Here at For The Win, we’re pretty staunch advocates for robot umps (and yes, I’m speaking for everyone). There’s only so much tolerance one can have for an endless stream of missed calls from across the MLB umpiring roster.
But there are those rare moments where a missed strike-3 call can be appreciated, and for that, I can thank Dodgers pitcher Joe Kelly.
During Wednesday’s game between the Dodgers and Miami Marlins, Kelly struck out Starling Marte on filthy 99 mph sinker that was a solid six inches off the plate. Marte was right to let that pitch go, and Nestor Ceja — who is unfortunately not a robot — was wrong to call it a strike.
Just check out how Kelly reacted to the call:
Joe Kelly. Legend. 🤖 pic.twitter.com/bwSzEABKDe
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) July 8, 2021
Turn the sound on to hear the perfectly applied Curb Your Enthusiasm music.
Kelly knew the call was wrong. Like, very wrong. But hey, it helped him out. He’ll take it.
The Marlins, though, would go on to win, 9-6.
