Umpire call on the first pitch so bad nobody could believe it

A certain sector of baseball aficionados have been howling for an automated strike zone for years, with those calls becoming ever more shrill. For the record, I am not a fan of the idea for a host of reasons, and I believe that implementing that technology will make those fans less satisfied with the calls, not more. But it is difficult to ignore their argument when you see calls like the one made on Sunday in Kansas City.

On the very first pitch of the game, home plate umpire Ryan Blakney made a bewildering call that had everyone scratching their heads. Royals southpaw starter Cole Ragans threw a 96-mph fastball to Baltimore’s Gunnar Henderson that was right down the middle. It was called a ball.

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Directly on the back of the Bally Sports Kansas City announcers introducing the umpiring crew, Ryan Lefebvre said, “Fastball is right down the middle for ball one.” The baffled co-commentator Rex Hudler said, “What?! My goodness! Not on pitch one!” to which Lefebvre wondered aloud, “What part of that pitch is not a strike?”

In the end, the call had no bearing on the at-bat since Ragans struck Henderson out anyway. But none of the remaining pitches were as clearly in the zone as the one called a ball.