Cincinnati Reds pitcher Caleb Ferguson directed a string of profanities at umpire Bill Miller on Sunday, appearing to call the official a "fat motherf eck-er" after an incident on the field. The outburst occurred during the Reds' 8-0 loss to the Mariners.
The play in question came in the seventh inning with two outs and runners on first and second. Mariners right fielder Victor Robles hit a grounder towards second base. As Reds second baseman Edwin Arroyo attempted to field the ball, umpire Bill Miller was positioned in his path, leading to an obstruction. The ball deflected off Miller, allowing the runners to advance to second and third base.
Ferguson, who had already surrendered a grand slam earlier in the inning, was visibly frustrated. He was captured on camera speaking loudly towards Miller as he waited for the next pitch. "F ecking fatass, get out of the way. Fat motherf eck-er," Ferguson seemingly said. The Mariners ultimately did not score on the play as the next batter, Luke Raley, struck out.
Manager Terry Francona acknowledged the challenging situation. "It's not a comfortable situation either way," Francona stated. "Saying that, I'd do that every time. We have to try to keep them from scoring more. Second and third, a guy [Dominic Canzone] with a [.993] OPS against lefties, we're going to have to play the infield in."
Ferguson was removed from the game after Raley's strikeout. His outing included allowing three hits, two runs, and one walk across two outs, raising his earned run average to 3.98. The loss furthered the Reds' struggles, dropping their record to 45-54 and leaving them in last place in the National League Central.
In a separate team development, the Reds recently signed emerging ace Chase Burns to a seven-year, $105 million contract extension, which is tied for the largest pitching contract in franchise history.