MLB tells umpire Doug Eddings he made a mistake in demanding Cardinals pitcher straighten his hat

Umpire’s hat‑tipping comment sparks MLB censure, Cardinals manager’s ire

A controversial on‑field remark by veteran umpire Doug Eddings during a Friday night matchup between the Colorado Rockies and the St. Louis Cardinals prompted an official rebuke from Major League Baseball and a heated confrontation with Cardinals manager Oli Marmol.

The incident

In the early innings of the Rockies‑Cardinals game at Coors Field, rookie Cardinals reliever Hancel Rincon made his major‑league debut. Rincon was wearing his baseball cap at an angle that many fans recognize as a common style, but Eddings intervened and told the pitcher to straighten it. Eddings said the action was prompted by a comment from Rockies batter Hunter Goodman, who allegedly asked the pitcher to “wear his hat like that.” Eddings later clarified that he had asked the catcher to pass the message to Rincon, and the pitcher complied.

Rincon, who was still learning the ropes, stated that Eddings apologized to him after the game and wished him luck. “It was nothing personal,” he said, “and everything stays here.” Goodman's own statement, released immediately after the game, denied that he had mentioned the hat at all. “I never once mentioned the hat,” he told reporters. “I’m trying to find out where the ball is coming out, and I’m not worried about how he’s wearing his hat.”

Manager’s reaction

Marmol, visibly frustrated, approached the umpiring crew during the game and told Eddings, “grow the f*** up.” The exchange led to Marmol’s ejection, and he later called the umpire’s intervention a “power‑hungry move.” “I had an issue with 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,” Marmol told the media. “That’s just a power‑hungry move, in my opinion.”

The Cardinals’ players and coaching staff made the hat angle a point of unity. Ahead of Sunday’s game, many of them wore their caps tilted in the dugout, and some added a celebratory helmet tilt when reaching first base.

League response

MLB officials, who typically avoid public criticism of umpires, issued a formal statement on Sunday. The league’s communications department said that it had spoken with Eddings and concluded that he had exceeded the permissible scope of an umpire’s discretion. “Umpires operate with broad discretion if they believe a player’s actions are distracting,” the statement read, “but the league viewed Eddings’ admonishment of Rincon as going too far.”

Ken Rosenthal, writing for the New York Times’ “Athletic” supplement, confirmed that league sources had briefed him on the matter. “According to two people briefed on the matter who were granted anonymity because they are not authorized to speak publicly, the league viewed Eddings’ admonishment of Rincon as going too far,” Rosenthal reported.

Eddings has not issued a public apology beyond his statement to the press after the game. He said, “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.”

Aftermath

Rincon pitched again on Saturday, this time with his hat tilted as he preferred. The umpiring crew, including Eddings, remained on duty for the weekend, and no further incidents occurred. While the hat itself is not a violation of any MLB rule, the episode underscores the league’s emphasis on maintaining decorum and respecting the boundaries of umpire authority.

In the end, the incident has left a brief but memorable chapter in the ongoing conversation about umpire discretion, player conduct, and the line between a lighthearted observation and a perceived overreach.