The Pittsburgh Pirates found themselves thrust into the national spotlight Tuesday night—not for a dazzling play or a thrilling comeback, but for a managerial meltdown that reignited one of Major League Baseball’s hottest debates. In the fifth inning of their road matchup against the Milwaukee Brewers on August 12, 2025, Pirates manager Don Kelly was ejected after a fiery confrontation with home plate umpire Roberto Ortiz. The episode, which unfolded with Pittsburgh trailing 4-0, has since become a flashpoint for discussions about the future of umpiring in professional baseball.
The drama began when outfielder Jack Suwinski was called out on strikes. The pitch from Brewers starter Freddy Peralta appeared to sail just off the outside corner—a borderline call at best, but one that proved too much for Kelly to stomach. The Pirates’ skipper, who took the helm earlier this season following the dismissal of Derek Shelton in May, stormed out of the dugout, gesturing wildly and arguing his case. The confrontation was brief but intense, with Kelly pointing toward the strike zone and making it abundantly clear he believed his player had been wronged. Moments later, Roberto Ortiz gave Kelly the thumb, sending him to the showers for the third time this season—all three ejections stemming from disputes over balls and strikes.
The viral moment quickly made the rounds on social media, with the Talkin’ Baseball podcast posting, “Don Kelly got his money’s worth after this called strike three.” The clip showcased Kelly’s passion and refusal to back down, even as his team struggled through a tough campaign. For some Pirates fans, the outburst was a rare spark in an otherwise dim season, evidence that their manager still has plenty of fight left, no matter the circumstances.
Unfortunately for the Pirates, Kelly’s ejection did little to change the course of the game. The Brewers, riding high on a ten-game winning streak, showed no mercy. Rookie pitcher Paul Skenes endured the worst outing of his young career, surrendering seven runs in just two innings. The Pirates’ bullpen fared no better, coughing up another seven runs as Milwaukee cruised to a 14-0 victory. Pittsburgh’s offense was anemic, managing just four hits all night, with Suwinski’s controversial strikeout standing as one of the few moments that drew any real emotion from the visiting dugout.
The loss dropped the Pirates to a dismal 51-70 record, cementing their spot at the bottom of the NL Central standings. They now trail the division-leading Brewers by 19 games and are roughly 14.5 games out of the Wild Card race. With playoff hopes all but dashed, the Pirates are left searching for silver linings in a season that’s been defined by inconsistency and frustration.
Yet, Kelly’s ejection has sparked a much larger conversation—one that stretches far beyond Pittsburgh. The incident has reignited debate about the reliability of MLB umpires and whether it’s finally time to embrace automated strike zone technology. Fans, analysts, and even players have long argued over the merits of human officiating versus the promise of technological precision. For every supporter who believes that technology could eliminate the errors that plague the game, there’s a traditionalist who worries that baseball would lose some of its soul if robots replaced umpires.
This ongoing debate was on full display at a recent MLB Umpire Camp held at the Milwaukee Brewers’ ballpark in July. More than 100 aspiring umpires gathered for a one-day crash course in the basics: calling balls and strikes, safe and out, and mastering the subtle art of field presence. Under the guidance of veteran MLB umpiring officials—boasting over 300 years of professional experience and 16 World Series appearances—the hopefuls practiced everything from home plate stances to footwork and positioning.
“You got to look like you know what you’re doing,” instructor Kevin O’Connor told the group, emphasizing the importance of confidence and composure. For these future umpires, technology is not an enemy, but a tool. “You don’t want to be up on a big screen and being highlighted for making mistakes,” said Reginald Davis, an attendee from Racine, Wisconsin. “You make sure to practice your craft. You study every single day. You watch videos to improve yourself. That’s the most important thing.”
Technological advances have undeniably raised the stakes for umpires. With replay review, strike zone overlays on TV broadcasts, and the proliferation of umpire scorecards online, every missed call is scrutinized by millions. “The umpiring now is better than it ever has been by a mile,” said Jim Reynolds, a longtime MLB umpire supervisor. “But everybody’s expectations now have risen and gone through the roof. It has put our guys in a really, really tough situation mentally.”
Major League Baseball is already experimenting with the Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) system in the minor leagues. This camera-based technology can pinpoint the location of a pitch within fractions of an inch and is being considered for big league adoption. Under the ABS challenge system, players can contest balls and strikes, with an animation showing the actual pitch location instantly displayed on the stadium’s big screen. For umpires, this means adapting not only their mechanics but also their mental resilience. As Triple-A umpire supervisor Cris Jones explained, “If they have an overturn early in the game, sometimes it snowballs. The mental part is what I’m afraid of with some of these umpires that get overturned, and the frequency that they get overturned, or the frequency that they get challenged.”
Despite the pressure, many aspiring umpires at the Milwaukee camp embraced the changes. “It makes us want to be perfect. But I also think that the goal of this profession is to be perfect, so we should want to be perfect anyway,” said Leo Dlatt, a 21-year-old attendee. Another hopeful, Stephen Proudfit, added, “It’s just going to be another tool for us to get the game right. That’s all we want to do.”
Back in Pittsburgh, the fallout from Kelly’s ejection continues to reverberate. The Pirates’ struggles on the field have been matched by growing scrutiny off it, with fans and media alike questioning the team’s direction and the broader state of the game. While the loss to the Brewers was just another blow in a difficult season, the incident has ensured that the conversation about umpiring—human or automated—remains front and center in the baseball world.
As the Pirates regroup and look ahead to the remainder of the season, one thing is clear: Whether it’s the passion of a manager like Don Kelly or the quiet determination of an umpire perfecting his craft, the heart of baseball still beats strongest in those who refuse to accept anything less than excellence. The debate over technology and tradition is far from settled, but for now, it’s the human drama—on the field and in the dugout—that continues to captivate fans everywhere.
