José Caballero’s pitch-clock routine set off the kind of late-game tension that can turn a routine at-bat into a full-on scene Monday night at Yankee Stadium.
In the eighth inning of the Yankees’ 8-5 win over the Pirates, benches cleared after Caballero and Pittsburgh reliever Dennis Santana jawed at each other across the diamond. Teammates stepped in on both sides, the shouting carried on for more than a minute, and eventually everyone drifted back to the dugouts without any punches thrown.
Santana said the issue was Caballero’s habit of waiting until the pitch clock hits eight seconds before he acknowledges the pitcher. Under MLB rules, that is the latest a hitter can wait before making eye contact.
The pitcher also has to address the hitter by then. If the pitcher misses the mark, it’s a ball.
If the batter does, it’s an automatic strike.
“He can do it,” Santana said, “but not every pitch. That’s when I get mad, like, ‘Oh my God.
What’s going on? That’s too much.'”
Santana said Caballero kept to the same routine even with the Yankees ahead by three and a runner on first. He said he yelled for Caballero to speed it up, though he also said he knew that’s what Caballero does every time.
“It’s nothing against him,” the pitcher said. “It’s just a game. I got caught up in the game.”
The exchange started with umpire Paul Clemons stepping in at the beginning of the at-bat and warning Santana to be ready to make eye contact with Caballero at the eight-second mark.
“At this point,” Caballero said, “he’s lucky that he doesn’t get a ball right away.”
Caballero said he was caught off guard by Santana’s reaction.
“I grounded out off home plate,” the shortstop said. “He got what he wanted: A groundball for a double play.
He should go to the other side (the Pirates’ dugout). He was walking to the wrong side.”
Neither player said he had ever spoken to the other before.
“I think it was the speed of the game,” Santana said. “I’m not used to people waiting too much at home plate.”
Pirates manager Don Kelly said Santana handled the moment well once the yelling started.
“He stayed in the moment and continued to pitch and made his pitches and got a double play,” Kelly said.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone brushed it off with a line that fit the mood.
“Boys will be boys,” Boone said.
Caballero’s approach has bothered opposing pitchers - and even some umpires - throughout the season. The 29-year-old said he doesn’t understand why it still gets under people’s skin when the rules have been in place for four years.
“At this point,” Caballero said, “it’s been four years with the same rules, which we all should know about the rules. The whole league should know who I am, what I do in the box, and they should be aware of it.
And for you to get mad at something the league is implementing in this league, you shouldn’t be mad at me. You should be mad at someone else.”
Caballero said he isn’t trying to provoke anyone, but he’s not changing his routine either.
“I’m trying to take my time,” he said. “I don’t want them to mess with my time.
I do my routine as always. It’s just part of my routine.
If you get frustrated, I’m winning. For me, it’s a battle in the box, and I’m trying to win the battle.
If you are not concentrating 100 percent, I think I’m winning.
“At the end of the day, it’s a rule that’s been out there for four years now. If you’re not used to it, you should practice.”
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