Colorado Rockies catcher Hunter Goodman denied complaining about the bill of the cap of St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Hancel Rincon during Friday’s game in Denver.
Home-plate umpire Doug Eddings told Rincon to adjust his cap during the sixth inning, prompting an argument that led to the ejection of Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol.
Many wondered if Goodman said anything to Eddings about the cap, and the player admitted he received critical comments online.
“I never once mentioned the hat,” Goodman told reporters, according to MLB.com. “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.”
Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer noted that Eddings said 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.”
