r/baseball • u/Wallaby_Wallaby • Sep 05 '26

Players Only Full Sequence of umpire Doug Eddings on a power trip

  1. Demanded that pitcher Hancel Rincon (in his MLB debut) straighten his hat since no one will wear a hat like that on "his field".

  2. Cardinals manager Oli Marmol went to talk to Eddings about the hat incident during a pitching change, Eddings gave the Cardinals a pitch clock violation and ejected Marmol.

  3. A couple batters later, with the Cardinals out of challenges, Eddings made a terrible call on a play at the plate to gift the Rockies the lead.

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2.6k

u/RicoHavoc St. Louis Cardinals Sep 05 '26

An ump willing to throw a game over a grudge would certainly be willing to for $$$

317

u/ThatPlayWasAwful Philadelphia Phillies Sep 05 '26

I can't fathom somebody not being okay with a hat being slightly askew, but having no issue with making the wrong call to send a message. 

Feels like one of those is much more disrespectful to the game than the other

123

u/ShamPain413 St. Louis Cardinals Sep 05 '26

lol Doug Eddings doesn't care about the game

1

u/Skitch_Hitchcock Sep 07 '26

Eddings is a b I itch.

114

u/yoshidawg93 Atlanta Braves Sep 05 '26

Eddings even admitted he didn't know if it was a rule, then said it's kind of an unwritten rule (or something like that). So he admitted he did all of that for something that clearly isn't a big deal at all. And going along with all the other blatant garbage he's done over the years, he needs to be fired.

15

u/Oo__II__oO Sep 05 '26

If it's an unwritten rule, it's not a rule.

1

u/StatMatt Philadelphia Phillies Sep 06 '26

He must have nightmares of Fernando Rodney. What a loser.

1

u/madhatterlock Sep 06 '26

Someone needs to check Eddings Kalshi account..

1

u/CommonSenseInfinity Sep 09 '26

Baseball and their "unwritten" rules... what a joke from the "good 'ol days". Did they not reverse the call at the plate after the replay challenge???

39

u/BringBackBoomer Cleveland Guardians Sep 05 '26

Fathom the world through the lens of narcissism and it makes a lot more sense.

81

u/SemiAutoAvocado New York Yankees Sep 05 '26

The secret ingredient is racism.

36

u/iBarber111 Sep 05 '26

A lot of people are way more concerned with gestures & symbolism than actions. Like, I can golf with someone & be an absolute wonderful guy to them for 4 hours but if I forget to take my hat off before I shake your hand, I've greatly disrespected them.

Usually conservative boomers.

13

u/da_choppa St. Louis Cardinals • St. Louis Browns Sep 05 '26

He referred to “my field,” so total power trip narcissism

4

u/JohnMadden42069 MiLB Pride • MLB Pride Sep 05 '26

Fernando Rodney existed for how long with his hat worn weird?

3

u/scoobertsonville Sep 05 '26

It’s unfortunately totally believable for this kind of guy

977

u/throwawaywitchaccoun Seattle Mariners Sep 05 '26

It's either:

* spite, should be fired.

* incompetence, should be fired.

* gambling and game fixing, should be fired.

623

u/LongjumpingMix4034 Sep 05 '26

*Racism, should be fired.

69

u/JokerJangles123 Philadelphia Phillies Sep 05 '26

In my experience that usually falls under the first 2 categories already

10

u/Respect38 Tampa Bay Rays Sep 05 '26 edited Sep 06 '26

Fun fact: it's been known that the race of the pitcher and of the batter affects the strike zone. (that human element!)

It's of the less discussed reasons to try to automate as much about officiating that we can, and we hav the technology to do it here already...

16

u/DecentHire Los Angeles Dodgers Sep 05 '26

An umpire that wears number 88... might be racist?! No way!

2

u/Anklebender91 New York Mets Sep 05 '26

Eric lindros was rascist?

14

u/LASpleen Los Angeles Dodgers Sep 05 '26

Since I doubt he was in an American prison gang before his career, I’m going to say no. 88 is a lot more widespread and known due to the internet. 2026 isn’t the same planet as the 1990s. 

0

u/LocalSlob Philadelphia Phillies Sep 05 '26

Yeah not to mention its a kind of cool number on a jersey for a player. Just takes up a lot of fabric, if that makes sense.

5

u/squibzter Tampa Bay Devil Rays Sep 05 '26

Seriously rethinking my Vasilevskiy jersey…

0

u/LocalSlob Philadelphia Phillies Sep 05 '26

He was racist, Eric lindros?

-5

u/Anklebender91 New York Mets Sep 05 '26

That's what I'm trying to figure out. Apparently if you wear 88 you are racist.

4

u/Chamben1 St. Louis Cardinals Sep 05 '26

maybe this will help explain

-5

u/Anklebender91 New York Mets Sep 05 '26

So Andrei Vasilevsky is pro Hitler?

8

u/Chamben1 St. Louis Cardinals Sep 05 '26

You are incapable of nuance.

