Hot Mic Captures Conversation Among Umpires During NC Dinos vs. Samsung Lions Match

Courtesy of KBO

During a Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) game in Daegu between the NC Dinos and Samsung Lions on Sunday, umpires were recorded on a hot mic discussing a missed call of a strike being labeled as a ball.

The conversation, captured during a live TV broadcast, revealed an umpire acknowledging the missed call and suggesting it was the "only way out" for them. This discussion occurred in response to an objection raised by the NC Dinos regarding a discrepancy between the robo umpire's judgment and the human umpire's call. 

▲ KBO's logo / Courtesy of KBOAfter deliberation, the umpires dismissed the Dinos' objection, citing its timing as too late to be considered. They also claimed to have heard a voiceover from the automatic balls and strike system (ABS) indicating the pitch was a ball, despite the system initially identifying it as a strike.

The ABS utilizes radar and cameras to automatically determine strikes and balls, with its judgments conveyed to human umpires through an in-ear earphone. However, it is ultimately the human umpire who makes the final call.

In response to the incident, the Korea Baseball Organization announced it would request written explanations from the umpires involved. Disciplinary actions may also be considered depending on the findings.

The controversy arose during the third inning when a pitch from Dinos' pitcher Lee Jae-hak was called a ball by the umpire despite being read as a strike by the ABS. NC Dinos coaches lodged a protest after three more pitches were thrown, but the appeal was denied by senior umpire Lee Min-ho based on the regulation requiring protests to be made before the next pitch starts.

However, the broadcast captured a moment during the umpires' discussion suggesting an attempt to cover up the incorrect call, further intensifying the controversy. One umpire was heard stating that the sound seemed like a ball, prompting a response from senior umpire Lee instructing him to affirm it as a ball to avoid trouble.

Sayart

Joy, nunimbos@gmail.com