How ridiculous! Let the kids have fun!
East Carolina and South Florida squared off Tuesday in the first round of the American Athletic Conference (AAC) Baseball Championship, with fireworks going off immediately in the contest after an ejection in the top inning.
With the Bulls up 2-0, the Pirates’ Jacob Starling slammed a home run to bring ECU’s deficit down to 2-1, and when Starling was done rounding the bases and headed towards the dugout, he was greeted by his teammate Josh Grosz giving him a hot dog. Sounds like a hilarious and entertaining celebration, right?
Not to the home plate umpire, who was so livid about the matter that he ejected Grosz from the game.
🏴☠️🌭 ECU Baseball’s Josh Grosz ejected from the first round AAC Tournament game vs USF for giving Jacob Starling a hot dog on the field after his first inning home run. pic.twitter.com/4gT0nJXFXa
— Pirate Radio ☠️ (@PR927FM) May 23, 2023
Here was the hot dog celebration caught on camera:
🏴☠️⚾️💥 Jacob Starling gets things going in the bottom of the 1st for ECU Baseball with a lead off home run! pic.twitter.com/5m6YDhBbCV
— Pirate Radio ☠️ (@PR927FM) May 23, 2023
Some of these umpires, man.
I’ve written about incidents like this in the past, and I always point to the same video:
Major League Baseball is embracing the fun celebrations and fun kid-like behavior, so I don’t really understand the problem with college kids doing it. And like, seriously, what kind of person do you have to be to get offended by a hot dog celebration (and around Memorial Day and 4th of July at that)? (RELATED: Atlanta Braves’ Ronald Acuña Jr. Brilliantly Tricks Los Angeles Dodgers, Steals Base With Flash-Like Speed)
Get a grip, ump.