Detroit Tigers first baseman Spencer Torkelson has a firm opinion about what a strike is and isn’t. And on Monday night, he let the umpire know how he felt in no uncertain terms.
The count was 2-2 with runners on first and second, with the Tigers trailing the rival Royals by only one run. A prime spot for Torkelson to deliver for his team and either tie the game up or move Detroit ahead. But home plate Umpire Will Little denied Torkelson that opportunity by calling him out on a pitch that seemed to – barely – touch the strike zone.
What followed was an explosion of profanity that is NSFW:
Spencer Torkelson was not happy 😳 pic.twitter.com/oNyH2pLwSN
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) June 20, 2023
“Oh my f—ing god!” Torkelson screamed. “The f— are you looking at?!”
Somehow, Torkelson was not ejected for the outburst.
In fairness, the pitch did catch the lower part of the strike zone shown in the camera shot. Nonetheless, the Tigers for the win. Torkelson, however, went 0-4 on the night. Though, the 2020 #1 overall pick has begun to show flashes of the ability Detroit hoped he would bring when they drafted him.
According to the New York Post, “Over the last 14 days, [Torkelson] has a .818 OPS with three home runs, and he is now hitting .231/.313/.386 on the season.”