VIDEO: Umpire Mike Winters Calls the Worst Strike 3 of All Time Against Mets' Amed Rosario
By Karl Rasmussen
We hear it just about every day now, and even some old-school baseball fans are starting to agree: it's time for robot umpires. And a big shout out to home plate umpire Mike Winters for helping prove that theory with his egregious strikeout call on Saturday night. Rockies starter Jon Gray was the beneficiary of a very, and I mean VERY, generous strikeout call against Mets shortstop Amed Rosario.
Are. You. Kidding. Me.
This pitch looked more like an intentional walk than an actual attempt to bait a swing from Rosario, yet somehow, in some unconceivable process of thought, Winters viewed it as a strike, sending the Mets' infielder to the dugout with a backwards K on his scorecard.
Winters will have some serious explaining to do after this horrendous call, as that pitch may have been a full foot outside the strike zone. Did he really expect Rosario to swing at that?
If there's ever been an instance that suggests it's truly time for automated umpires, then this is the Holy Grail of officiating mishaps. Bring in the robots, folks.