the dugout. This comeback would have been fitting, as this umpire had no idea what he was doing.
"The right call was made, for the wrong reason. It was in the zone, so it should have been called a strike, but it really didn’t look like a swing." - @ magikarp2122
Honestly, this user is onto something with this comment, because the pitch did look like it was in the zone. The umpire blew the check swing call, but it looked like a strike to begin with.
"Hunter was horses**t today" - @ 40MDDeutschmarks
Yeah, this is the perfect way to describe the umpire's performance. There were so many missed calls during this game, and since this was a doubleheader, he had to umpire the next game too.
"Wasn't expecting Rocco to be sitting there so calmly with his legs crossed from the way Wendelstedt was bellowing" - @ UsedToBeFromBradfordTwo
When looking at the video, Minnesota Twins manager Rocco Baldelli looked so calm compared to the umpire. The ump definitely knew he was missing calls today, so he was probably frustrated.
"YOU CANT SEE FROM THERE EITHER UMP" - @ SadMathematician7799
Honestly, Baldelli might have a better judgement than this umpire according to his calls during this game!
"The angle sucks on the bases too and they're 100 feet away" - @ ref44
This is the problem with check swing calls, usually the base umpires will make the call, but they are too far away to make a judgement sometimes, and the home plate ump always has a better view. The umpires have to do better!