Philadelphia Phillies’ manager, Rob Thomson, was ejected in the sixth inning of Saturday’s game against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The ejection came after an argument with plate umpire, Roberto Ortiz, who apparently refused to reset the pitch clock after Aaron Nola requested a new baseball.
Request for New Baseball Ignored
During the game, with two outs, Nola received a return throw from catcher, J.T. Realmuto, circled behind the mound, and indicated to Ortiz that he wanted a new baseball. Nola then threw the ball he had towards the Phillies’ dugout. Ortiz handed a ball to Realmuto but did not reset the pitch clock. It appeared that there were only 10 seconds left on the clock when Nola threw the ball away.
Heated Exchange with Umpire
Thomson emerged from the dugout and had a heated exchange with Ortiz before becoming even more upset with third-base umpire, Bill Miller, who ultimately ejected Thomson from the game.
New Pace-of-Play Rules
Under baseball’s new pace-of-play rules, pitchers have 15 seconds to deliver a pitch when there is no baserunner and 20 seconds if there is a baserunner. The pitcher must start delivery before the clock expires. After a pitch, the clock starts again when the pitcher has the ball back, the catcher and batter are in the circle around home plate, and play is ready to resume. When a pitcher fails to throw a pitch in time, the penalty is an automatic ball.
Nola has previously indicated that he has had to adjust to the new rules. He has requested new balls frequently during games this season, but umpires had obliged his requests without incident.
As for Thomson, Phillies fans gave him a loud ovation as he walked off the field. The manager angrily folded his game notes when he returned to the dugout before leaving for his clubhouse office. Despite the ejection, the Los Angeles Dodgers won the game 9-0.
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