PHILADELPHIA – There’s no question: LeBron James delivered the day’s biggest sports decision. But when he steps to home plate on Friday, José Caballero will also be making a scrutinized choice – at least, as far as the umpiring crew is concerned.
Caballero said he is still deciding how to respond after being told by Major League Baseball that he is no longer permitted to wait to acknowledge the pitcher until just before the pitch timer reaches 8 seconds.
“When I get in the box, we’ll see,” Caballero said.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone said he has had numerous conversations with Michael Hill, MLB’s senior vice president of on-field operations, attempting to gain clarity on the issue.
The verdict: Caballero must adjust.
“At the end of the day, they decide the rules,” Boone said. “We have to try and comply with them, which we certainly have done. There obviously needs to be some kind of adjustment, so we’ll do that.”
Caballero briefly listened in on a call between games of Monday’s doubleheader, saying, “They said what they had to say. They are the league. They control [the rules], and I have to obey.”
Boone said he’s not concerned about the adjustment costing Caballero any of his edge.
“He’s a killer,” Boone said. “He knows how to play. He’ll do what he needs to do to adjust.”
All season, Caballero has been attempting to exploit a perceived advantage that was believed to be within the rules, delaying looking up to lift his head and be alert to the pitcher until the last possible moment.
The tactic led to an automatic strike in Wednesday’s 5-3 loss to the Pirates, when home-plate umpire Quinn Wolcott could be heard on field microphones telling Caballero: “You don’t get to do the 3 or 4 seconds thing in the box anymore.”
That day, a fiery Caballero had replied to the umpiring crew: “You’re picking on me.”
Speaking to a pool reporter that day, Wolcott said Caballero is “not allowed an inordinate amount of time looking down, trying to get the pitcher to cause a violation. … Obviously, it’s caused a lot of problems in the past. It’s not going to be allowed anymore.”
Wolcott was referencing a benches-clearing incident in Monday’s game against the Pirates, when Pittsburgh reliever Dennis Santana took exception to Caballero’s actions, leading to a pitch being waved off before Caballero grounded into a double play.
“I’m not mad at anyone,” Caballero said. “I just want to be a baseball player.”