Umpire quits in 10th inning of baseball game

Batter objects to call, ump leaves

(Al Bello/Getty Images)

WASECA, Minn. – "That's it, I'm done," the umpire at a town baseball game at Tink Larson Field in Waseca, Minnesota, said on Wednesday night in the 10th inning, the St. Peter Herald reports.

Waseca coach Tink Larson, 75, told the Minneapolis Star Tribune, "I've only coached like 5,000 games and played another couple thousand. No matter how long you've been around, something new comes up."

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According to the St. Peter Herald, the game between Waseca and St. Peter, Minnesota, was a pitchers' duel. Both teams had disagreed with some of the umpire's calls, with common disputes of, "C'mon!" and, "Where was that one?"

"There were no confrontations, nobody had charged out of the dugout," Larson told the Star Tribune. "The umpire never warned the dugouts with anything."

With the game tied at one in the 10th inning, St. Peter's leadoff batter was at the plate. The third pitch was thrown hard inside, causing the batter to jump backward. The ump called it a strike and the St. Peter dugout started chirping, the St. Peter Herald reports.

Larson said the umpire stood there for two seconds and walked away. "I saw the ump walk over to their dugout, tossing balls out his bag. He said, 'You guys go umpire the game yourself,' and he started walking away."

Solo umpires make about $100 to work a town ball game, the Star Tribune said. "Don't even send me the check, I'm done," the umpire said when leaving.

With the only umpire gone, the teams ended the game with a 1-1 tie.