Sean Barber had a baffling lapse in judgment during Sunday’s game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Milwaukee Brewers.
The veteran umpire was calling balls and strikes at George Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Fla., for the series finale. In the bottom of the sixth inning, Barber made what may be the most egregious missed strike call of the 2025 season.
With one out and nobody on, Brewers pitcher Tyler Alexander worked a 1-2 count against Rays outfielder Travis Jankowski. Alexander then fired a 91-mph sinker that landed clearly in the strike zone—seemingly an automatic strike three. Even Jankowski appeared ready to head back to the dugout, but Barber inexplicably refused to make the call.
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