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2

u/SGFCardenales St. Louis Cardinals Sep 06 '26

Are you suggesting that him choosing to have the number 88 on his sleeve is a choice made by his world views? If you aren’t, I am

1

u/chiefgreen87 Sep 06 '26

It’s usually racism covered up as authority or incompetence

-62

u/[deleted] Sep 05 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

21

u/Burdwatcher St. Louis Cardinals Sep 05 '26

👌

19

u/thegeebeebee Kansas City Royals Sep 05 '26

Racist, huh?

-1

u/Substantial_Job6499 Sep 05 '26

I think immediately calling racism because the bad call involved a black person is a little silly

1

u/SpaceWorld Boston Red Sox Sep 05 '26

Why aren't you as upset about the accusations of gambling being involved? Isn't that just as arbitrary?

-33

u/[deleted] Sep 05 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

11

u/data_ferret Boston Red Sox Sep 05 '26

You know any white pitchers that wear their hat tilted like that? No? Since the hat tilt has zero impact on the game -- none, nada, not a single scrap of sausage -- the only reason to "enforce" an imaginary "no tilted hat" policy is because Eddings perceives the hat tilt as not respectable, not okay in some way. Since it's a fashion directly associated with Black and Latino players, enforcing a policy against it, especially a policy that does not exist in any way shape or form, is racist.

-7

u/torn8tv Toronto Blue Jays Sep 05 '26

Lectures of real or imagined racism coming from a fan of a Boston team is irony at it's finest

4

u/BigBankHank Sep 05 '26

Lol. Flail harder.

All humans are susceptible to racist thinking. Either you acknowledge that, reflect on how such thinking manifests in our attitudes / actions, both personally and systematically, and try to do better, or you can whine and feel victimized by the suggestion that reflecting/doing better is even possible/desireable.

That’s the critical distinction in human affairs — should we reflect and try to do better or should we feel attacked at the suggestion…

3

u/smoopthefatspider New York Mets Sep 05 '26

They're listing possible reasons (some of which are mutually exclusive). I think racism fits as one of the possible reasons. If he's making calls based on an idea of what's "proper" attire, then he might be motivated by a conscious or unconscious racist bias. This seems obvious to me.

A lot of racist attitudes are expressed through cultural issues that don't actually have anything to do with anyone's physical characteristics (eg names, accents, dialects, religion, etc). I think it's very reasonable to think this ejection might be racist. No one is saying it's an undeniable fact, but there's evidence to think it's likely. I think it belongs on that comment's list of possible reasons, especially since that list just cares about what's theoretically possible, not what we know to be his reasons).

-4

u/ThatZX6RDude Houston Astros Sep 05 '26

They hated Jesus because he spoke the truth

4

u/arrow00 Toronto Blue Jays Sep 05 '26

gambling and game fixing, should be fired.

and arrested

6

u/AtsyMcGee Houston Astros Sep 05 '26

Or unapologetic racist. Fired.

Get the m this POS out of our game.

2

u/tots4scott New York Yankees Sep 05 '26

I think its just self-grandiosity, which can be even more dangerous. He thinks that if you don't respect him the way he wanta to be,  you need to pay. A real type of "look what you made me do to you" type of person. 

2

u/SilentlyAsTheGrave Sep 06 '26

So what you’re telling me is he should be fired. Doesn’t even matter the reason lol.

374

u/MotherFuckingLuBu New York Mets Sep 05 '26

This is a good point and something that needs to be talked about more, especially with how invasive all the prop betting and gambling ads have become. It's all so gross and I'm willing to bet (lol) that one or two umpires have already called something a certain way just to make a little extra money on a prop bet.

181

u/Deohji Atlanta Braves Sep 05 '26

I'll admit that I didn't think allowing betting on sports was a big deal. I was wrong. There's a reason it's been illegal for so long.

78

u/ukexpat Philadelphia Phillies • Great Britain Sep 05 '26

And now MLB is basically in bed with the betting apps.

60

u/Patruck9 Philadelphia Phillies Sep 05 '26

And now MLB is basically in bed with the betting apps.

Every major sport*

4

u/KakeLin Philadelphia Phillies • Rays Bandwagon Sep 05 '26

I hate how true this is

3

u/Patruck9 Philadelphia Phillies Sep 05 '26

I refuse to be as invested as I used to be.

Between betting and ump/ref unions it's just encouraged to be bad at an important job.

3

u/nickx37 New York Yankees Sep 05 '26

Every competitive event*

I can go bet on who's going to win a match in a video game. Lots of them.

1

u/Schiffy94 Cincinnati Reds Sep 06 '26

Yeah but the pro sports leagues are just openly cross promoting these apps.

3

u/Schiffy94 Cincinnati Reds Sep 06 '26

"This Seventh Inning Stretch/Halftime/Power Play is brought to you by Draft Kings"

"Why are a bunch of players and staff suddenly betting on games?"

