April 8, 2021

Mea Kulpa

Despite replay, umpires still make mistakes. Ron Kulpa owned up to his today that helped the Mets beat the Marlins:

The strategy was sound. The next batter, Michael Conforto, took a slider over the middle for an apparent called third strike. But the pitch, from Anthony Bass, grazed Conforto’s elbow pad as he leaned into it, and the second out of the inning became the game-winning run batted in.

The replay supervisor confirmed that the ball hit Conforto, though that part of the play was not in doubt. Awarding him first base was a judgment call, and Marlins Manager Don Mattingly said the plate umpire, Ron Kulpa, told him replay could not reverse it.

He was right about that. As Kulpa told a pool reporter: “The guy was hit by the pitch in the strike zone. I should have called him out.”

NYTimes.com

There is video at the link. I don’t know I’ve ever seen an ump call a strike on a hit by pitch. The Mets beat the Marlins 3-2.

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