Dave Martinez’s World Series Ejection Is Much Funnier With the In-Stadium Audio

In Wednesday’s Hot Clicks: The soundtrack for Dave Martinez’s ejection, Alex Bregman and Juan Soto break the unwritten rules and more.

One, Two, Three Strikes, You’re Out

After Lance Barksdale’s zone became the story of World Series Game 5, umpiring once again took center stage in Game 6.

This time it was a controversial call at first base involving Nationals shortstop Trea Turner. Turner hit a swinging bunt that Brad Peacock fielded between the mound and the plate. Peacock made the throw to first, where Turner ran into the arm of Astros first baseman Yuli Gurriel. 

Turner was ruled out for batter’s interference.

🤔🤔🤔

(via @MLBONFOX) pic.twitter.com/NgFblFRHcl

— SI MLB (@si_mlb) October 30, 2019

After the umpiring crew consulted with officials in New York for more than four minutes, the call on the field was upheld. That sent Washington manager Dave Martinez into a furious rage. 

In between innings, Martinez went after home plate umpire Sam Holbrook, who made the interference call, and third base ump Gary Cederstrom. He had to be held back by bench coach Chip Hale and eventually became the first person ejected from a World Series game since Braves manager Bobby Cox in 1996. 

It was a tense scene as it played out on the Fox broadcast, but the footage doesn’t include one hilarious detail. 

If you compare that video to the broadcast version, you see that Holbrook ejected Martinez essentially right after the final note of the most wholesome song in sports. Baseball is incredible. 

Let the kids play

The other big “controversy” from Game 6 was over how long you’re allowed to hang on to your bat after hitting a home run. 

After Alex Bregman homered to left to put Houston up 2–1 in the first, he carried the bat all the way to first base. 

There’s nothing in the rulebook that says you can’t do that but not all of baseball’s rules are written down. Former big league slugger Mike Napoli was among those who took issue with Bregman’s anti-bat-flip. 

Bregman is a douche!!!

— Mike Napoli (@MikeNapoli25) October 30, 2019

Bregman wasn’t the only guy to do it, though. When Juan Soto put the Nationals up 3–2 in the fifth, he also held onto the bat all the way down the line. 

Soto wasn’t trying to get back at Bregman or anything. He just thought it looked like fun. 

The best of SI

This week’s cover story is on Emoni Bates, who as a high school sophomore is already being talked about as the potential first pick of the 2022 NBA draft. ... What does the NCAA’s announcement about name, image and likeness rights actually mean?

Around the sports world

ESPN is officially getting rid of those corny halftime music performances at halftime of Monday Night Football. ... The Eagles are going to be the next subject of Amazon and NFL Films’ “All or Nothing“ docuseries. ... The Arena Football League is apparently about to fold. 

First chase-down block of the year. NBA season has officially started.

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This dunk is too cool for an exhibition game in an empty gym

Jimmy Butler is in midseason form

Alex Bregman must have a closet like a cartoon character’s

Goals like this never get old

This is one of the better mic’d up packages I’ve seen

Not sports

A popular video game’s in-game trading service was being used mostly to launder money. ... The famed Peter Luger steakhouse in Brooklyn got a scathing zero-star review from The New York Times. ... An Australian blogger faked being pregnant to get around an airline’s checked baggage fees. ... Scientists need photos of your poop to create a first-of-its-kind database. ... Sony is shutting down its Playstation Vue TV streaming package for cord-cutters. ... One of HBO’s new series based on Game of Thrones is already dead in the water. ... The biggest political scandal in Japan right now is over a government official accused of gifting people fancy melons. 

Who steals a pumpkin?

Good job, everybody

A good song

Email dan.gartland@simail.com with any feedback or follow me on Twitter for approximately one half-decent baseball joke per week. Bookmark this page to seeprevious editions of Hot Clicks and find the newest edition every day. By popular request I’ve made a Spotify playlist of the music featured here. Visit our Extra Mustard page throughout each day for more offbeat sports stories.