Baseball is trying very hard to increase the level of excitement, fun, and youthful, carefree exuberance at their games; this will not help.
The East Carolina Pirates lost their first game of what they hope will be their NCAA championship run. But they may have lost even more than that. After Jacob Starling hit a home run for the Pirates, pitcher Josh Grosz was ejected from the game after handing Starling a sandwich as he rounded the bases.
— – (@Spicoli_____) May 23, 2023
The sandwich was not spiked with any performance enhancers that we are aware of. Nor would that have been necessary. After all, this was a sandwich given after a home run was already hit.
The sandwich was reportedly deemed illegal because it was considered a celebration prop by the umpire.
Note – it appears this was a peanut butter & jelly sandwich and as a result of the ejection Josh Grosz will miss his scheduled start on Thursday. https://t.co/jh1zIDQ1Ub
— Pirate Radio ☠️ (@PR927FM) May 23, 2023
The ejection was not only significant had East Carolina planned to use Grosz on Tuesday, but it also impacted their next game against Cincinnati as Grosz won’t be available for that either. A significant development for the Pirates since they lost their first game.
Some reports suggest that Grosz tried to hand Starling a hot dog. Others say it was a peanut butter and jelly. Either way, hard to see a hot dog or PB&J as an ejectable offense.
“Grosz is the No. 3 AAC prospect in the 2023 MLB Draft, according to Baseball America. He was 4-2 this season with a 3.49 ERA in 14 appearances,” Fox News reports. “He had a career-high 74 strikeouts.”