Sometimes you see some weird things in spring training, but rarely do you see a bevy of ejections -- especially without a bench-clearing altercation.
But Thursday's Tigers-Phillies matchup in Grapefruit League action was a special one. The contest featured five ejections, most of which were pretty odd and unnecessary.
The first came in the fifth inning when Tigers pitcher Matt Boyd hit Odubel Herrera with a fastball on a 3-1 count. That HBP apparently followed a pitch that sailed over Herrera's head, but no warning was issued before the ejection. While Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire was furious with umpire Tom Hallion for the quick trigger, Boyd seemed rather amused by the sequence of events. He laughed his way off the field.
Then, three innings later, Philadelphia pitcher Parker Frazier was quickly ejected after hitting a batter. That HBP came via an 81 mph breaking ball ... on a 1-2 count. Not exactly the greatest revenge scenario for a pitcher!
Nevertheless, Hallion sent Frazier to the showers, and Phillies manager Gabe Kapler, who protested the ridiculous ejection, was also promptly thrown out.
Then, in the ninth inning, the clown show continued when Phillies pitcher Pedro Beato was tossed for going inside and barely hitting a Tigers batter. Philadelphia bench coach Rob Thomson, who was serving as stand-in manager for Kapler, quickly followed him for his attempts at understanding Hallion's thinking.
It was a bizarre day of preseason baseball, one that likely (hopefully) won't be duplicated anytime soon. Pitchers don't exactly have their best stuff in spring training, and sometimes the control isn't what it should be, so the quick ejections seem a little weird.
Then again, I guess umpires need to work on their tosses during the spring as well.
