Pittsburgh Pirates fans upset as Bryan Reynolds gets tossed after disagreeing with umpire's questionable strike zone: "Ump with an ego problem"

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Bryan Reynolds' day ended early Wednesday as he was ejected in the fifth inning. Reynolds wasn't too pleased with the umpire's strike zone after the umpire called two pitches out of the zone a strike.

Reynolds would later strike out and vent his frustrations to the umpire. Either Reynolds crossed the line with what he said, or the umpire was having a bad day because he was quickly ejected.

The third pitch was called a ball, but it was better than the fourth pitch, called a strike. Both are clipping the chalk in the other batter's box. Umpires just can't call the fourth pitch a strike, even in little leagues.

It's tough when hitters are put into a hole because of a questionable strike zone. Hitting is already hard enough with how talented pitchers are. Pitchers don't need any more help.

Umpiring is a hard job, and everybody understands that, but they cannot be this bad. An umpire can directly cause a game to go one way or the other.

Pittsburgh Pirates fans are ready for the league to transition to robot umpires behind the plate. They're tired of seeing umpires with inconsistent strike zones and short tempers ruining games.

As the Pittsburgh Pirates build momentum, will they keep Bryan Reynolds?

Bryan Reynolds asked for a trade in the offseason after the Pittsburgh Pirates offered him an $80 million extension over six years. Reynolds initially asked for $134 million over eight years and felt disrespected by the offer.

The team then tried to negotiate before the season started, but the two sides didn't gain much ground. The team is still trying to reach a deal with Bryan Reynolds, but how committed are they?

Pittsburgh sits a game behind the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Central. They're 12-7 and look like a competitive baseball team.

Unfortunately, they'll be without their young star shortstop Oneil Cruz, who fractured his ankle against the Chicago White Sox a few weeks ago. It's likely the team won't want to lose two of its stars this season.

Given the team is off to a solid start, it would make sense for the Pirates to get a deal done with Reynolds and keep him. He's been surging at the plate to start the season, slashing .319/.333/.597 with five home runs, three doubles, and a triple.

About the author

Jared "Bloomy" Bloom is a journalist covering Major League Baseball at Sportskeeda and a former college baseball pitcher from Illinois, who just graduated with a Master's degree in Sport Psychology.

A writer with over 3 years of experience, Jared is consistently more concerned with quality than quantity, thoroughly checking multiple sources of information, and prides himself in being knowledgeable not just about MLB, but the game of baseball in general. He loves breaking down plays and game-changing moments, as well as looking closer into players' statistics.

Jared is a die-hard Chicago White Sox fan, and one of his earliest memories is seeing his great-grandfather, a huge Sox fan, in his rocking chair watching a game. Jared started playing from the age of 5 with his grandfather coaching him early on.

Jared loved Tim Lincecum for his quirky delivery and looked up to him as a role model when playing. His current favorite is Phillies star Bryce Harper, an exciting player who doesn't let injuries hold him back. Jared's favorite sports moment is Mark Buehrle's opening day between-the-legs glove flip to first base in 2010.

When he is not watching or writing about baseball, Jared can be found racing BMX at his local Rockford BMX track or coaching his local youth travel baseball team.

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