Major League Baseball kicked off the 2023 season with an entertaining month, one that has fans of the Pittsburgh Pirates and Tampa Bay Rays thinking “World Series” while fans of the last-place Yankees are wondering if the team realizes Spring Training is over. From umpires telling players to wash their hands to violations of the new pitch clock rules, the team at Jomboy Media was there for all of it, and we’ve compiled this list of the most popular breakdowns from the month of April 2023:
The 10th Most-Viewed Breakdown
In the video “Umpire tells pitcher he has to wash his hands, a breakdown”, the breakdown reveals how umpires are vigilant for any violations in player performances. The umpires in the discussed game asked Domingo to wash his rosin-covered hands, suggesting he use rosin appropriately and warning him to wipe his hands cleanly. There was disagreement between the managers, but the umpires did not eject Domingo, only asking for clean hands.
The 9th Most-Viewed Breakdown
The YouTube video “Smyly lost his perfect game when his catcher tackled him, a breakdown” discusses how Drew Smyly lost his chance for a perfect game while pitching for the Cubs against the Dodgers. He was on a roll with no hits or runners until he attempted to field a swinging bunt which turned into a hit. His own catcher, Yan Gomes, jumped on his back causing them both to fall to the ground which resulted in missed opportunity. The video shows a previous game where Smyly successfully made the out in a similar situation, which raises the question of whether or not he would have made the out if Gomes hadn’t tackled him. Overall, it was an unfortunate incident that ended Smyly’s perfect game.
The 8th Most-Viewed Breakdown
Manny Machado was at bat and upset about a previous call. He takes his time getting set, not realizing he has to be ready to hit before the eight-second mark, causing a misunderstanding of the rules. The umpire, Ron, tells him to move the game along, which angers Manny, causing him to call Ron a “douchebag” and resulting in his ejection from the game.
The 7th Most-Viewed Breakdown
The video showcases the moment when Baltimore Orioles lost a game against the Boston Red Sox due to a fielding error. With two outs and Baltimore ahead, a fly ball was dropped by the Orioles fielder, giving the Red Sox a second chance to score. The next batter hit a home run, resulting in Baltimore’s defeat. The video depicts the heart-wrenching moments of Orioles players and their pitcher after the game, as they had to confront the pain of losing after being so close to victory.
The 6th Most-Viewed Breakdown
In a video titled “Max Scherzer ejected because his hands were too sticky, a breakdown”, the conversation between Max Scherzer and the umpires that led to his ejection in the fifth inning is transcribed. Scherzer washed his hands with alcohol, got a new glove, and had his hand checked by the umpire, who claimed it was the stickiest they had ever felt. Scherzer argued it was just sweat and rosin on his hand, yet the umpire believed there was likely more than just rosin. The video highlights the absurdity of the rules and their enforcement and questions whether or not Scherzer should have been using the rosin bag on the pitcher’s mound instead of in the dugout.
The 5th Most-Viewed Breakdown
This video is a breakdown of an incident during a baseball game where JT Realmuto told the umpire that he got hit by a pitch. The umpire eventually grants him first base, but it is later revealed that the ball did not hit him. Bud Black, the manager of the opposing team, gets angry and argues with the umpire, leading to his ejection from the game. The Phillies take advantage of the chaos to score two runs and win the game. Despite Black’s angry reaction, his comedic antics during his ejection are also highlighted.
The 4th Most-Viewed Breakdown
The video discusses a controversial play in a Yankees vs. Guardians game, where the umpires missed two calls in one play, resulting in a run for the Guardians that should have been invalidated. Both managers opted not to challenge, and the replay team failed to catch the mistake. The umpires reacted to public outcry, leading to a confrontation with the managers and players. Yankees manager Boone was ejected for arguing against the Guardians manager’s challenge, despite the umpire’s mistake on the initial call. Boone expressed frustration that he couldn’t protest the call, knowing that the umpires had made two mistakes already.
The 3rd Most-Viewed Breakdown
In a breakdown of a Mets game, the narrator discusses a strange incident where the batter, McNeil, received a strike due to the base runner, Alonso, being too slow in returning to first base after a pitch was fouled into the crowd. The umpire called a violation as the clock wouldn’t start until everyone was back in position, resulting in a strike against McNeil. The narrator hopes that everyone will adjust to the pace of the game to avoid future violations.
The 2nd Most-Viewed Breakdown
This video discusses how hitters in professional baseball can figure out when a pitcher is throwing a curveball based on the position of their glove. The segment highlights the importance of protecting pitchers’ eyes during games. The sponsor of the video, Shady Rays, is offering a discount on polarized sunglasses to help with eye protection. The video also shows how quickly players can adjust to a pitcher’s tendencies, and the importance of pitchers being able to mix up their pitches to keep the other team guessing.
The Most-Viewed Breakdown of April 2023
Jomboy breaks down the confusion and frustration caused by the new pitch clock rules in a game between the White Sox and Giants. The focus is on the ejection of Tim Anderson after a pitch clock violation, with Anderson arguing that the pitch was thrown before he was fully set as required by the rule. Jomboy appreciates the efforts to speed up the game but also criticizes the “dumb stuff” happening as a result of the rule changes.
