The Yankees dropped the first game of Wednesday’s doubleheader to the Pirates, losing 5-3 in extra innings, but honestly, that wasn’t even the biggest headache for the team. The real drama erupted over Jose Caballero and his use of the pitch clock, specifically a baffling violation in the sixth inning that left manager Aaron Boone absolutely fuming. Replays clearly showed Caballero engaged with the pitcher at nine seconds, well within the rules, yet he still got dinged, causing a heated delay and ultimately an ejection for hitting coach James Rowson.
The Pitch Clock Controversy That Blew Up the Game
Boone, visibly frustrated after the game, wasn’t holding back. “I’m going to plead the fifth here,” he started, but then couldn’t help himself: “MLB came out with something new today, so we have to change again.” When asked about the frustration level, he quickly shot back, “Very frustrating. It’s embarrassing.” This isn’t just a random violation, though. Caballero has a reputation for using the pitch clock to his advantage, engaging the pitcher around the eight-second mark, a tactic that often frustrates opposing pitchers and sometimes even draws warnings from the home plate umpire. We even saw benches clear on Monday when Pirates pitcher Dennis Santana got annoyed with Caballero’s routine.
“They Didn’t Give Us the Heads Up”
What really got Boone heated was his claim that Major League Baseball changed their guidance on what Caballero can do without giving the team any notice before the game. Boone said he only learned about this supposed “new rule” when he came out to argue with the umpires in the sixth inning. The umps told him, “He can’t do that. It’s disrupting the pitcher; it’s some kind of circumvention.” But Boone fired back, explaining, “I’ve been told very specifically over and over when we’ve had issues that he has to be alert at eight seconds. That’s making sure Cabby is looking up at nine [seconds] to make sure he’s looking in. And that’s very specifically what I’ve been told. And today was something different and they didn’t give us the heads up.” Caballero echoed the sentiment, saying, “It’s not the first time the league has changed a rule on me. Now they call something out of new rules. I didn’t get notice before because whenever they make a new rule, they were able to tell me and I could make a little adjustment to my routine. Now they just tell me I can’t do it, which takes me out of my routine.” Boone’s understanding is that the league thinks Caballero is trying to deceive the pitcher, which the shortstop flatly denies, stating, “I’m not trying to trick anyone.” This isn’t just about a lost game; it’s about the integrity of the rules and how they’re communicated. The league needs to get its act together.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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