A single baseball pitch seems to have the Internet split as some feel the batter made an embarrassing mistake while others think the umpire missed something important. And the video tells the tale.
The play occurred during Friday’s MLB game between the San Francisco Giants and the San Diego Padres when Giants pitcher Tyler Rogers threw a rising slider to Giants rookie infielder Graham Pauley, For The Win noted.
The ball, thrown from a very low position, rose upward and right at the batter, but for some reason, Pauley took a swing.
Instead of sailing into the catcher’s mitt, though, the slider tipped off the taper of the bat and blasted Pauley in the shoulder and forehead and knocking the batting helmet from his head.
Watch and see what you think of this wild MLB moment:
maybe the most brutal strikeout in baseball history pic.twitter.com/RDAO0Xrkgt
— Codify (@CodifyBaseball) April 5, 2024
Warning:
Tyler Rogers Rising Slider may be hazardous to your health (or face) pic.twitter.com/q14qVZxPhI
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 5, 2024
After the game, Pauley claimed that he had tipped the ball before being hit with a strike by the umpire, according to the New York Post.
Was this umpire’s call correct?
“While replay did seem to confirm this, it was not a reviewable play because he swung, and the strikeout stood,” the Post reported.
Pauley didn’t have a great game at the plate otherwise, either. He went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts on Friday. And he is batting a dismal .154 for the season.
Comments on social media were all over the map on the pitch. Some felt the ump missed a foul ball call. Some felt Pauley embarrassed himself by swinging at the pitch at all.
Foul tip missed by the ump
— Curtis (@Chargerscurt87) April 6, 2024
Two types of ball players: Those that have been humbled by the game and those who are about to be*
*we need a new category for whatever this is
— Jay Spicer🐀 (@BBLPWSTLR) April 5, 2024
I would retire
— it’s baseball szn (@dannysends) April 5, 2024
Welcome to the show, rookie!
— BP Joe (@JF061617) April 5, 2024
I know the rules have changed, but this used to be an illegal pitch. One wasn’t allowed to release an uperward-angled pitch else it was considered “softball.”
— Rumaki (@Rumakimakimaki) April 6, 2024
Pitcher should be thrown out of the game and have charges brought upon him for intentionally trying to injure another player.
— Jarred The Great (@Comments4days) April 6, 2024
Pauley didn’t help didn’t help his team much, either. The game was tied 2-2 in the eighth inning when the unfortunate strikeout was called. The game ended up being a Padres 3-2 loss to the home-field Giants.
And pitcher Tyler Rogers didn’t allow a single baserunner during his eighth-inning shot on the pitcher’s mound. So, at least Pauley wasn’t the only member of his team who had no luck against Rogers.
So, what do you think? Was Pauley just a putz for taking a swing at that sloppy ball? Did the ump miss the call?
