NEW YORK – Braves manager Walt Weiss was ejected from Saturday’s 5-4 loss to New York at Yankee Stadium in the fifth inning by home-plate umpire Dan Merzel after arguing a balk call on left-hander Chris Sale.
With the score tied at 2, Spencer Jones on third and Austin Wells in the batter’s box, Merzel believed Sale twitched his right leg before informing the umpire that he was going to throw from the windup. Merzel then told Jones to touch home plate.
Weiss and Sale argued for several minutes that the latter hadn’t balked. Weiss was then ejected from the game with the Yankees leading, 3-2. It was Weiss' first ejection as the Braves' manager.
“I said what I thought I needed to say. [My teammates] got me and said, ‘Let's keep you in the game,’” Sale said.
According to Weiss, Sale informed the umpires that he was going to do something similar when José Caballero came to the plate a batter before Wells and after Jones had tripled in George Lombard Jr.
“He is required by rule to make that declaration as a hybrid pitcher,” said crew chief Dan Bellino. “Your traditional pitcher that pitches from the traditional windup and traditional stretch do not have to make the declaration. Hybrid pitchers are held to a different standard because you can’t tell what they are based on their foot placement from the start.”
Sale didn’t want to talk about the rule for the hybrid pitcher, but Weiss was upset that such a rule was enforced. Weiss said during Sale’s 16 years in the big leagues, he has never informed an umpire what he is going to do on the mound. Weiss said he had never heard that rule before Saturday.
“Sale said he [constantly never informs the umpire what he is going to do on the mound]. Terrible call,” Weiss said.
“I always try to show the umpires respect. They know that, but you can’t make that call.”