Umpire refuses to call a strike, a breakdown

Dec 1, 2020 2.4M views 2:00

What Happened

In a heated showdown on the mound, right-handed pitcher Shun Yamaguchi of the Yomiuri Giants is locked in a battle with the home plate umpire. Yamaguchi, known as one of the premier pitchers in Nippon Professional Baseball, has been consistently delivering strikes, but the umpire is refusing to call them as such. The count is now 1-0 as Yamaguchi prepares to deliver his next pitch. He winds up and unleashes another fastball right down the heart of the plate, but the umpire inexplicably calls it a ball. "What the hell's going on? This isn't fair," Yamaguchi mutters in frustration, clearly perplexed by the umpire's unwillingness to award him the strikes he has earned. The next pitch is also a clear strike, but again the umpire refuses to make the call. "That pitch is the most strike of all the strikes," the commentator exclaims, "that's just a strike." Yamaguchi is now in a 2-0 count, clearly rattled by the umpire's stubbornness. Determined to regain control of the at-bat, Yamaguchi tries to get the umpire on his side by mixing in an off-speed pitch. However, the umpire remains steadfast in his refusal to call strikes, even on pitches that are indisputably in the zone. The catcher, sensing Yamaguchi's growing frustration, approaches the umpire and apologizes, saying, "Sorry man, that's not me. Shouldn't have had that second serving of eggs." The umpire, perplexed by the comment, simply responds, "What the fuck does that mean?" As the at-bat continues, it's clear that the umpire's stubbornness is affecting Yamaguchi's ability to settle into a rhythm. The commentator notes that Yamaguchi is an established, dominant pitcher in the league and he should be getting the benefit of the doubt on these borderline calls. The tension on the field is palpable as the players and fans alike wonder when the umpire will finally start calling the game fairly. Yamaguchi, determined to overcome the adversity, continues to battle, but the umpire's unwavering stance threatens to derail the entire sequence.

Full Transcript

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pitch number one is on the way it looks

like it's right in there called the ball

now apparently

the pitcher reacted to this and the

umpire didn't like his reaction so he's