Detroit Tigers manager Brad Ausmus is not happy that the Cleveland Indians’ television broadcast implied that his team conspired to intentionally hit an umpire with a pitch.
In the third inning of Detroit’s 5-3 loss to Cleveland on Wednesday, Ausmus and catcher James McCann were both ejected by home plate umpire Quinn Walcott for arguing balls and strikes. Just a handful of pitches later, new Tigers catcher John Hicks failed to catch a Buck Farmer delivery and it hit Wolcott in the shoulder on the fly, knocking him down.
Most people felt that it was a simple cross-up involving a pitcher and catcher who had just been abruptly put together, but the Cleveland TV broadcast — and one writer — implied that something more sinister was going on.
Wow, did the #Tigers just hit home plate ump Quinn Wolcott on purpose? How could Hicks not catch that pitch from Farmer? Pay back?
— Chris AssenheimerC-T (@CAwesomeheimer) September 13, 2017
Ausmus was furious that this was even a question after the game.
Ausmus angry with insinuation he heard on Cleveland telecast that fastball that hit plate umpire Quinn Wolcott was on purpose.
— Jason Beck (@beckjason) September 13, 2017
Ausmus: "For anyone to imply that was intentional, that's just completely wrong. They're out of line saying that, quite frankly." https://t.co/udBdwXEeSt
— Jason Beck (@beckjason) September 13, 2017
Farmer also defended himself on Twitter.
Hate that people think I would hit the umpire intentionally… I have more respect for the game than that #notthattypeofplayer
— Buck Farmer (@B_Farm09) September 13, 2017
Given the rising tensions between umpires and players, everything is viewed suspiciously these days. Cross-ups between pitchers and catchers that sometimes result in umpires getting hit are not completely rare, and this looked like one of them.
