Ump show: Rangers’ Bruce Bochy goes scorched earth over awful overturned call

Texas Rangers manager Bruce Bochy was completely dumbfounded by an overturned call against the Chicago White Sox, in which is was ruled catcher Jonah Heim blocked the plate illegally. 

Upon replay, it appears that Heim provided the Chicago baserunner, Elvis Andrus, sufficient room to slide. While the play was initially ruled a putout thanks to the strong arm of Texas outfielder Travis Jankowski, the umpiring crew overturned the call, which led to Bochy’s ejection.

You know the call is bad when the White Sox broadcast is lambasting the umpires for a decision which favors their team.

“I have no idea why that was a violation… It doesn’t look like [Heim is] in front of the plate and he gives [Andrus] the outside corner to slide to… I think it’s a great break for the Sox, however, it doesn’t look to me like [Heim] impeded anything,” Steve Stone said.

Jason Benetti, the team’s play-by-play announcer, gave a broader outlook from the perspective of a rival catcher.

“This will be talked about for a long while… This is one of those where the catchers of the world are going to say, ‘What do we do?'” Benetti said.

Texas Rangers manager Bruce Bochy dumbfounded by overturned call

While Bochy was rightly ejected given his reaction, it still doesn’t make the call correct in the first place.

“For that call to be made, I’m dumbfounded,” Bochy said. “It’s absolutely one of the worst calls I’ve ever seen, and it was done by replay. I just don’t get it. I don’t care how many times they’ll try to explain it. You can’t do that in that situation. It’s a shame. It’s embarrassing, really.”

Bochy has been around baseball for a long time — he spent decades in San Diego and San Francisco, and has plenty of postseason experience. Now, he’s expected to lead Texas to those same results, barring the umpires don’t get in the way.

“I asked the umpire what I could have done differently,” Rangers catcher Jonah Heim said. “I set up on the corners. I even backed up. I don’t know what else to do. It’s upsetting. I don’t know how you can block the plate from behind the plate.”