The Mets had a rough night yesterday during a 4-0 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies at Citi Field, but it probably wasn't as rough a night for them as it was for home plate umpire Brian O'Nora. O'Nora suddenly ran off the field with two outs and a runner on second base in the bottom of the first, resulting in a subsequent 14 minute game delay. And he reportedly left because he was vomiting—due to swallowing his chewing tabacco.
The official story is that O'Nora had "flulike" symptoms. "Brian O'Nora got very ill," Mets manager Terry Collins later said. "It came on very fast. He came to the dugout because he was going to be sick to his stomach and certainly was. He couldn't go back out." But Mets beat writers claimed it was the chew. You can see video of O'Nora suddenly running off the field here; the Mets in the dugout look more amused than anything.
Regardless of what caused his illness, we truly hope O'Nora is feeling better today. And maybe is reconsidering his stance on chewing tobacco.
