J.T. Realmuto ejected after bizarre failed ball exchange with umpire

One of the most bizarre baseball ejections you’ll ever see occurred on Monday.

Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto was ejected by home plate umpire Randy Rosenberg in the fourth inning of their spring training game against the Blue Jays after a failed ball exchange.

The moment in question came as Phillies pitcher Craig Kimbrel had groused about a call, so perhaps Rosenberg thought that Realmuto was showing him up by not accepting the ball rather than what appeared to just be a miscommunication between the catcher and umpire.

“First time I was ejected. It was a soft way to get thrown out,” Realmuto said after the Phillies’ 5-2 win, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Phillies manager Rob Thomson came out to argue about the matter to no avail.

“The umpire felt like Realmuto took his glove out of the way and I think Realmuto didn’t sense that the ball was on its way, so he just figured the umpire was throwing it back to the mound,” Blue Jays color commentator Buck Martinez said on the broadcast.

Play-by-play broadcaster Ben Wagner chimed in, “On the prior exchange the umpire threw it out to Kimbrel, so all right, you don’t feel the ball nestled into your glove, and he wasn’t even looking at the umpire — he just pulled his glove down.”

Realmuto was perplexed after the game.

“How does he expect me to know he’s giving me the ball right there?” Realmuto said, per the Inquirer “I’m not even looking at him.”

Realmuto said Rosenberg told him he thought he was showing the umpire up.

“I said, ‘Dude, I thought you were throwing the ball,’” Realmuto said. “He said, ‘I’m not gonna buy that.’”

The 32-year-old Realmuto is entering his 10th MLB season and fifth with the Phillies.

A three-time All-Star, Realmuto batted .276 with 22 home runs and an .820 OPS last season.

He played for Team USA in the recent World Baseball Classic, as the team finished second to Japan in the worldwide tournament.

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