SEATTLE – If Caleb Ferguson was a guy who’s on social media platforms, he might have seen his reaction to umpire Bill Miller go viral earlier than he did. And might have tried to talk to the media more quickly to apologize, he said.
“It was definitely uncharacteristic for myself,” the Cincinnati Reds reliever said. “As long as I’ve been in this game I dont’ know if you’ll find a clip of me going at an umpire like that. I’m definitely going to have to wear that one on the chest. And gonna seek Bill out to try at some point and definitely make it right with him.
“Very unprofessional on my part.”
Ferguson, a ninth-year big-league veteran, arranged a pregame session with traveling Cincinnati media the day after his profane response to Miller’s obstruction of a play on a grounder that second baseman Edwin Arroyo failed to make because he ran into Miller.
The play came immediately after Ferguson gave up a pivotal grand slam to Cal Raleigh on his first pitch upon entering the game in the six-run seventh inning, in a game the Reds eventually lost to the Mariners 8-0 in Monday’s opener of this week’s series in Seattle.
“I know Bill is doing his best to not be in the way in that situation,” Ferguson said, “so I’ve got to be better on my part, too.
“I just kind of let the moment take over instead of staying in control.”
Ferguson, who said little in the immediate aftermath of the game Monday, quickly became a sensation across baseball social media because of the emphatic response aimed at Miller and several easily lip-read expletives.
For his part, Miller wore the mistake, allowed Ferguson to stay in the game and moved on to the next play.
“It’s just a very unprofessional thing on my part,” Ferguson said. “I know these things happen in the game. But I don’t like that I was the centerpiece of what was going on.”
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Why Caleb Ferguson issued a public apology before Reds-Mariners game
Reporting by Gordon Wittenmyer, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Gordon Wittenmyer, Cincinnati Enquirer | USA TODAY Network
