VIDEO: Justin Turner Defends Phillies Pitcher Who Got Wrongfully Ejected for Hitting Him
By Jerry Trotta
The Dodgers were trouncing the Phillies 12-1 Monday night when Philadelphia reliever Yacksel Rios plunked Justin Turner in the knee with a breaking ball. And in a shocking turn of events, home plate umpire Doug Eddings, clearly not thinking of the scoreline, opted to toss Rios from the game. In response, Turner came to the young hurler's defense and tried to talk some sense into Eddings.
It might be worthwhile to review the process for issuing warnings/ejections. Perhaps have umpires confer briefly. No need to force a split second decision that can’t be remedied. It could help avoid silly warnings/ejections and adjudicate intentional HBPs more consistently. https://t.co/NFkGTEv09L pic.twitter.com/0sISln7qPK
— Nick Francona (@NickFrancona) July 16, 2019
Good on you, Justin.
We can't be sure, but we presume that Los Angeles' third baseman was trying to convey the message that no big league pitcher is trying to send a message with an 84 MPH off-speed pitch.
There is no plausible reasoning for Eddings ejecting Rios here, especially when none of his previous pitches were even close to erratic.
In the meantime, let’s give Justin Turner a sportsmanship award for sticking up for a pitcher who just hit him with a pitch @redturn2 https://t.co/pLuuD6iWgg
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) July 16, 2019
It's worth noting that Rios did give up a string of hits, including a two-run jack prior to Turner's at-bat. However, almost all parties involved understood that he just lost control of a breaking pitch -- something that is mighty prevalent in today's game.
Unfortunately, Turner's pleas did not prevail in this one. Instead, an irrational and alarmingly reactionary decision triumphed. But we will all remember the All-Star's admirable ambitions.