The umps were second-guessing if the batter was hit by the pitch so he stripped down to prove it and they gave him the base 😂 pic.twitter.com/p5GbSBV4oT
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) May 27, 2023
There was a bizarre scene in Saturday’s Atlantic League game between the Lancaster Barnstormers and the Gastonia Honey Hunters, as Gastonia infielder Jack Reinheimer was hit by a pitch but the umps apparently thought it might have hit his bat. So Reinheimer removed his jersey and undershirt to show his bruised flesh. That was enough to satisfy the ump, so Reinheimer — still topless — then trotted down to first base, where he began putting his base layer and jersey back on.
We all know the famous “shoe polish play,” where the umps awarded first base to Mets outfielder Cleon Jones after manager Gil Hodges showed them that there was shoe polish on the ball, indicating that it had hit Jones in the foot. But I’ve never seen a player disrobe on the field like this before. Good thing Reinheimer wasn’t hit on the butt, or else he would’ve had to drop trou!
(My thanks to Trevor Williams for letting me know about this one.)
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Sorry, no Ticker today, as the Uni Watch team is taking the holiday weekend off.
Today is Memorial Day. MLB teams will be marking the holiday by wearing poppy patches on their jerseys. If you’re mourning a fallen military service member, please accept my sincere sympathies for your loss. Peace. — Paul
I’m getting Steve Lyons vibes here.
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Was going to say the same thing about Lyons. Wasn’t it Danny Jackson of the Phillies who tore off his jersey and flexed during an on-field celebration in 1993? Granted, the game was over by that time.
Yes – the pennant clincher… he didn’t even play in that game but whatever.
Then there’s that US women’s soccer player who did a similar thing.
Then there’s Earl Campbell, though he had little choice:
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Following up on an item from yesterday’s Ticker, the Cubs say they will make new Billy Williams bobbleheads with the correct number, and offer an exchange. It may take until next season, though. link
How about when Jose Altuve freaked out about his teammates ripping off his jersey because he was a cheating scumbag and didn’t want to get caught…
How old are the people in the Cubs promotions dept? Didn’t anyone ask what his number was and why wasn’t it caught early on?