Bryce Harper gets ejected after telling ump to be a professional, a breakdown

Sep 7, 2020 2.3M views 3:43

What Happened

On September 6, 2020, the Phillies hosted the Mets at Citizens Bank Park and trailed 2-1 in the bottom of the fourth when Bryce Harper loafed in right field on a fly ball. Instead of charging it, Harper drifted and let Neil Walker make an off-balance catch on his heels, which let Todd Frazier tag from third and score to make it 3-1 Mets. An inning later Harper smoked a ball down the line that the umpire ruled foul, and he eventually grounded into a 1-5-3 double play. Between innings he asked the ump about the call, got told the conversation was over, and after telling him to 'be a professional,' Harper got ejected.

Why This Matters

The ejection is the punchline, but the lazy defense early is the real story. Watch Harper hang back and force Walker into a throw he can't make, and you see why Joe Girardi looked physically pained in the dugout. The blown foul call gave Harper a legit gripe, yet the rule here is simple: an umpire can run you for arguing balls and strikes or fair-foul calls, and there's no obligation to keep chatting once he's done. Telling a guy to 'be a professional' reads as polite, but it's the kind of jab that gets you tossed. Context matters too. This was the shortened 60-game 2020 season, every game mattered for a Phillies team chasing a playoff spot, and they'd just handed the Mets a run on a mental lapse. Philly missed October by a hair that year.

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Key Moments

Who / What Is Involved

Players: Bryce Harper. Teams: Phillies.

Key Terms Mentioned

Full Transcript

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Bryce Harper had a pretty eventful night

over the weekend

playing the mets the mets are up two to

one

philly trying to keep it right there