Major League Baseball just straight-up told umpire Doug Eddings he went way over the line. Eddings crossed a line by instructing St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Hancel Rincón to straighten his hat and then, wilder still, ejecting Cardinals manager Oli Marmol in the team’s 7-6 win against the Colorado Rockies on Friday. According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, MLB viewed Eddings’ actions regarding Rincón as “going too far,” even though umpires usually get “broad discretion.” This isn’t just about a win; it’s about an official’s power trip messing with the game we love.
The Hat, the Clock, and the “Power-Hungry” Call
Midway through the sixth inning, Eddings stopped the game just to motion for Rincón to straighten his hat. Are you kidding me? Rincón, a rookie reliever, had his bill “slightly to the left,” a style tons of MLB players rock. Think Hall of Famer CC Sabathia or three-time All-Star Fernando Rodney; they made it their signature, and nobody batted an eye. Marmol eventually pulled Rincón for Justin Bruihl. But when Marmol and Eddings had a chat during Bruihl’s warm-up, things spiraled. After Marmol went back to the dugout, Eddings hit him with a pitch clock violation. That sent Marmol into renewed complaints, leading straight to his ejection. Marmol didn’t hold back, calling Eddings’ actions “power-hungry.” And honestly, who could blame him?
The Catcher’s Denial and a Team’s Stand
The scrutiny on Eddings only got worse when he actually claimed Rockies catcher Hunter Goodman was the one who suggested Rincón should straighten his hat. Goodman? He straight-up denied it. “I never once mentioned the hat,” Goodman said, per MLB.com’s Thomas Harding. “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.” That’s a pretty damning denial. In a show of pure solidarity, Cardinals players and even some Rockies guys tilted their hats during Saturday’s game. Eddings apparently tried to apologize to Rincón, but Rincón said he only “understood a couple words” because there wasn’t an interpreter. An MLB spokesperson later confirmed, “Saturday’s gesture of apology by Doug on the field speaks for itself.”
Rincón, the player at the center of this whole mess, was optioned to Triple-A on Sunday. It’s a tough break for the rookie. As for Eddings, Rosenthal reported that it’s still unknown whether MLB will hit him with any discipline. The league has made its stance clear: Eddings went “too far.” Now, everyone’s waiting to see if there are actual consequences for an umpire’s actions that frankly disrupted a game and disrespected players. This isn’t just about a tilted hat; it’s about holding officials accountable.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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