Apr 2, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; Chicago White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson (7) reacts after a play during the second inning against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Chicago White Sox star shortstop Tim Anderson was ejected for aiming a series of expletives at home plate umpire D.J. Reyburn.
It’s been a tough couple of days for umpires around baseball as they adjust to new MLB rules. The pitch clock has been the toughest adjustment of late, especially as the boys in blue try to emphasize said rules, and call them consistently.
White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson was on the receiving end of what he considered a ball call, as he wasn’t given time and instead faced strike three when stepping outside the batters box.
The very next batter, Luis Robert, was victimized by a sketchy third strike call that was well off the outside part of the plate. Robert was upset, but walked back to the dugout without aiming any verbiage at the umpire. Anderson could be heard shouting at D.J. Reyburn about his strike zone.
Chicago White Sox: Why was Tim Anderson ejected?
Tim Anderson could be heard on the broadcast yelling at Reyburn. Those insults turned into curse words after he was ejected, and Anderson was forced to the showers in just the fourth inning.
Reyburn’s strike zone has been poor all day, and the decision not to give Anderson time felt petty to say the least. However, that’s the human element in baseball, and it’s something players are forced to deal with. In Anderson’s case, he dealt with it poorly, and now his team is shorthanded and without its best player for the majority of their Wednesday afternoon game against the San Francisco Giants.
At first, San Francisco pitcher Logan Webb thought Anderson was aiming his frustration at the Giants, but Anderson quickly put that to bed. It was a chaotic moment for the fiery White Sox shortstop, and one he ought to learn from moving forward.