“Umps are down bad this year”; “Just pitch right, or go to USA softball!” - MLB fans in splits as Nestor Cortes Jr. gets called for quick pitch
Nestor Cortes Jr. has been one of the top pitchers on the Yankees rotation. Apart from his incredible pitching skills, Cortes is also known for his windups. The Yankees are coming off a neat victory against the Chicago White Sox and Cortes' dominant pitching has helped them win.
However, Cortes was called off the mound after making a quick pitch against Corey Julks. Home plate umpire Laz Diaz called Cortes for an illegal quick pitch. While Cortes certainly entertained Yankees fans at the stadium, Diaz was not pleased with his quick pitch.
It's not the first time that Nestor Cortes Jr. came up with a quick pitch on the mound. The 29-year-old pitcher is known for shuffling his feet before executing a pitch. While it favored him in the past, Diaz called it a ball this time.
Reacting to the incident, MLB fans were in splits as some blamed the umpire and some called out Cortes for his not-so-welcome execution.
Here's a look at some of the fan reactions.
“Umps are down bad this year,” wrote one fan on X.
"Umpires can’t just make their own rules," another fan wrote.
"Laz always wants to fight someone when he’s calling balls and strikes," one fan chipped in.
On the other hand, some fans said it was Cortes' fault and the umpires were not to blame.
"Why does MLB allow the c*** that this guy does every time he pitches! Just pitch right, or go to USSSA softball!" one fan wrote.
"That windup makes a mockery of the game. It's kinda gotten silly," wrote another fan.
"Nestor needs bush league tactics to get outs," one fan chimed in.
Aaron Boone comes to the rescue of Nestor Cortes Jr.
Aaron Boone is known to stand up for his boys and he did just the same when Nestor Cortes Jr. was arguing with Diaz. Boone rushed to the situation to keep everything under control.
The Yankees manager pushed Cortes away to prevent things from escalating further. Boone said that he would take a look at it further, but he believed it was not an illegal pitch at first sight.
Cortes went out to throw yet another strong inning to help the Yankees secure a win. Cortes improved his record to 2-4 and struck out six opposing hitters.