Cardinals manager ejected after rookie told to straighten hat - ESPN

St. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol blew his top after things went a little sideways for reliever Hancel Rincon in his major league debut.

The 24-year-old right-hander entered Friday night's game against the Colorado Rockies in the sixth inning and was asked by plate umpire Doug Eddings to adjust his hat, which Rincon had been wearing tilted to his left-hand side.

Rincon straightened his hat then got the first batter he faced to line out. However, that was followed by Rincon giving up a triple, throwing a wild pitch that scored that runner, allowing an inside-the-park home run and yielding another single before he was pulled.

During the pitching change, Marmol confronted Eddings.

«I had an issue with Doug,» Marmol said after the game. «Just Doug. He took it upon himself to tell our rookie pitcher the kid's 'not going to wear his hat on my field that way.' You got [former pitchers] Dontrelle Willis, CC Sabathia, Pedro Strop — plenty of guys that have worn it way more tilted. I have an issue with that. That's just a power-hungry move, in my opinion.»

Eddings ultimately assessed a pitch clock violation to the Cardinals due to Marmol's continued protest before the St. Louis manager was ejected.

Eddings said he told Rincon to adjust his hat after the first batter of the inning, Rockies catcher Hunter Goodman, asked the umpire if Rincon was allowed to wear his hat tilted.

«I really didn't know, but it was really, really crooked,» Eddings said. «I asked the [Cardinals] catcher to tell him to straighten his hat out, and the pitcher did. Nobody said anything until he gave up a couple runs.»

Eddings characterized the situation as an «unwritten rule.»

«It's not [a rule],» Eddings said. «I guess it's a little unwritten rule.