Hunter Goodman pushed back hard on the idea that he complained about Hancel Rincon’s hat Friday night, saying he never brought it up during the Rockies’ 7-6 loss to the Cardinals at Coors Field.
The confusion started in the sixth inning when home-plate umpire Doug Eddings told Rincon to straighten the angle of his bill. That call sparked an argument and eventually got Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol ejected.
After the game, Eddings said the sequence began with a comment from the batter.
“The batter said, ‘Hey, can he wear his hat like that?’” Eddings recounted after the game.
“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.”
News reports later identified Goodman as that batter. Eddings’ request came two batters after Goodman lined out to open the sixth.
Goodman, though, said the online blowback aimed at him was off base.
“I never once mentioned the hat,” Goodman said. “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.”
He also said the reaction he got online crossed a line.
“I’ve been getting online stuff about me that I didn’t appreciate for something I didn’t say.”
Eddings later acknowledged that Rincon was not violating a rule, but said he still believed it was fair to issue what Marmol described as “a directive,” not merely advice.
“It's not [a rule],” Eddings said. “I guess it's a little unwritten rule.
They can't wear [their cap] backwards like a catcher. If it's a distraction, like anything on the field, like a glove or something, and someone makes you aware of it, then you kind of address that.”
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