Colorado Rockies catcher Hunter Goodman strongly denied complaining about the tilted cap of St. Louis Cardinals reliever Hancel Rincon during a Friday night game at Coors Field, following an on-field ejection of Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol sparked by home plate umpire Doug Eddings.
The controversy began during the sixth inning of Friday night’s matchup in Denver when Rincon was making his Major League Baseball debut. He had a 2-0 count against Cole Carrigg with one out when home plate umpire Doug Eddings instructed Cardinals catcher Leo Bernal, also a rookie, to tell Rincon to straighten his hat. Later in the inning, an irate Marmol approached Eddings and was tossed after sticking up for Rincon.
Oliver Marmol Ejected After Confronting Umpire Doug Eddings Over Cap Directive
Marmol rushed to the field to defend his young reliever, calling the umpire’s mid-at-bat intervention unnecessary and poorly timed. During the ensuing argument, Eddings also handed a pitch clock violation to Cardinals reliever Justin Bruihl as the dispute unfolded on the field.
Quite honestly, I thought it was pretty embarrassing on his end. We have a kid making his debut, and in-between an at-bat, he tells him he needs to fix the hat, and 'The kid's not going to wear his hat like that on my field.' Last I checked, this is Coors Field.
Oliver Marmol, St. Louis Cardinals manager
Marmol added that he took direct issue with the handling of the situation, calling it a power-hungry move
and noting that he would like an explanation at some point for how the incident was managed on the field.
Hunter Goodman Denies Complaining About Hancel Rincon
In postgame remarks on Friday, Eddings told reporters: The batter said, ‘Hey, can he wear his hat like that?’
Eddings recounted after the game. I really didn't know, but it was really, really crooked. I asked the catcher to tell him to straighten his hat out, and the pitcher did. Nobody said anything until he gave up a couple runs.
Subsequent media reports identified that batter as Rockies catcher Hunter Goodman, who had come to the plate two batters earlier in the inning.
Speaking before Saturday’s game in Denver, Goodman forcefully pushed back against those reports and the online criticism directed his way, reacting to the situation in the Rockies’ 10-7 win on Saturday where he sparked a decisive four-run seventh with a bases-loaded single.
I never once mentioned the hat. It doesn’t matter who’s pitching. I don’t care how they wear the hat. I’m trying to find out where the ball is coming out, and I’m trying to worry about what I’m doing in the box. I’m not worried about how his hat looks.
Hunter Goodman, Colorado Rockies catcher
Goodman added, “It was one of those situations — it’s kind of a wild, wild thing that happens in the game. But I didn’t like seeing that my name was a part of it today when I didn’t say anything like that. You watch baseball growing up. There are a lot of guys who have had their hat crooked or however. Honestly, before today, when I went back and looked, I didn’t even notice the hat was messed [up].According to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Eddings said that the hat tilt was an
unwritten rule” and that a Colorado batter pointed out the angle of Rincon’s cap before he noticed it, though MLB.com noted that Eddings did not use a batter’s name in his comments.
Cardinals Roster Rallies Behind Rincon With Crooked Caps in Denver
Several St. Louis Cardinals players wore their hats tilted to the side as a show of support for rookie pitcher Hancel Rincon ahead of the matchup with the Colorado Rockies on Saturday.