Chicago White Sox star Tim Anderson was ejected from Wednesday’s 7-3 victory against the San Francisco Giants after claiming that he was quick-pitched by Logan Webb.
With a 1-2 count in the third inning, Anderson was in the batter’s box but not settled into his stance when Webb began his delivery with 11 seconds left on the pitch clock.
Anderson stepped out and was already walking toward the home dugout when Webb threw strike three down the middle. Plate umpire D.J. Reyburn called Anderson out on strikes, and Anderson then turned back toward Reyburn to argue.
“He says that he wasn’t alert yet, he hadn’t put his eyes on the pitcher and he just stepped out,” Chicago manager Pedro Grifol said. “Probably could have called time or whatever, but it didn’t happen. And then, when he got in the dugout, it’s that passion he’s got — that passion and fight for the game. I don’t have an issue with it.”
Anderson pointed at his eyes several times, then shouted several profanities from the dugout. He was ejected as teammate Luis Robert Jr. got called out on strikes.
“I wasn’t trying to quick pitch him, but I guess he took it that way,” Webb told reporters, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. “He yelled at me from the dugout for like five straight pitches. You can probably see what I said, then he was just yelling back at me.
“I don’t necessarily think he should have gotten tossed. I think he was talking to me; he wasn’t talking to the umpire.”
Anderson did not make himself available to reporters after the game. The ejection was Anderson’s first this season and the eighth of his career.
Baseball instituted new rules this season designed to speed up the game — including a pitch clock — and players are adjusting.
“There’s still a learning curve,” Chicago’s Gavin Sheets said. “I think that Tim felt like the pitcher wasn’t looking at him so he kind of stepped out. Obviously, with this clock, you’ve got to be on high alert at all times.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Source: www.espn.com