Every mistake, in order.

Hudson and the Immaculate Inning

Yoshinobu Yamamoto was one called strike from an immaculate inning when Marvin Hudson ruled a 96-mph fastball a ball. Yamamoto struck out the side anyway. The inning was no longer immaculate.

San Diego Padres · Los Angeles Dodgers

The Ball in Betts's Glove

Mookie Betts caught Gleyber Torres's foul against the right-field wall. Two fans grabbed his glove and tried to take the ball. Torres was called out for interference, and the fans were barred from the next game.

Los Angeles Dodgers · New York Yankees

Hoberg Is Fired

Pat Hoberg, one of the league's most accurate ball-strike umpires, was fired for sharing legal betting accounts with a poker player who bet on baseball, and for deleting messages. Major League Baseball found no evidence he had bet on the game himself.

Scherzer's Hand

In the fourth inning at Dodger Stadium, the umpires checked Max Scherzer's hand and glove, ruled them too sticky, and threw him out. Major League Baseball suspended him ten games. He said it was rosin and sweat.

New York Mets · Los Angeles Dodgers

A Game Ends on the Clock

On the first full day of the pitch clock, Cal Conley was not set in the box at the eight-second mark with the bases loaded in the ninth. Umpire John Libka called an automatic strike three, and a spring game ended in a tie.

Atlanta Braves · Boston Red Sox

The Check Swing

With the tying run on base in the ninth of a winner-take-all game, Wilmer Flores held up on an 0–2 slider. First-base umpire Gabe Morales ruled that he had swung. The Giants' season ended.

Los Angeles Dodgers · San Francisco Giants

Turner in the Runner's Lane

In World Series Game 6, Trea Turner was called out for runner's-lane interference on a bunt, and a run came off the board. The rule's wording became the argument. Washington won the series anyway.

Washington Nationals · Houston Astros

Three Calls, Four Innings

In the first four innings of a 2018 division-series game, first-base umpire Ángel Hernández had three calls overturned by replay. Two involved Didi Gregorius. One involved Gleyber Torres.

Boston Red Sox · New York Yankees

The Infield Fly in Atlanta

With the Braves rallying in a winner-take-all game, Sam Holbrook called the infield fly rule on a ball that fell in short left field. The crowd threw trash for nineteen minutes.

Atlanta Braves · St. Louis Cardinals

Galarraga's Imperfect Game

Armando Galarraga was one out from a perfect game when Jim Joyce called Jason Donald safe. Joyce saw the replay, and said he had missed it.

Detroit Tigers · Cleveland Indians

Pierzynski Runs to First

In the ninth inning of the 2005 ALCS, strike three got to Josh Paul and the Angels left the field. Doug Eddings ruled the ball had touched the ground. A.J. Pierzynski ran to first.

Chicago White Sox · Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

The Bartman Game

Five outs from the World Series, a fan deflected a foul ball. The Cubs' shortstop then missed the double-play ball that would have ended the inning anyway.

Chicago Cubs · Florida Marlins

Knoblauch Stays on the Bag

In the twelfth inning of the 1998 ALCS, a throw hit Travis Fryman and rolled away. Chuck Knoblauch stayed at first base to argue. Enrique Wilson scored from first.

New York Yankees · Cleveland Indians

Jeffrey Maier Reaches Over the Wall

A twelve-year-old reached over the wall and turned Derek Jeter's fly ball into a home run. The umpire out there never saw the hand.

New York Yankees · Baltimore Orioles

Albert Belle's Corked Bat

Umpires confiscated Albert Belle's bat in Chicago. A teammate crawled through the ceiling to swap it, and the replacement had the wrong name on it.

Cleveland Indians · Chicago White Sox

Denkinger Calls Orta Safe

With St. Louis one out from a championship, Don Denkinger called Jorge Orta safe at first. Replays showed he was out. The Cardinals never got the inning back.

Kansas City Royals · St. Louis Cardinals

The Pine Tar Game

George Brett's go-ahead homer was taken off the board because there was too much pine tar on the bat. The league president put the homer back.

Kansas City Royals · New York Yankees

Perry, Ejected

Dave Phillips ejected Gaylord Perry for a spitball without looking at the ball. Perry said it was a forkball. The league suspended him for ten days anyway.

Seattle Mariners · Boston Red Sox

Randle Blows It Foul

Lenny Randle dropped to the Kingdome turf and blew a slow roller across the foul line. The umpire called it foul, then changed the call after the Royals protested.

Seattle Mariners · Kansas City Royals

Disco Demolition Night

The White Sox blew up a crate of disco records between games of a doubleheader. Fans took the field, a fire started, and the second game was forfeited.

Chicago White Sox · Detroit Tigers

Ten-Cent Beer Night

Cleveland sold beer for a dime, the limit collapsed, and the crowd stormed the field. The umpires forfeited the game to Texas.

Cleveland Indians · Texas Rangers

Throneberry Misses the Base

Marv Throneberry hit what looked like a two-run triple and was called out for missing first. He later admitted he had missed second, too.

New York Mets · Chicago Cubs

Twelve Perfect Innings

Harvey Haddix retired 36 batters in a row and lost in the thirteenth. Joe Adcock's ball cleared the fence, and the next day the league president made it a double.

Pittsburgh Pirates · Milwaukee Braves

Germany Schaefer Steals First

With the game tied in the ninth, Germany Schaefer stole second, got nothing for it, and stole first base back. The rules eventually made the trick illegal.

Washington Senators · Chicago White Sox

Merkle's Boner

Fred Merkle, nineteen and starting in place of an injured regular, failed to touch second on a game-winning single. The league made the teams replay it, and the Cubs won the pennant.

New York Giants · Chicago Cubs