Minneapolis, Minnesota – Last Saturday, veteran umpire Bob Harlan, 58, made headlines during a Minnesota Twins minor league affiliate game by ejecting himself from the field after realizing he had dozed off and missed an entire inning. The incident occurred in the bottom of the fourth during a matchup against the Iowa Cubs, where Harlan, known for his no-nonsense calls over 25 years in the minors, apparently nodded off behind the plate due to a late-night fishing trip the evening before. Players and fans alike were stunned as Harlan suddenly jolted awake mid-pitch, glanced at the scoreboard, and declared, “That’s it, I’m out—can’t trust a blind bat like me calling strikes!”
Twins catcher Mike Reilly, 32, who had been signaling pitches to a seemingly unresponsive Harlan, couldn’t contain his laughter when recounting the moment. “I thought he was just zoning out on purpose to mess with the Cubs’ pitcher, but nope, the guy’s snoring was louder than the crowd,” Reilly said. “We had two runs score because he didn’t call that runner safe at home—now he’s gotta explain that to the league office while we replay the inning in our heads.” Cubs manager Terry Voss, 45, a former outfielder with a dry wit, added his take from the dugout: “Harlan’s the only ump I’ve seen who ejected himself faster than he calls balks; maybe next time he’ll bring coffee instead of a nap pod.”
League officials confirmed the game was paused for 15 minutes while a replacement umpire was summoned, ultimately leading to a Twins victory in extra innings. Harlan, now facing a one-week suspension for “umpiring negligence,” vowed to return sharper than ever. “No more red-eye marathons before games—I’ll stick to decaf and dreams of perfect calls,” he quipped in a post-game statement, hinting at a potential retirement tease that has fans buzzing about his future behind the mask.