Watch: Umpire Bruce Dreckman makes possibly the worst strike call of the season during Nationals vs Red Sox game
Umpire Bruce Dreckman made possibly the worst strike call of the MLB season during Tuesday's encounter between the Washington Nationals and the Boston Red Sox.
While the game ended 5-4 in favor of the Red Sox, the home plate umpire's controversial strike call in the fourth innings made headlines after the game. Everyone watching the game was left speechless after the contentious call, which was outside the strike zone.
Prior to becoming an umpire in the MLB, Bruce Dreckman started his umpiring career in the minor leagues, working in the Appalachian League, Carolina League, Midwest League and Southern League.
In 1996, he started umpiring National League games and since then has gone on to umpire in several big fixtures such as the NL Division Series, the League Championship Series and the World Baseball Classic.
However, MLB umpires this season have received a lot of criticism from fans and analysts alike. While several other umpires have come under the spotlight for wrong decisions, Dreckman made arguably one of the worst strike calls of the season, further fueling the anger seen toward umpires in the league.
The incident occurred in the fourth innings with Justin Turner of the Red Sox at bat, facing Nationals reliever Robert Garcia. Garcia's 83 MPH slider appeared to miss the plate by about a foot but was still called a strike by Dreckman.
The spectators, including the NESN broadcasters, were surprised by the call.
Bruce Dreckman's call reignites debate on Automated Strike Zone
The MLB is currently experimenting with the Automated Strike Zone in the minor leagues and there are many who believe that it should be introduced to the major leagues as well.
Bruce Dreckman's strike call during the game between the Washington Nationals and the Boston Red Sox gave more fuel to fans who have been vocally critical of umpires this season.
The Automated Strike Zone involves a computerized system that can accurately call a strike, lowering the chances of human error in high-pressure situations. While the debate rages on, only time will tell what the future holds for baseball.