During a game between Marlins and Tigers minor league affiliates, an odd scene unfolded after a couple of borderline strike calls. The batter didn’t like either pitch and the dugout started chirping. The umpire warned them to stop. When they didn’t, he tossed someone—but couldn’t say who. Confusion followed. Players and coaches on the bench asked, “Who got tossed?” The umpire didn’t know. He just wanted someone gone. The manager and bench coach traded “who, me?” confusion as the ump searched for a scapegoat. At one point, the ump flat out said, “Pick somebody.” Eventually, they landed on the bench coach, even though all he said was “break it up.”
The scene turned into a full-blown comedy of miscommunication. No one knew exactly what had been said or by whom. The ump admitted he didn’t know who he ejected, only that somebody had to go. The crew chief stepped in and helped settle it by saying the bench coach should take the fall, just to satisfy the rule that someone had to be ejected once the ump made the motion. A rare situation where the ump lost track, the team tried to protect each other, and the guy who did the least ended up getting tossed.