MLB Twitter reacts as umpire struck by attempted throw home in New York Yankees game: "Just a really bad throw" "He should not be standing there"
MLB umpire Larry Vanover was hospitalized after being hit in the head on an attempted throw from the outfield to home plate in the New York Yankees series finale against the host Cleveland Guardians on Wednesday.
Vanover, who was standing directly in-between second base and the pitcher's mound, was tagged by Guardians second baseman Andres Gimenez as he zinged the ball to catcher Cam Gallagher in an attempt to nail Yankees baserunner Isaiah Kiner-Falefa at the plate.
Instead, he nailed the 67-year-old Vanover, who was sent to the Cleveland Clinic to be evaluated for a concussion.
The Guardians were trying to throw the runner out at home and instead nail the umpire Larry Vanover https://t.co/Ju5M3VIgPC
According to the New York Post, umpire Chris Guccione told a reporter after the game that Vanover was getting a CAT scan, and that he had a "pretty good-sized knot" above his left ear.
@JomboyMedia Catcher is heading up the first base line when it hits the ump, just a really bad throw. https://t.co/g5aSFkn1Fl
@JomboyMedia He’s part of the play but he should not be standing there
@JomboyMedia For everyone claiming the ump was in the way, the path of the ball is off about 30 feet up the base path. https://t.co/dDjjOT8CRM
The Post quoted Guccione as saying:
"They’re going to do a concussion test, and it sounded like he was coherent and that he knew kind of what was going on. But he did have that glazed look on him. He’s going to be at the hospital for the rest of the night maybe."
@JomboyMedia Was he in the best position? No. Was it a great throw? No. Nobody to blame. Part of the game.
@JomboyMedia @TalkinBaseball_ Why was he in the way is the real question? It’s no one’s fault but his own he got hit, have some better awareness Vanover
@JomboyMedia With a relay from center, there is not a single reason this ump shouldn’t have been in a crouched position to avoid interference.
Guccione also told the Post in regards to continuing the game without Vanover:
"I’m glad (Vanover) was able to walk (and that) he was able to get to the hospital. That was scary. Very hard to focus after that after you see a colleague get hit. But they gave me updates, and I was like, 'All right. He’s good. He’s in safe hands.' So, we moved on."
@JomboyMedia @TalkinBaseball_ Larry needs to be suspended.
@JomboyMedia Get outta the way, LARRY! https://t.co/sQpfk94MkI
Of course, MLB umpires are an easy foil. There's is a difficult job, and even the good umps rarely get the credit they deserve. However, baseball fans watching the video clips all had a quick vision of which umpire they would have liked to see getting tagged with a ball.
Reviled umpire Angel Hernandez came to the minds of a lot of baseball fans.
@JomboyMedia I wish my first reaction wasn't to laugh. I hope he's ok.
@JomboyMedia If it were Angel Hernandez, I would have asked whether the Guardians did it on purpose.
Vanover began MLB umpiring career in 1991
Vanover, a native of Owensboro, Kentucky, began his MLB umpiring career on June 25, 1991. He umpired in several minor league associations before getting his call-up to the majors.
In 2015, he was promoted to the rank of permanent crew chief of whatever umpiring crew he worked with. May 24, 2019, Vanover umpired his 3,000th career game. He has umpired in two All-Star Games and one World Series. He also worked the 2023 World Baseball Classic.