It’s only May, but you’ll be hard-pressed to find a stranger ejection this MLB season than Madison Bumgarner’s on Tuesday night.
In one of the oddest and most viral moments of the young season, the Diamondbacks pitcher was tossed in the first inning by first base umpire Dan Bellino after getting checked for foreign substances. During the check, Bellino rubbed Bumgarner’s hand for what felt like an irregularly long time, keeping his eyes fixed on Bumgarner’s face for most of it. When he finished, Bumgarner said something to Bellino, immediately prompting an ejection.
Here’s a good look at the exchange for all you amateur lip readers out there. It appears Bumgarner says to Bellino upon the completion of the check, “Take your f—ing time.”
Unsurprisingly, Bumgarner didn’t take kindly to Bellino’s decision, and he had to be physically held back by his teammates and coaches. The 32-year-old has always had a fiery personality, and, regardless of what he actually said to Bellino, clearly didn’t appreciate the length or manner of the foreign substance check.
There’s been no word yet of further disciplinary action levied against Bumgarner, or any public comments on the incident. But it’s safe to assume that we haven’t heard or seen the last of what was easily the most bizarre player-umpire interaction of the year.
