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- Major League Baseball (MLB) supsended David Ortiz for one game on April 21 for bumping umpire John Tumpane on Sunday.
Major League Baseball (MLB) suspended Boston Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz for one game on April 21 for allegedly bumping umpire John Tumpane in the fifth inning of a game against the Baltimore Orioles on April 19. Ortiz will appeal the said suspension.
Major League Baseball (MLB) has suspended David Ortiz for one game for allegedly bumping umpire John Tumpane.
According to MLB.com’s Austin Laymance, the league claims Ortiz bumped Tumpane during the fifth inning of the Red Sox’s gamea against the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park on April 19.
Ortiz will appeal the suspension, which was expected to take effect for the series opener against Boston’s American League East rivals, the Tampa Bay Rays, on April 21. “Ortiz’s suspension will be held in abeyance until the appeal process is complete,” says Laymance.
MLB suspends David Ortiz 1 game for making contact with umpire Sunday vs Orioles. Ortiz will appeal his suspension. pic.twitter.com/o8A0DVCoOU— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 21, 2015
Officials ejected Ortiz on Sunday after he disupted a checked-swing call by third-base umpire Jerry Meals. He threw his bat to the ground as he made his way to the dugout. He also threw his helmet in a fit of rage, per MLB.com.
When Ortiz began to argue with Meals, the latter argued back and then gestured, per ESPN Boston’s Gordon Edes. Tumpane then stepped in front of Ortiz near home plate and the two got into it, face to face.
It was in this heat of the moment when the league claims Ortiz bumped Tumpane, per Edes.
Ortiz discussed his ejection with MassLive.com’s Jen McCaffrey on Tuesday:
“That was kind of a weird situation, where I’m arguing with the third-base umpire and the home-plate umpire is the one who was kicking me out of the game. But whatever. I’m just appeaing it, and I’m going to go from there.”
David Ortiz suspended one game for bumping umpire, to appeal http://t.co/8FeapXHc2M pic.twitter.com/8YpFfIEwZf— Boston.com (@BostonDotCom) April 21, 2015
When McCaffrey asked Ortiz if he ever bumped Tumpane on Sunday, he said,”I don’t remember doing that.”
Red Sox manager John Farrell stepped in to intervene when Ortiz began to argue with Tumpane, per McCaffrey.
For his part, Farrell shared his thoughts on the bumping incident with MassLive.com:
“If there was any contact, it was slight, if at all. And it wasn’t anything intentional, I know that. I know that there was a lot of frustration on David’s part from Saturday’s game as well as the two check-swing calls, that even in review of the film, didn’t look like he broke the plane, or the front edge of the plate.
“The actions are what they are. Still, there are some things I think that were leading up to that.
“Had a chance to talk to the league that night to share my view as well, and still, the suspension was handed down. We respect what has been handed down but there’s a process that David can now follow.”
Per @Ken_Rosenthal, David Ortiz has been suspended one game for making contact w/the umpire. https://t.co/5RFNmG46UK— Only In Boston (@OnlyInBOS) April 21, 2015
Meals served as the home-plate umpire the day before Ortiz’s ejection on Sunday, a 4-1 road loss to Baltimore. He ruled Ortiz did not check his swing in the first inning, a call which the Red Sox designated hitter didn’t agree with, per Edes.
The ESPN Boston update says Ortiz finished with three hits and an intentional walk in that game.
This is Ortiz’s first ejection since he smashed a dugout phone at Camden Yards on July 27, 2013 after he struck out and then claimed otherwise to umpire Tim Timmons, per Edes.
The 39-year-old Ortiz has amassed 2,168 hits, 468 home runs and 1,537 RBIs on a .285 batting average in 2,123 career regular-season games for the Minnesota Twins and Boston Red Sox, per ESPN stats.
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