In a twist to a saga that riled the baseball world, Colorado Rockies catcher Hunter Goodman on Saturday denied saying anything to umpire Doug Eddings about St. Louis Cardinals reliever Hancel Rincón’s cap, comments that came a day after the cap and its tilt were at the center of a confrontation between Cardinals manager Oli Marmol and Eddings. “I never mentioned the cap,” Goodman told reporters in Denver, according to MLB.com. “It doesn’t matter who’s pitching. I don’t care how they wear their cap. I’m trying to figure out where the ball is coming from, and I’m trying to care about what I’m doing in the box. I’m not worried about what their cap looks like.” The scene unfolded in the sixth inning on Friday night, when Rincón was making his MLB debut. He was down 2-0 against Cole Carrigg with one out when Eddings ordered Cardinals catcher Leo Bernal, also a rookie, to tell Rincón to straighten his hat. Further down the inning, an angry Marble approached Eddings and was ejected. Home plate umpire Doug Eddings called time to tell Hancel Rincón to fix his hat. Oli Mármol was later ejected after defending Rincón, who was making his MLB debut. pic.twitter.com/UXY2zEA7JE — Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) September 5, 2026 Goodman, who had come to the plate two batters earlier, was linked to the story in later reports, which indicated that the catcher had pointed out the tilt of Rincón’s hat. But Saturday’s reports were a little murkier. MLB.com, for example, noted that Eddings did not use the batter’s name in his comments. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported: “Eddings’ explanation suggested this happened when Rincón started the inning and faced his first batter, Hunter Goodman of the Rockies.” “The batter said, ‘Hey, can you wear your hat like this?'” Eddings said Friday, according to the Post-Dispatch. “I didn’t really know it, but it was very, very crooked. I asked the catcher to tell him to straighten his cap, and the pitcher did.” On Saturday, Goodman said he had received criticism because he became involved in the dispute. “I’ve been getting things about myself online that I didn’t appreciate for something I didn’t say,” she said. Marmol, who was ejected by Eddings after he adjusted his cap while arguing with him on the field, told reporters he thought Eddings’ actions were “disgraceful.” “I thought it was mishandled,” Mármol said Friday night, “and we’ll see what happens.” The Major League Baseball Players Association has been in contact with the players involved and the commissioner’s office about the situation, another person close to the situation said Saturday. When asked for comment, an MLB spokesperson pointed The Athletic to Eddings’ comments to reporters after Friday’s game. A message to the MLB Umpires Association went unanswered. No disciplinary action was announced for either Mármol or Eddings. In Denver, Eddings seemed to try to do things right. After the top of the first night on Saturday, the Cardinals’ broadcast captured footage of the St. Louis relievers heading to the bullpen. Eddings, who was working third base, stopped Rincón and appeared to have a friendly exchange with the reliever. Still, the expulsion and outrage over Rincón’s cap simmered online and reached the field. Some Cardinals players were seen in their dugout before the game sporting askew caps, and one player incorporated a slight hat tilt into his post-hit celebration. Later in the game, Rincón made his second major league appearance. The umpires allowed him to pitch with his cap tilted this time, but Rincón was knocked out for four runs and four hits in more than an inning. The final hit scored the Rockies’ seventh and eighth runs, which meant free tacos for everyone in attendance, as well as the end of Rincón’s night on the mound. The Rockies ultimately held on to win, 10-7. Some Cardinals players are wearing their hats askew today pic.twitter.com/jJZvDiB58t — Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) September 6, 2026 Of course, if Eddings had chosen a similar path the night before, there would have been no such backlash, even with Atlanta Braves Hall of Famer Chipper Jones and former All-Star center fielder Mike Cameron weighing in via posts on X. “Ahhhh Doug Eddings…” Jones wrote. “I think I talked about his behavior and attitude a while ago. Not surprising at all!” “Sorry,” Cameron wrote, “there was no need for Doug Eddings’ comment about a rookie and his cap…he was a rookie once and this isn’t his debut…if he wants to maintain a standard, it should be his own game.” Check out the hat tip for the Cardinals tonight 🧢🔥 pic.twitter.com/7N03FsNY8D — Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) September 6, 2026 Minnesota Twins manager Derek Shelton said “yes,” when asked if it was shocking to see Eddings’ directive to Rincón to adjust his hat. “I’ll stop at that,” Shelton said. “You know what? I wasn’t involved in that game.” New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “I had a good conversation with the league about it when I saw it, though.” It’s not an umpire’s job to play like a uniformed cop, Twins reliever Jeff Hoffman said. “Who’s to say your hat isn’t tight enough?” Hoffmann said. “Who’s to say your hat isn’t straight enough? There are more important things to spend your time on. To me, players are there to play. Referees are there to officiate. That’s all.”—Dan Hayes and Chris Kirschner contributed to this report.
