Cardinals manager Mike Shildt got tossed from a game after a heated exchange with the umpire, but the issue wasn’t about a timeout call like it first appeared. The incident started when the batter, David Freese, asked for time but wasn’t granted it. He backed out of the box anyway, and the pitcher delivered a strike. Freese gestured in frustration, and the ump responded with a dismissive wave. That wave is what set Shildt off. He wasn’t angry about the timing of the call but about what he felt was the ump showing up his player.
With mics hot, the audio made it clear Shildt thought the umpire disrespected Freese by making a sarcastic gesture after the non-call. Shildt shouted that Freese didn’t mouth off or show anyone up, and he warned the ump to stop talking down to his guy. The conversation escalated fast as both raised their voices. The ump claimed he didn’t say anything until Shildt started yelling, but Shildt stood firm, repeatedly defending Freese and calling out what he saw as unprofessional behavior. Eventually, the ump gave Shildt the hook.
The whole ejection boiled down to a misunderstanding. Shildt didn’t care about the missed timeout, but he wasn’t going to let what he saw as a disrespectful reaction slide. He made it clear that if his players are calm and respectful, he expects the same from the ump. It wasn’t about a rule — it was about tone and mutual respect.