Cardinals and Rockies Players Backed Hansel Rincón After Cap Dispute With Umpire

A routine equipment correction quickly became a test of team unity, with a rookie pitcher at the center of an unexpected clubhouse statement. Players for the St. Louis Cardinals and Colorado Rockies conspicuously wore baseball caps with their brims tilted to the side on Saturday, Sept. 7. They were likely showing their support for Cardinals rookie Hansel Rincón following a dispute between team manager Oliver Marmol and umpire Doug Eddings. As reported by CNN The conflict arose the previous day during Rincón's MLB debut. Eddings asked the pitcher to straighten his cap. According to Marmol, the umpire said Rincón 'wasn't going to wear his cap like that on his field.' The manager then came out of the dugout, argued with Eddings and was ejected from the game. Players from both teams showed their support for the rookie Most St. Louis Cardinals players tilted their caps during pregame warmups. Some kept their caps tilted while sitting in the dugout, and a few players even tilted their batting helmets after reaching base. At least several Colorado Rockies players joined the gesture. Rincón said Eddings briefly apologized to him on the field before Saturday's game. The 24-year-old pitcher from the Dominican Republic, speaking through an interpreter, said he accepted the apology. The umpire also spoke with Marmol before the game. The manager described the conversation as brief and said it 'didn't mean much.' We've had difficult stretches throughout the season, but our greatest strength has remained our ability to come together, support everyone in the clubhouse and stand up for one another. – Matthew Liberatore, St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher This is a very close-knit group. I love that no matter the circumstances, they always support one another. – Oliver Marmol, St. Louis Cardinals manager How events unfolded during Hansel Rincón's debut In Friday's game, Rincón entered in relief in the sixth inning. He tilted the brim of his cap to the left, but straightened it after Eddings' warning. The pitcher then struck out Hunter Goodman. Later, T.J. Rumfield hit a triple and scored on a wild throw. After that, Cole Carrigg hit an inside-the-park home run. Another single prompted St. Louis to replace Rincón with Justin Bruihl. That was when Marmol came out of the dugout to speak with Eddings. The umpire ejected the manager during Colorado's five-run inning. After the game, Marmol said he considered the umpire's behavior an expression of an excessive desire for authority. He also noted that Dontrelle Willis, CC Sabathia and Pedro Strop had previously worn caps with their brims tilted much farther to the side. On Saturday, the Colorado Rockies defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 10-5. The day before, the Cardinals won 7-6 on Iván Herrera's three-run home run in the ninth inning.