#MLB’s first coronavirus-era ejection featured mask slip-ups and fake crowd noise

Derek Holland became the first ejection of the baseball-in-a-pandemic era, getting tossed Sunday for arguing balls and strikes while sitting in the stands. Then Pirates manager Derek Shelton went to back him up, except he and home plate umpire Jordan Baker had to delay their unpleasantries to put their masks on first. Shelton slid up his gaiter (which came off at one point) while Baker took his mask out of his pocket and held it over his face for the socially distanced argument.

To top it all off, the Cardinals piped in an artificial roar from the non-existent crowd at Busch Stadium, making the whole event even more bizarre.

“Jordan did a really good job of it. We were trying to stay distant, which we were both aware of,” Shelton said. “Then his mask broke midway though [our argument] so I wanted to make sure that my mask stayed up and he was great.

“He handled it professionally. I think it was the first time, and we were both in an unknown area, and then when I went out there later, we kind of got a chuckle out of it.”

Welcome to baseball in 2020.

It remains to be seen how long it lasts, though, as by Monday the Marlins’ COVID-19 crisis had reached several more players with two coaches also testing positive. Their game against the Orioles on Monday night was postponed as the league was left to handle the fallout. The Yankees’ game in Philadelphia was also postponed.