Athletics center fielder Ramón Laureano was ejected from Wednesday night’s 4-1 win over the Boston Red Sox after he disagreed with a third-strike call in the top of the third inning.
The inside called strike was way inside. So much so, the umpire scorecards that are used from MLB-released data from each pitch, acknowledged it.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
“I just told him, ‘That was a ball way too inside, and [Jed] Lowrie’s was outside -- you can’t be covering the whole thing,’” Laureano told NBC Sports California on Thursday. “Obviously I threw my stuff and he rung me after that which I didn’t know until I saw Bob [Melvin] running and then yeah -- everyone saw what happened after.”
Laureano, ever the passionate player both on and off the field, isn’t quite sure where that fire comes from. It’s been happening for a while now.
“I mean, I’ve been getting tossed since I was about 11 ... or 12, something like that,” Laureano said.
Oakland Athletics
Laureano worked hard in the offseason, asking Melvin questions about how to improve his game. He led a passionate speech to the A’s during Game 3 of the AL Division Series last season that lit a fire under the team to keep the series going.
Melvin has said when Laureano is in the game, it’s impossible not to feel good about your chances at winning.
RELATED: Kaprielian's special night capped by support of late mom, dad
“It’s about winning, you know,” Laureano said. “[The passion] just comes out. But you have to know when. Sometimes you just can’t do that. There’s a billion times where you just can’t do that stuff.”
But when it does come out, however, it’s a game-changer.