Red Sox first baseman Mike Napoli got ejected for ... what?
By JOHN DORN
MLB players and managers get ejected all the time -- 111 times so far this year, actually, and we're not even halfway through the season. Arguing balls and strikes is a special no-no, as it's specifically outlawed in the rules.
On Sunday, Boston Red Sox first baseman Mike Napoli was arguing a called strike three, but according to rookie umpire Tripp Gibson, that's not why he was eventually tossed from the game.
If we're taking Napoli at his word, the 33-year-old claims that the umpire booted him for leaving his bat at home plate. For somebody else to pick up. Like somebody whose job is specifically to pick up baseball bats and return them to dugouts. Oh, right -- this person exists! He's called the bat boy!
Here's what Napoli told reporters after the game, according to ESPN:
"He told me I forgot my bat," Napoli said. "I stopped a little bit, and [then] he told me to come back and pick up the bat. I pointed at the bat boy, who picks up our bats, and he tossed me. So then, when he tossed me, I told him how I felt."
Judge for yourself. Was Napoli in the wrong?
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