Ben Zobrist was ejected from Tuesday’s loss to the Milwaukee Brewers after cracking a line about wanting electronic umpires.
Zobrist struck out looking in the sixth inning against Jhoulys Chacin on a 3-2 breaking ball outside. MLB.com showed that the pitch was just off the zone.
Here's the called third strike against Zobrist that led to words with plate ump Phil Cuzzi and Joe Maddon's ejection. pic.twitter.com/I2U9gOSQwA
— Adam McCalvy (@AdamMcCalvy) August 14, 2018
Zobrist protested the call to umpire Phil Cuzzi, while Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon came out to back him. Maddon was tossed, and then Zobrist was ejected too for saying that is why players want electronic umpires.
Ben Zobrist to umpire Phil Cuzzi: "That's why we want an electronic strike zone."
The 37-year-old #Cubs veteran made the most of his first career ejection: https://t.co/89iB203CbY pic.twitter.com/nh9xLPpiVE
— NBC Sports Chicago (@NBCSChicago) August 14, 2018
After the game, Zobrist explained his frustration to reporters.
“I felt like I knew the zone right there, and I felt like the at-bat was taken away from me,” he said.
Zobrist is right. It stinks to have an at-bat taken away like that. At the same time, as long as the human element exists, players like Zobrist should know they are better off swinging at a pitch like that than leaving it in the umpire’s hands. And that’s the problem they’re fighting. We certainly know another Cubs player who would support the change to robot umps.
