I think the most emotion Kyle Hendricks has ever shown on the mound was a fist pump during the 2016 World Series run and one time he dropped an f-bomb in St. Louis after his no-hitter (or perfect game?) was broken up.
So yeah, you really have to be awful as an umpire to get a reaction from Hendricks and that’s exactly what happened Tuesday night with Laz Diaz.
I understand that calling balls and strikes isn’t easy. No, I can’t do it, but I don’t get paid to do it. Laz Diaz does and ever since I can remember knowing who he was he’s sucked. Somehow MLB doesn’t care about umpires doing an awful job because guys like Diaz are still employed.
Anyway, this isn’t just bitching because the Cubs lost 3-1 last night. Diaz was terrible for both teams, but it got so bad that he managed to piss off Kyle Hendricks, the quietest player in baseball.
Hendricks has never even slightly given the impression of showing up an ump, but Tuesday night was different. In the eighth inning, Hendricks struck out Rockies catcher Tony Wolters and he raised his hands after the strike three call, basically saying about damn time to Laz Diaz.
Kyle Hendricks' reaction says it all.
Laz Diaz sucks. pic.twitter.com/koy9G9Hbcg
— Pinwheels and Ivy Podcast (@PinwheelsIvyPod) May 2, 2018
Sometimes our emotions get the best of us. pic.twitter.com/PLLw1xBDBe
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) May 2, 2018
Hendricks was probably more pissed off because he wasn’t getting many calls on the edge of the strike zone, but in one of his earlier at-bats the first two pitches were clearly balls and Diaz called them strikes.
Call hurts #EverybodyIn
Strike 1 should be ball 1
Bot 3 Gray vs Hendricks
20% call same
1.9in from edge pic.twitter.com/27pYd6ZAVu— Cubs Strike Zone (@CubsUmp) May 2, 2018
Call hurts #EverybodyIn
Strike 2 should be ball 1
Bot 3 Gray vs Hendricks
4% call same
3.6in from edge pic.twitter.com/I1wpkuXzP2— Cubs Strike Zone (@CubsUmp) May 2, 2018
Awful.
