DENVER (AP) — Players from St. Louis and Colorado tilted their caps Saturday night in apparent protest of umpire Doug Eddings one day after he instructed Cardinals rookie pitcher Hancel Rincon to straighten his hat.
Eddings' comments prompted an argument with St. Louis manager Oliver Marmol that led to Marmol's ejection.
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Most of the Cardinals' players had their hats tilted during pregame warmups, and many continued to tilt them in the dugout during the game. Some even tilted their batting helmets to celebrate reaching base. At least some Colorado players also wore their caps to the side.
Rincon said Eddings apologized to him when they spoke briefly on the field Saturday. Rincon said through an interpreter that he accepted that apology.
Eddings also spoke to Marmol before the game, but the manager said there was “nothing of meaning” out of their brief conversation.
“We've had a few rough stretches here, but the one superpower that we've had through this whole season is our ability to unify and really stand up for all the guys we have in the clubhouse and have each other's backs,” Matthew Liberatore, St. Louis' starter Saturday night, said after the Rockies' 10-5 win.
“It's a really tight-knit group. I love the fact that regardless of what's going on, they always have each other's backs,” Marmol said.
Rincon, a 24-year-old from the Dominican Republic, made his major league debut in relief in the sixth inning Friday night and wore his cap with the brim pointing to the left. He straightened it at Eddings' urging, then got Hunter Goodman to fly out before TJ Rumfield tripled and scored on a wild pitch and Cole Carrigg hit an inside-the-park home run.
Rincon allowed another single before being replaced by Justin Bruihl. Marmol then came out of the dugout to confront Eddings and was ejected during Colorado’s five-run inning.
“I had an issue with Doug,” Marmol told reporters after the game. “Just Doug. He took it upon himself to tell our rookie pitcher the kid’s ‘not going to wear his hat on my field that way.’ You got Dontrelle Willis, CC Sabathia, Pedro Strop -- plenty of guys that have worn it way more tilted. I have an issue with that. That’s just a power-hungry move, in my opinion.”
Eddings told reporters postgame that he confronted Rincon after a Colorado hitter complained. Goodman was the only hitter to face Rincon at the time of the warning, and the catcher told MLB.com on Saturday that he did not complain to Eddings.
St. Louis rallied to win 7-6 on Friday after Ivan Herrera's three-run homer in the ninth inning.
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