“These umpires are out of control, what an absolute joke” — Former MLB player fumes at Clemson vs Florida Super Regional officiating
Former Major League Baseball pitcher and Miami Hurricanes standout Danny Graves fumed about the Game 2 officiating of the Clemson-Florida super regional game on Sunday.
The Vietnamese-American two-time MLB All-Star expressed outrage on social media after the umpires threw out Clemson program development/assistant coach Jack Leggett and Tigers coach Erik Bakich for arguing a potential ejection to Alden Mathes after the outfielder had spiked the bat following a solo home run in the 13th inning.
Graves called out NCAA baseball officials and urged immediate action on the umpires, whom he described as out of control, tweeting:
"Seriously These umpires are out of control. What an absolute joke and embarrassment to College Baseball. This game isn’t about them but somehow they think it is. They should NEVER get to umpire at this level again!"
The former right-handed pitcher, who played for the Cleveland Indians, Cincinnati Reds and the New York Mets for 10 seasons, also reacted to the ejection of Tigers' first baseman Jack Crighton for unsportsmanlike code violation after a short bench-clearing scuffle.
According to an official review of the incident, Crighton left his position on the base paths to be involved in the altercation.
"So the “review team” only saw the Clemson player? He was already on the field running the bases. The Florida 1B and SS were clearly seen on the replays going into the middle of the ruckus too," Graves wrote.
As per ESPNU, Bakich and Leggett will be suspended for two games following their ejections. Their actions failed to help the Tigers extend the series to a decider, though, as they lost 11-10 on a Michael Robertson game-winning two-run double in the bottom of the 13th inning.
Florida secures back-to-back CWS appearances with win over Clemson
Florida's win completed a two-game sweep of Clemson and propelled them to its second-straight College World Series appearance. Last season, the Gators finished runner-up to LSU in the 2023 College World Series final.
It was the fifth straight victory for Florida in the postseason, as they beat Nebraska and Oklahoma State to win the Stillwater Regional and clinch the Super Regional ticket. After the game, Florida coach Kevin O’Sullivan described Leggett's ejection as 'unfortunate.'
“I mean, I didn’t know it happened. You know, obviously, the leadoff hitter hit the home run. I went back and looked up at the lineup card to see who we had coming up.
"And that type of thing. I didn’t know what happened. But obviously, it’s unfortunate. He’s a legend, Hall of Famer. You hate to see that happen,” he said.
Luke McNeillie (4-6) got the win for the Gators, while Ethan Darden (5-5) was charged with the loss. Colby Shelton had three RBIs to lead Florida, while Jac Caglianone, Ashton Wilson and Brody Donay finished with two RBIs each.
Cam Canarella had four RBIs to lead Clemson, while Blake Wright had two RBIs. Mathes, Jacob Hinderleider, Jimmy Obertop and Tryston McCladdie each had one RBI.
Florida joined Tennessee, Florida State, Virginia, North Carolina, Texas A&M and Kentucky as the teams to secure a trip to Omaha for the 2024 College World Series.