Bryce Harper of the Phillies questioned the umpire’s professionalism following his strange expulsion.
Bryce Harper, the first baseman for the Philadelphia Phillies, was not in the mood to forget or forgive his contentious first-inning ejection on Friday. Harper and home plate umpire Brian Walsh appeared to have a brief discussion, which led to Harper’s strange ejection. He did not feel much better about Walsh when he talked to reporters following the game. Harper went so far as to compare the umpire with other umpires he thought were superior, raising doubts about the umpire’s professionalism.
After the game, crew chief Vic Carapazza informed a pool reporter that Walsh had given Harper a warning and a long leash, but Harper had persisted in whining.
Harper obviously disagreed with that assessment if he was still upset after the game. It certainly does not sound like he has a lot of respect for Walsh, who is in his second season as an MLB umpire.
