The referee is THRILLED in an Independent Championship match after making contact with a player during a heated confrontation following allegations of sign theft
- The referee in question is Warren Nicholson, who was seen leaving in the first game.
- Nicholson made contact with Bounders second baseman Tucker Nathans
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The dreams of countless baseball managers came true Sunday night in the Hudson Valley, where a league independent umpire was ejected from a game after coming into contact with a player during a showdown on field.
This man and dog bite storyline took place in Pomona, New York, where the Tri-City ValleyCats were visiting the New York Boulders in a Frontier League game.
As detailed by the Albany Time Unionfirst baseman Warren Nicholson was ejected in the first inning after arguing with Bounders second baseman Tucker Nathans, and ultimately being held up by other officials.
The ValleyCats — a team led by former Philadelphia Phillies slugger Pete Incaviglia — had accused the Boulders of illegally using outside cameras to steal signs, leading Nicholson to remove league-sanctioned computer equipment from home team shelter.
The move sparked an argument between Nicholson and Nathans, with the latter being promptly kicked out.
First base umpire Warren Nicholson is restrained by the plate umpire Sunday in Pomona
Nicholson made contact with Bounders second baseman Tucker Nathans (far right)
Nicholson and Nathans each had to be held off as their first-inning showdown escalated
But Nicholson would also be kicked out after making contact with Nathans, leaked footage obtained by Jomboy Media shows.
After the confrontation, Nicholson was seen exiting the stadium through an opening in the left outfield wall.
The match was then delayed by an hour as a camera was removed from center field.
“Your manager at Tri-City has been accusing us of stealing signs for three days, which is both offensive and embarrassing,” Boulders team president Shawn Reilly said in a statement.
“The ref relied on Pete (Incaviglia) and he sent off (Nathans) and things got out of control.
‘It’s unfortunate. It was not a good time for the league. It was an embarrassing moment and it should never have happened.
Nicholson is seen going through the left field wall after being sent off on Sunday.
Reilly insists the camera has a 30-second delay, which makes it impossible to steal signs.
Frontier League Assistant Commissioner Steve Tahsler responded to the incident in a statement provided to DailyMail.com.
“The Frontier League is embarrassed and upset by the delay to last night’s game at Clover Stadium,” Tahsler said.
“We apologize to the fans who had to observe these actions. Unfortunately, our league staff were present at other games last night. We had several conversations with all parties involved. An internal investigation is ongoing.
