Texas Rangers catcher Yorvit Torrealba was ejected from a Venezuelan Winter League contest yesterday after arguing with an umpire. The heated exchange didn’t end their however, as Torrealba proceeded to strike the umpire in the face with his open palm. No punishment has been handed down to Torrealba, but the Rangers are looking into the incident.
Torrealba’s disdain for the umpire had apparently been building throughout the game. This anger boiled over after the backstop struck out. However, Torrealba wasn’t called out on strikes; he whiffed to earn the K. This tells us that something must have occurred earlier in the contest between Torrealba and the ump to cause the eruption that ensued.
After swinging and missing strike three, Torrealba immediately turned and swung his free right hand in the air, yelling at the umpire. This earned him an ejection, but Torrealba didn’t stop there.
The 33-year-old proceeded to get within inches of the umpire’s face, screaming and waiving his hand profusely. After a few seconds of yelling, Torrealba launched his open right palm into the umpire’s mask, causing the ump to stumble backwards. The umpire appeared to be shaken up, but he remained on his feet.
This morning, Rangers general manager Jon Daniels told reporters that the team would be looking into the incident. According to Daniels, Texas has yet to get much info involving Torrealba’s punch, and any disciplinary action will depend on the incidents’ circumstances.
Torrealba spent last season as Texas’ backup catcher, hitting .273/.306/.399 over his 419 plate appearances.
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