It's a strike no matter who looks at it? Worst Call in History, Racism Controversy In Stolen Memoir

Jun 21, 2025

Photo=FOX Sports Official SNS Account

A ridiculous misjudgment came out. The controversy over the ball decision raised suspicions that it was racist.

The game between the San Diego Padres and the Los Angeles Dodgers was held at LA Dodger Stadium in California on the 20th (Korea time).

The Dodgers' Japanese starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto started the game. Yamamoto allowed the first run in the top of the second inning, leading the Dodgers to 0-1. And at the beginning of the third episode. Yamamoto struck out Bryce Johnson, the first batter of the inning, with three standing strikeouts, and even Martin Maldonado, the next batter, struck out three swinging.

Yamamoto, who struck out two in a row with six pitches, faced San Diego's leading hitter Fernando Tatis Jr. He swung and missed the first pitch, fouled the second pitch. Yamamoto hit a 95.7-mile (about 154 kilometers) four-seam fastball on the third pitch. It appeared to be a winning shot to determine three consecutive strikeouts.

Yamamoto's third ball to be judged. It is clearly marked as having passed the strike zone. Photo =MLB.com Text capture

But the referee's call didn't ring. It was a ball decision. Marvin Hudson was the referee of the match. On the MLB.com Game Day screen, it was taken as a strike that passed slightly through the top in the middle of the strike zone, but referee Hudson evaluated the ball as a ball. The commentators of local broadcasting companies were also puzzled, and even Yamamoto could not hide his bewilderment for a moment.

Yamamoto missed the flawless inning record of three consecutive strikeouts with nine balls. The perfect inning is the highest honor for a pitcher who has 116 innings in the history of the Major League. Yamamoto, however, missed the opportunity to set this milestone in his second year in the big league.

Yamamoto, who was judged to have a ball on the third pitch, regained his composure and threw the ball on the fourth pitch, then struck out swinging with a cutter on the fifth pitch in 2B2S, and succeeded in striking out three consecutive batters. But the milestone fell through.

Yamamoto Yoshinobu. AP Yonhap News

The game ended with the Dodgers' 3-5 loss, and Yamamoto became a losing pitcher with seven hits (one home run) and five strikeouts and three runs in six ⅓ innings.

Win or lose, the U.S. and Japanese media were turned upside down after the game. The United States 'Sports Illustrated' could have been a historic achievement, but it was lost to the referee's mistrial"FOX Sports" was also close to being Yamamoto's flawless inning" was accompanied by a graphic showing that the ball clearly passed through the strike zone.

Major League Baseball fans also posted on social media that "Hudson is the most racist Major League Baseball referee against Japanese pitchers","The referee stole the milestone,"It was the worst call in Major League history.", `All the judges should have their eyes tested again,' he said.

This article was translated by Naver AI translator.