BALTIMORE, MD – AUGUST 16: Anibal Sanchez #19 of the Washington Nationals walks down from the stands after being thrown out of the game against the Baltimore Orioles in the second inning at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on August 16, 2020 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)
Anibal Sanchez was removed from the stands Sunday.
MLB teams playing without fans in the stands has created a situation where viewers at home can here just about everything. Washington Nationals fans found that out earlier this week when Stephen Strasburg was removed from a game for arguing with an umpire while seated in the stands.
His teammate Anibal Sanchez followed in his footsteps Sunday afternoon. The Nationals had a problem with the strike zone all day and it got so bad Sanchez was ultimately removed from the stands. As a warning, the following tweet is NSFW.
Anibal Sanchez kicked out of the stands
One point of clarification made after the game is that Sanchez was not ejected, but rather just removed from the stands. That is essentially the same thing given the current circumstances. The team’s pitching coach, Kevin Long, was also ejected in what was a frustrating game for the Nationals.
Players and coaches being ejected is nothing new. The bizarre aspect of the 2020 season is hearing every single word crystal clear due to the lack of crowd noise. Teams can pump in fake noise, but umpires are going to hear someone right behind them in the stands or the dugout. This resembles a youth baseball game where one parent is just asking to be thrown out.
The fact both Strasburg and Sanchez were kicked out of games this week may be a sign of things to come around the league. Or, the league may step in and begin to institute heavier punishments for berating umpires in an empty stadium.
Everything is different in 2020 and teams may receive a memo instructing players not to act like rowdy fans. Add it to the future documentary about this shortened season.