Confused about Mike Rizzo's ejection by Joe West? So was Davey Martinez originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
When Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo was ejected from the game against the Atlanta Braves on Sunday, it left everyone wondering why – including Davey Martinez.
Rizzo was thrown out of the Nats’ 10-3 loss to Atlanta during the top of the seventh inning when umpire Joe West called security on him while he was sitting in the suite level of the stadium. While some speculated he was dismissed for not wearing a mask, West later told The Associated Press it was because Rizzo had been yelling and arguing balls and strikes.
Nationals manager Davey Martinez was asked about the incident postgame and was just as confused as everyone else.
“Somebody screamed, honestly I didn’t even hear it,” Martinez said. “They stopped the game. Joe West went over. I know MLB is going to take a look at what happened. I don’t know the details of anything.”
While Martinez was unaware of how the situation unfolded and awaits word from the league, plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt – the target of most of Rizzo’s comments on Sunday – alerted him of their decision to toss Rizzo but with little warning.
“I talked to Hunter briefly and he said, ‘We want to see what we can do to get a certain guy out,’ and basically I haven’t heard from MLB about anything,” Martinez said.
Only a few days after signing a multi-year contract extension, Rizzo’s incident turned heads but left most – even Martinez – incredibly confused.
