Gabe Kapler got tossed for the first time as a manager after a strange call in a Phillies game. It started when an inside pitch hit Scott Kingery on the hands. The umpire ruled he swung, which turned the hit-by-pitch into a strike. Kingery was frustrated, saying he barely moved the bat. Kapler stormed out of the dugout to argue.
The replay clearly showed the ball hit Kingery’s hands and it didn’t look like a swing from the side angle. Kapler wanted to challenge the call, but the ump told him it wasn’t reviewable because they ruled it a swing. Kapler wasn’t having it. He demanded the call be changed so he could review it, but the ump stood firm. That only fired Kapler up more. He shouted, cursed, asked for accountability, and wouldn’t let it go. After getting warned, he got ejected.
Before leaving, Kapler kept jawing at the ump, kicked some dirt for good measure, and made it known he thought the call was terrible. It was a long, loud ejection with a lot of emotion. The main issue wasn’t just the call, but that Kapler felt he was denied the chance for a fair review.