Raise your hand if you’ve ever heard this one before. Philadelphia Phillies star Bryce Harper is unhappy with the umpires.
Bryce Harper Being Unhappy with the Umpires is Nothing New
Harper didn’t hold anything back after the Phillies’ 5-4 loss to the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday. This is the third straight series loss for the top team in baseball dating back to before the All-Star break.
The 31-year-old was visibly upset after he struck out looking in the top of the fifth inning against Twins’ pitcher David Festa. Harper told reporters in the locker room after the game that the umpires “don’t know how to call balls and strikes.”
This is a continuous trend with the Phillies’ first baseman. Harper is often seen having discussions with and even arguing with home plate umpires after questionable calls. He’s been doing this his whole career. In fact, Harper has been ejected from a game over 20 times in his 13-year career. The most recent one came this past May against the Colorado Rockies.
How to Fix the Umpire Problem in Major League Baseball
Harper isn’t the first person to publicly blast MLB umpires, and he certainly won’t be the last. Umpires, like players, are human and aren’t perfect. As long as they remain a part of the game, players and coaches will continue to express their emotions toward them.
Major League Baseball is experimenting with ways to be more efficient when it comes to balls and strikes. There’s an automated system being utilized in the minor leagues that’s been in testing since 2019. However, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred cited technical issues when deciding whether or not the system will be used in the major leagues as early as the 2025 season.
Until Manfred and MLB find a way to implement a functional and bug-free automated strike zone system, Harper and the rest of MLB will likely continue to work with human umpires behind the plate for the foreseeable future.
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