WATCH: Tigers Star Javier Baez Goes Absolutely Nuts on Umpire Over Strikeout Call
(Paul Sancya/AP photo)
This Tiger was out of his cage.
Detroit centerfielder Javier Baez refused to go quietly as he was ejected from a game on Monday for arguing a strike call.
It all went down in the fifth inning Monday as the Tigers took on the San Francisco Giants in a Memorial Day matinee. After taking a low 3-2 pitch, Baez prepared to move to first base.
However, home plate umpire Phil Cuzzi saw it differently, calling strike three.
Baez immediately lost it, erupting at Cuzzi over the apparent blown call. In turn, Cuzzi quickly threw Baez out of the game.
The move didn’t quiet Baez, who menaced his batting helmet to Cuzzi as Tigers manager A.J. Hinch stepped in.
In fact, Baez was so fired up it took both third base coach Joey Cora and second baseman Gleyber TorresΒ to keep him from Cuzzi.
Shortly after Baez’s departure, the Tigers scored two runs and went on to win the game in front of their home crowd, 3-1.
“It’s not even about the call, it’s about how he treated me,” Baez told The Detroit News after the game. “I’m not an animal. We can talk, we can argue. And that’s it.
