YouTube - Catcher Ducks, Umpire Gets Hit With Pitch
It's not often you see a catcher intentionally miss a high fastball -- I promise, Michael Barrett isn't
trying to flail like that -- but that's exactly what the above video from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (via
Walkoff Walk) has in store. That's a AAA umpire in Georgia taking one to the kisser in what looks like a coordinated effort by the catcher to let the ball hit the ump in the face.
In the
AJC's story about the pitch, the local principal apologized for the incident but didn't believe the throw was intentional:
"It looks bad, and most people who look at it come away with that conclusion," Friend said. "But there have been wacky things that have happened in baseball and high schools, and all I'm going to conclude is that it does need to be investigated. If we're found to be at fault, we'll effectively deal with the situation."
High School Ump Takes Pitch to the Face After Catcher Conveniently Ducks - FanHouse - AOL Sports Blog