Pat Kelly, manager of the Louisville Bats, got tossed again, and it sparked another chaotic ejection moment that baseball fans will remember. This time it happened during a game against the Iowa Cubs. The Bats were up 1-0 in the third when a sharp grounder to short resulted in a bobbled transfer. The next batter ripped one to left field, and after another bobble, the throw came to third. The runner slid in and was called out, but the ball clearly popped out after the tag, leading to confusion.
The umpires gathered, tried to sort out what happened, and admitted one of them didn’t even see the play. That honesty didn’t help much when it came time to explain the call to Kelly. The ruling was that the fielder lost the ball during the transfer, but Kelly wasn’t buying it. His heated response included several expletives and a strong opinion that there was no valid tag. The interaction became even more ridiculous when fans realized it was the same umpire from Kelly’s memorable 2021 ejection. That ump’s belt broke during the argument, which didn’t improve the situation. Kelly was tossed once again, storming out in protest.
Defensive miscues plagued the Cubs all game. A dropped transfer at short, the botched play in left, and a failed tag opportunity at third helped the Bats stretch their lead. They added a second run off the initial error and a third on a towering home run that rocked the backdrop. Pat Kelly ejections are becoming must-watch moments not only for his rants but also the comedy and chaos that seem to follow.