A July 17 baseball game in the Mexican League gave us what might be the single-worst call in baseball history. That phrase is frequently used for hyperbole, but two umpires agreeing that a swinging strike is a ball has to seriously be considered, if only for the pure consistency of how horrific the call is.
Take a look and determine if it's an exaggeration for yourself.
It doesn't get much worse than this call... pic.twitter.com/jCFgIrFJM2
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) July 20, 2018
This was on the second pitch of a game between the Diablos Rojos del Mexico and the Algodoneros de Union Liga. Clearly, the umpires hadn't reported to the diamond yet.
It seems impossible for one umpire to mess this up, let alone two. And yes, strike zones vary depending on the umpire, but this one didn't look so far off the black either.
Come to think of it, maybe he did hold up.
Hey, we've all had those moments when we fall asleep on the job. Sometimes you just need your buddy to pick you up. When the catcher (rightfully) stopped in his tracks before throwing the ball back to the pitcher and asked for an appeal, the home plate umpire obliged. Unfortunately, when the home plate umpire appealed to the first base ump, he only confirmed the call. And in a weirdly confident manner.
How do you even argue this as a manager? That's got to be the most helpless feeling ever. The Diablos Rojos went on to lose 10-2, presumably because it was completely impossible to keep playing after that.
Ulises Domínguez Solís and Rodolfo Pastrana Tejeda -- the umpires responsible for the call -- were suspended for the rest of the season the day after the call occurred, which only reinforces this as the potential worst call ever. It's not often umpires end up suspended for calls, but it's not often calls get messed up to this level.