4

u/Sea_Shower3691 Arizona Diamondbacks Sep 05 '26

Same as with lobbying, I'd bet my life savings these companies have internal people who grease elbows with these folks and gift lush things or even hide money offshore for them to fix props or entire lines

66

u/classicrockchick Philadelphia Phillies Sep 05 '26

It could have not been the disaster it's been if we had put some limits on it. I think we should have treated it like cigarettes from the get-go; no advertising on TV or radio of billboards, nothing about the design can be considered enticing to children and the company is heavily fined if children are found to be customers.

Going from "this is illegal" to "do whatever you want" was the dumbest thing we could have done.

27

u/championsoffun Sep 05 '26

This can be applied across the board for just about any vice or commerce opportunity but then you're called a communist for being in favor of regulation.

3

u/KarmaticArmageddon Kansas City Royals Sep 05 '26

Yep. I'm fully in favor of complete legalization of all drugs, but do I want heroin ads to appear in YouTube pre-rolls? Fuck no.

I just want everyone I know to stop dying from fentanyl overdoses. But the only way it works is with comprehensive regulation.

3

u/oedipus_wr3x St. Louis Cardinals Sep 05 '26

When I was growing up in Missouri, gambling was confined to riverboats. Originally the boats had to travel, then the rules gradually relaxed until casinos were buildings surrounded by a water. Everyone thought the “boats in moats” were a joke, but now that gas station slot machines and online gambling are taking over, I miss having the confinement.

2

u/tempEmbarrassedBJay Sep 05 '26

The prevalence of gambling ads and their design is sickening. SO many people have very serious gambling problems now. Groups like GA have blown up in attendance. They could have allowed it without taking it so far.

2

u/GaimeGuy Minnesota Twins Sep 06 '26

And then the freedom champions or whatever you want to call them get indignant when you say there should be regulations to protect people from predatory behavior because they just need more self restraint.

These companies employ psychologists to get around that restraint.

2

u/fugaziozbourne Montreal Expos Sep 05 '26

You also shouldn't be allowed to bet on your phone. In-person betting only.

2

u/can-i-be-real St. Louis Cardinals Sep 05 '26

You are right. Also imagine it with real world implications in politics

2

u/freak47 Boston Red Sox Sep 05 '26

Me too friend. I thought it was fine, and I briefly enjoyed being able to bet once or twice a year.

This shit is toxic, and insidious, and needs major regulation put back in place. And I will never place another wager again.

1

u/Sickness69 Atlanta Braves Sep 05 '26

It ruins the integrity of the game. The fact every other commercial is gambling ads leads me to believe there is more than fans betting...

1

u/sentientshadeofgreen Seattle Mariners Sep 05 '26

Well it's not an all or nothing thing, you can simply ban people who can influence the outcome of games or who may benefit from insider information from sports betting. Then you have to treat it with the same severity as insider trading.

0

u/Inevitable-Copy3619 Sep 05 '26

Same I didn’t think it would be a problem like it is. I just wanted to pick the over under or winner, this prop shit is killing it.

52

u/stmiba Boston Red Sox • Pittsburgh Pirates Sep 05 '26

An ump willing to throw a game over a grudge would certainly be willing to for $$$

Who said he didn't just do that? Maybe he was paid to make life as miserable as possible for the Cards and possibly impact the outcome of the game in a favorable manner for whomever it was that paid him?

38

u/RicoHavoc St. Louis Cardinals Sep 05 '26

He is the one that instigated the entire incident so it's not unbelievable

3

u/27thStreet Baltimore Orioles Sep 05 '26

Sponsored by Kalshi

2

u/stmiba Boston Red Sox • Pittsburgh Pirates Sep 05 '26

My guess would be FanDuel.

3

u/MomDidntLoveMe San Francisco Giants Sep 05 '26

I disagree only bc an ump show over a bruised ego or power trip or whatever is an emotional takeover that he should be good enough to overcome. Taking money to rig a game is a more purposeful overt kind of being scummy, different kind of bad

2

u/Energy_Turtle Seattle Mariners Sep 05 '26

Good Ol' Boys mentality.

1

u/chrisofchris Texas Rangers Sep 05 '26

Pat Hoberg has entered the chat

6

u/SirBilliamWallace Chicago Cubs Sep 05 '26

Hoberg was one of the best umps in the game, though. First guy to call a perfect game umping. Most accurate in the MLB behind the plate over his last 3 years.

1

u/CapitalSell Colorado Rockies Sep 05 '26

As much as I'm sad the Rockies lost, Coors Field Chaos goes both ways and even with that abhorrent safe call on Johnston, the Chaos balanced things out.

1

u/CecilFieldersChoice2 Detroit Tigers • St. Louis Cardinals Sep 05 '26

Pablo Torre where are you???

1

u/No_Economist3788 Sep 05 '26

or a cheeseburger. how are so many of these guys such fat fucks?

1

u/Dark_Pump New York Mets Sep 05 '26

Love the bet365 tag in the corner

1

u/SizzlingSausage3 New York Yankees Sep 06 '26

The things you do when you know you can’t get fired

1

u/jarferama33 Kansas City Royals Sep 06 '26

With a bet365 ad in the corner of the screen the whole time