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College baseball umpire Reggie Drummer went viral earlier this month for calling a strike on an obvious ball to end a game between Mississippi Valley State and the University of New Orleans.
Drummer, who was suspended by the Southland Conference and did not umpire the final two games of the series because of the call, told his side of the story on "The Plate Meeting" podcast Thursday.
A general view of a baseball on the field during batting practice before game one of the College World Series Championship Series between the Arkansas Razorbacks and the Oregon State Beavers on June 26, 2018 at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Nebraska. (Peter Aiken/Getty Images)
The viral moment occurred when the New Orleans pitcher threw an obvious ball down and off the plate, but Drummer called strike three, ending the game.
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Drummer told the podcast that racially charged language was used toward him earlier in the game and continued throughout.
Drummer, who is Black, said the language came from the Mississippi Valley State side, a Historically Black College and University.
"It started in the first inning. [Mississippi] Valley batted first as the visiting team," Drummer said on the podcast.
"And one person in particular, Valley head coach Milton [Barney], his brother was probably the loudest one in the park. And he was letting me know they [Drummer’s strike calls] were not strikes. So, when Valley comes to play defense and UNO comes to bat, Valley was throwing pitches that was off the plate, and I was calling balls. And they were letting me have it."
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The Ole Miss Rebels prepare to take on the Oklahoma Sooners during the Division I Men's Baseball Championship held at Charles Schwab Field Omaha on June 25, 2022 in Omaha, Nebraska. (Jamie Schwaberow/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
Drummer said that by the third inning, fans were accusing him of helping New Orleans, and he had Barney’s brother ejected from the game for directing racist language toward him.
In speaking with Fox News Digital, Barney confirmed his brother's ejection, but said he did not hear any racial slurs from the stands.
"I didn't hear any of that. Of course, I'm trying to coach a baseball game," Barney said. "I think as a coach we're not listening to the stands or what people in the stands are saying. So, we didn't hear any racial slurs and nor did we say any racial slurs in the dugout. As far as the fans, I can't speak to that because I'm not listening to that. I'm trying to coach and win a baseball game."
In the seventh inning, Drummer and the umpiring crew changed a call, which is when Barney came out to argue.
"And that’s when he was implying that as a Black guy, I should be helping them win," Drummer said.
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"I'm not upset," Drummer continued. "I'm more hurt because I'm getting all this from my people when I know I'm calling a good game, I'm calling a fair game."
Barney pushed back on Drummer's accusation, telling Fox News Digital he told Drummer he was looking to be "treated with the same respect he treated them [New Orleans]."
"As far as helping us win? We're never going to ask for an umpire to help us win," Barney said. "To me that's ridiculous."
"Clearly I didn't say anything to him of that nature because I stayed for the entirety of the game," he continued. "If I would have been saying anything like that I'm pretty sure I would have been ejected. Like I said, there is no point where I was asking him to help us win the game."
It all led up to the now infamous ending to the game when Drummer rung up Mississippi State Valley left fielder Davon Mims to end the game.
"I should have ejected him when he pointed," Drummer told the podcast. "By this time, my lapse of judgment is through the roof because I was sitting here saying, 'I can't believe my own people have treated me like this for three hours.' And I said to myself ... 'I feel like I'm on an island and I just want to get out of here.'"
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Drummer said he decided that if any pitch was near the plate, he was calling it a strike in order to get out of the situation he was in.
NCAA signage is seen on the field before the game between the Oklahoma Sooners and the Ole Miss Rebels during the Division I Men's Baseball Championship held at Charles Schwab Field Omaha on June 26, 2022 in Omaha, Nebraska. (C. Morgan Engel/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
"I called a bad pitch, which I regret," he said. "I apologize for doing that, but I just wanted to get out of a hostile environment because I'd never been in a situation like that."
While Barney has not had a chance to speak with Drummer since the incident, he says he has no hard feelings toward the umpire.
"I don't have any issues with him," Barney told Fox News Digital. "I'm not going to get on him and try to bash him because ultimately that guy does a lot for the community."
"By no means were we being racist toward him. We don't have a reason to do that," Barney continued. "Our team is many races. Nobody here is racist. Everybody here loves everybody. We don't see color. It just doesn't happen."
Drummer has returned to umpiring since the incident on March 10.
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