José Caballero has spent the better part of a month trying to game MLB’s pitch-clock rules. But on Wednesday, the umpires fired back.
The New York Yankees were outraged after home-plate umpire Quinn Wolcott issued Caballero a strike for a pitch-clock violation Wednesday, which crew chief Adrian Johnson revealed was a call that came from MLB after the Yankees’ 5-3 extra-inning loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Yankees hitting coach James Rowson was ejected for arguing on Caballero’s behalf, after Watson cited him during the sixth inning of their loss in Game 1 of a split doubleheader.
Crew Chief: MLB Instructed Umpires ‘to Violate’ Jose Caballero for Pitch-Clock Gamesmanship
Caballero has been playing coy with opposing pitchers for weeks by making eye contact exactly at the 8-second mark of the pitch clock â which is the point at which hitters are, by rule, supposed to be available to hit a pitch.
But on Wednesday, Caballero was issued a strike by Watson on his second pitch of the at-bat, even though he appeared to be in eye contact with Pirates reliever Carmen Mlodzinski, which made the count 0-2.
Hot microphones caught Caballero telling Watson “you’re picking on me,” which Johnson effectively confirmed after the game.
“He’s been warned all season,” Johnson told a pool reporter after Game 1. “We were instructed not to warn him. We were instructed to violate him. That’s what it is. It’s a violation.”
Caballero struck out looking to end the inning.
The Yankees infielder has been rubbing opponents the wrong way for his pitch-clock gaming. Most recently, Caballero drew the ire of Pirates reliever Dennis Santana by making eye contact late in the eighth inning of the Yankees’ 8-5 win Monday.
Santana challenged Caballero after he grounded into an inning-ending double play, which led to the benches clearing.
The Yankees ‘Plead the Fifth’ on Jose Caballero’s Pitch-Clock Issue
Caballero, who has been a lightning-rod player across the majors throughout his four-year MLB career, explained why he felt singled out.
“I can name players that I’ve seen deceiving the pitchers,” Caballero said after the game. “But [the umpires] don’t call it on them.”
Yankees manager Aaron Boone had words with Watson in the moment but later refused to comment on the incident between the umpire and his infielder.
“I’m gonna plead the fifth here,” Boone said. “Major League Baseball came out with something new today, so we’ve got to change again.”
“Very,” Boone added, when asked by Meredith Marakovits of the YES Network about how frustrating the new MLB ruling was.
Caballero addressed reporters after the game and explained what he was told on the umpires’ ruling.
“They said I was deceiving, or something like that, to the pitcher,” Caballero said. “I’m not trying to trick someone because I do the same thing over and over for like my last 50 at-bats.”
The issue came up during Caballero’s third plate appearance of the game, and before his seventh pitch seen. The Yankees were trailing 2-0, with Jazz Chisholm Jr. on first base and two outs, when Caballero was informed of the rule change.
“If you want to change the rule, at least [notify] us before the game,” he said. “It’s frustrating for me.”
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