Jonathan Papelbon of the Philadelphia Phillies was ejected in the ninth inning of a game against the Miami Marlins on Sunday after directing a lewd gesture towards fans.

Jonathan Papelbon Fights With Umpire Joe West

Phillies fans booed relief pitcher Papelbon after he gave up four runs, causing him to become angry and reportedly grab his crotch, gesturing to fans in the stadium as he headed for the dugout. Umpire Joe West noted the gesture and ejected Papelbon from the game. West later called the crude gesture unprofessional, saying, “The whole thing started because the fans booed him and he made an obscene gesture. He had no business doing that. He’s got to be more professional than that.”

Papelbon became angry and returned to the field, where he got in a heated argument with West and first base umpire Marty Foster.

“I told him ‘You’ve got to go.’ And then he charged out of the dugout and his head bumped into my hat. And I grabbed him and I said, ‘Get off of me,’” West said.

Papelbon denied making any kind of crude gesture, saying that he simply needed to “make an adjustment.”

“When I’m out there and in the moment, the fans are irrelevant to me. I don’t see them. I don’t hear them. To me, this is pretty stupid to be totally honest with you,” Papelbon said.

Article by Olivia Truffaut-Wong

Olivia Truffaut-Wong was born and raised in Berkeley, California, where she developed her love of all things entertainment. After moving to New York City to earn her degree in Film Studies, she stayed on the East Coast to follow her passion and become an entertainment writer. She lives on a diet of television, movies and food.