A Major League Baseball umpire ejected a stadium grounds crew after they were waiting to place a tarp onto the field due to incoming rain.
In an MLB game on Wednesday night between the New York Yankees and the Baltimore Orioles, umpire Tim Timmons began walking towards the crew and signaling for them to leave the field as rain was beginning to fall, the Baltimore Sun reported.
Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner was facing a 1-2 count against Orioles relief pitcher Tyler Wells in the top of the ninth with runners on second and third with one out. The Yankees had pulled off a double steal to put runners in scoring position. The Orioles were up 3-2.
Timmons stopped play and signaled for the crew to leave, the Sun reported.
Umpire ejects entire grounds crew during Yankees-Orioles game in bizarre scene https://t.co/tYgfWz4ljd pic.twitter.com/QnK1RiObUQ
— New York Post (@nypost) September 16, 2021
On the Yankees’ network broadcast of the game, the crew can be seen hustling off the field after Timmons instructed them to exit the field.
“They’re telling them to get lost, behind the tarp,” Yankees broadcaster Michael Kay said as the crew left the field.
“I’ve never seen the grounds crew thrown out of a game,” former MLB outfielder and Yankees broadcaster Ken Singleton said about the ejection, prompting Kay to simply respond, “Wow.” (RELATED: Legendary Dad Drops Baby Daughter To Catch Baseball Barehanded Then Scoops Her Up Mid-Air)
The ump just TOSSED THE GROUNDS CREW pic.twitter.com/18hIEEXgzE
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) September 16, 2021
After the ejection, Gardner then hit a bloop-single into shallow left field that scored Tyler Wade and Gleyber Torres to give the Yankees a 4-3 lead, the Sun reported.
The Yankees would win the game by that score after closer Aroldis Chapman threw a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the ninth, the Sun reported.