Twins outfielder Torii Hunter flings jersey during post-ejection meltdown

(Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)

By Jeremy Gottlieb

June 11, 2015

1 minute to read

The Major League Baseball season lasts 162 games. There are 30 teams in the league. That means 2,430 games are played each year. Despite that high volume of competition, it’s not every day you see a player rip off his jersey and fire it across the turf.

It happened at Minnesota’s Target Field on Wednesday night, when Twins outfielder Torii Hunter staged a scene after being called out on strikes in the eighth inning of a 7-2 loss to Kansas City, the last game of a three-game Royals’ sweep.

Hunter took exception to a called second strike by home plate umpire Mark Ripperger, then turned his anger meter up to 11 after a strike-three call on a pitch that looked well off the plate. Arguing balls and strikes with umpires is a no-no, and Hunter got himself run quickily.

After manager Paul Molitor came out of the dugout only to also get ejected, Hunter proceeded to flip out, with elbow guards, shin guards, batting gloves and, finally, his jersey, flying on to the field.

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Hunter didn’t back down after the game, telling the media of Ripperger, “I thought the last pitch he called a strike was revenge,’’ and adding, “We have bad days, all of us. As hitters, pitchers, even umpires have bad days and he had one.’’

The Twins have lost five of their last six games and Hunter went 0-for-10 during the series agianst Kansas City.