Umpire Doug Eddings apologizes to Cardinals pitcher Hansel Rincon after MLB reportedly reprimanded him for telling rookie to straighten crooked cap
MLB umpire Doug Eddings apologized to St. Louis Cardinals rookie Hansel Rincon after being reprimanded for forcing the pitcher to straighten his cap during a game. The incident caused a brief controversy that led to the ejection of Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol.
Why it matters
The incident highlights the tension between strict enforcement of unwritten rules and the professional conduct expected of MLB officials.
Umpire Doug Eddings apologized to St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Hancel Rincon on Saturday for telling the rookie to straighten his tilted cap during Friday's 7-6 win over the Colorado Rockies.
However, the veteran umpire reportedly felt compelled to do so after Major League Baseball told him that he acted inappropriately in admonishing Rincon, according to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal .
Eddings' directive to Rincon caused an uproar that resulted in Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol being ejected from the game for arguing over what occurred.
"He apologized for what happened [Friday] night," Rincon said through bullpen catcher and team interpreter Kleininger Teran, via the St. Louis Post Dispatch's Derrick Goold . "He also told me good luck for the rest of my career as a big-leaguer."
The rookie added that he told Eddings, "'Don't worry, it's nothing personal, and everything stays here," according to MLB.com's Owen Perkins .
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in