During a baseball game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Pittsburgh Pirates, starting pitcher Zach Eflin was asked by the umpiring crew to remove a ring from his glove hand during a conference on the mound with Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash present.
Eflin had been wearing the ring since the start of the 2021 season, after getting married in 2020, and had been allowed to wear it by other umpire crews in previous games.
However, this crew threatened to eject him if he did not remove the ring.
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The Rays Sweep the Series Against the Pirates
Despite the umpires' insistence, Eflin pitched a 7-inning shutout, helping Tampa Bay win the game 3-2 and sweep the series against the Pirates.
After the game, Eflin commented that most umpiring crews are "cool" with him leaving his ring on, but Thursday's crew was "kind of a little different" and "seemed a little on edge."
He also noted that Pittsburgh manager Derek Shelton had been ejected the day before for arguing about the pitch clock, and several Pirates had expressed displeasure with the plate umpire's strike zone.
When asked if he thought the umpires were taking anything out on Eflin, Shelton replied that he hoped not and that umpires should call the game as it should be.
He added that the Pirates' hitters had a lot of questions about the pitches.
Despite the controversy surrounding the umpiring, Eflin's strong performance on the mound helped Tampa Bay secure a victory.
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