MLB Umpire Trolls Justin Verlander For Some Reason: WATCH

Umpires love being the center of attention. They really, really love it.

Over this past weekend, the San Francisco Giants went to Toronto to play the Blue Jays, with 42-year-old Justin Verlander the scheduled starter for Friday night's game. And the game went as poorly as the rest of Verlander's season has gone. 

The future Hall of Famer went just 2.2 innings, giving up nine hits, two walks and four runs without allowing a strikeout. Verlander fell to 0-8 with a 4.99 ERA this season, some of the worst numbers in his storied career. Still, Verlander is well-respected throughout the game, one of the best pitchers of his generation, and not someone known for overly criticizing umpires.

That didn't stop umpire Chad Whitson from taking an undeserved shot at him, because Whitson wanted to make himself the story.

Verlander on Sunday chirped at Whitson from the dugout after he incorrectly called several balls, well off the plate, strikes against the Giants. And Whitson immediately shot back: "How about you just worry about getting out of the third inning, huh?"

What now?

Apr 4, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA;  San Francisco Giants pitcher Justin Verlander (35) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Seattle Mariners at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob Kupbens-Imagn Images

Umpires Shouldn't Be Trash Talking Players

It's just not acceptable for umpires to be trash-talking players. Whitson messed up and made a number of bad calls, which is substantially more embarrassing than Verlander having a bad outing at the end of a Hall of Fame-level career. 

But the worst part is his expression after chirping back, looking so unbelievably pleased with himself for taunting a player while being bad at his only job. Which requires little-to-no talent whatsoever.

Umpires have a tough job; calling balls and strikes isn't easy, and hearing criticism from the dugout can't be fun. But that's literally their job. To call the strikes, deal with the talking from players who disagree without escalating, and push their egos aside in order to protect the integrity of the competition.

Instead, umpires frequently make their ego the center of the story. It's not just Whitson, it's Laz Diaz, Angel Hernandez, C.B. Bucknor, Hunter Wendelstedt, Marvin Hudson and so on. They're all obsessed with being the center of attention. And it's why robo umps are coming to Major League Baseball in 2026.