Red Sox First Baseman Ejected for Tapping Helmet After Check-Swing Strikeout

Boston Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras was ejected in the second inning of a 6-3 victory on June 30 after tapping his helmet following a check-swing strikeout, nypost.com reported. First-base umpire Nic Lentz called the pitch a strike. Contreras walked toward the dugout and tapped his head.

Lentz ejected him immediately. Color commentator Will Middlebrooks said on the NESN broadcast that the tap signaled disagreement and a challenge. He called the ejection an absolute joke and embarrassing to the game.

Middlebrooks added that baseball is an entertainment business and umpires should keep the best players on the field. Lentz told pool reporter Pete Abraham that a player mockingly tapping his helmet on a non-challengeable play results in automatic ejection. He said immediate disagreement shown that way leads to immediate ejection.

Contreras said he was surprised by the ejection and believed he had a good relationship with Lentz. He added that he thought he would be safe if he did not make eye contact with the umpire. Earlier in the game Contreras hit a 421-foot home run in the first inning that scored two runners and gave the Red Sox a 3-1 lead.

The native of Puerto Cabello, Venezuela, dedicated the homer to his home country after an earthquake killed more than 1,700 people there. Contreras said he had talked to Lentz before the game about the tragedy.