Umpire Reggie Drummer apologized for his “lack of judgement” when calling a strike to finish the sport between Mississippi Valley State and New Orleans earlier this month. (AP/Matthew Hinton)
The umpire behind the wild and controversial strike name in a Southland Conference recreation earlier this month apologized on Thursday, however partially blamed his “lack of judgment” on hostile therapy he obtained from gamers and followers.
Umpire Reggie Drummer appeared on “The Plate Meeting” podcast on Thursday to speak in regards to the incident through the recreation between Mississippi Valley State and New Orleans on March 10.
In the ninth inning of that recreation, after Drummer had already ejected two gamers and warned each groups, Mississippi Valley State outfielder Davon Mims stepped as much as the plate with two outs.
After the depend acquired to 1-1, New Orleans pitcher Trey Usey’s breaking ball missed low and was round Mims’ ankles — however Drummer referred to as it a strike, which prompted a wild response from Mims that in all probability ought to have led to an ejection on the spot. Drummer let it slide, although, which led to the notorious strike after Usey’s final pitch was mainly within the grime down-and-away.
Drummer walked off the sector instantly after making the decision. The Southland Conference suspended him the following day, saying that his actions had been a violation of the rulebook.
“I referred to as a foul pitch, which I remorse,” he stated. “I apologize for doing that, however I simply needed to get out of a hostile atmosphere as a result of I’d by no means been in a scenario like that.”
Drummer stated that, trying again now, he ought to have ejected Mims after the second strike name when he began leaping up and down. But Drummer, who’s Black, stated Mississippi Valley State followers had been utilizing racial slurs towards him and had been verbally abusing him. Mississippi Valley State is a Historically Black College and University.
He stated that he thought that if any pitch was shut, he was going to name it a strike to finish the sport.
“I ought to have ejected him when he pointed,” Drummer stated. “By this time, my lapse of judgment is thru the roof as a result of I used to be sitting right here saying, ‘I am unable to imagine my very own folks have handled me like this for 3 hours.’ And I stated to myself … ‘I really feel like I’m on an island and I simply need to get out of right here.'”
Drummer stated he has since began working video games once more after his suspension.
“If I might do it throughout, the sport in all probability wouldn’t have completed as a result of Valley wouldn’t have had sufficient gamers to be on the sector,” he stated.
