DENVER – Reacting to online criticism directed his way, Rockies catcher Hunter Goodman forcefully denied complaining about the angle of the bill of Cardinals pitcher Hancel Rincon’s cap during Friday night’s loss to the Cardinals at Coors Field.
Home-plate umpire Doug Eddings ordered Rincon to straighten the angle of his bill during the sixth inning. The umpire’s move prompted an argument that led to Eddings ejecting Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol.
After the game, Eddings spoke to 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.”
News articles identified Goodman as the batter.
“I never once mentioned the hat,” Goodman said before sparking a decisive four-run seventh with a bases-loaded single in the Rockies' 10-7 win on Saturday. “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.
“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 or looked like that when I was hitting. Anyways, I don’t pay attention to that stuff.”
But he could not miss comments sent his way.
“I’ve been getting online stuff about me that I didn’t appreciate for something I didn’t say.”
On Friday, Eddings admitted that Rincon wasn’t breaking a rule, but he maintained it was appropriate for him to give what Marmol called “a directive,” as opposed to advice.
“It's not [a rule],” Eddings said. “I guess it's a little unwritten rule. They can't wear [their cap] backwards like a catcher. If it's a distraction, like anything on the field, like a glove or something, and someone makes you aware of it, then you kind of address that.”
According to Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer, Eddings insisted that he did not mention Goodman.
“I've known Doug for a while now, and I like Doug -- I knew he'd shoot me straight,” Schaeffer said. "Goody was very clear to me today that he said nothing about a guy's hat, like the whole hat saga. He said nothing [to Eddings], and you trust your player. So, I just wanted to make sure I went out there and made sure that Dougie wasn't disrespecting Goody.
“I was going to go there, but he [Eddings] told me he didn't say anything. So it must have been a misspeak in the media, or something must have happened. I don't know. But he told me he didn't mention Goody's name one time to anybody, so I have to trust him on that one.”
Rincon, who spoke to reporters in Spanish, interpreted by Cardinals bullpen catcher Kleininger Teran, had what he described as a "cordial" meeting with Eddings before the game.
“I understood a couple words and it looked like he apologized to me for what happened last night, and he also told me good luck the rest of my career as a big leaguer,” Rincon said. “I told him don't worry, it's nothing personal, and everything stays here.”
Eddings was not made available to speak to reporters after Saturday’s game, but regarding his conversation with Rincon, an MLB spokesperson said the “gesture by Doug on the field speaks for itself.”