It looks like it’s not just the Major League Baseball umpires who go viral for their bad calls. A Little League umpire drew some negative attention from fans when he made several bad calls in crucial moments of Wednesday’s regional game between Kentucky and Ohio.
The umpire appeared to have an extremely large and generous strike zone, especially in big moments. At the top of the sixth inning – the final inning in Little League Baseball – the umpire called a strike on a pitch well off the plate on a full count with the bases loaded and two outs. The pitch should have been called a ball, which would have resulted in a scored run and allowed Kentucky to continue its rally. Instead, the called strike ended the inning.
The same umpire made another bad call in a big moment the next half inning. With Ohio at bat with two strikes and two outs down 1-0 in the game’s last inning, the umpire once again called a strike on a ball that was well outside. The call ended the game and clinched the win for Kentucky.
It’s worth noting that none of the Little League umpires are paid. They are all volunteers. However, when these games mean so much to the Little League players, the calls need to be better.
Ultimately, Kentucky won and punched its ticket to the Great Lakes Region championship game.
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