New York Yankees infielder José Caballero defended his pre-pitch routine on Monday night, which ignited a confrontation with Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Dennis Santana and ultimately caused both dugouts to clear.
Caballero has developed a reputation for delaying his engagement with pitchers until the last possible moment, a tactic that drew the ire of Santana during the eighth inning of the Yankees' eventual victory. The incident occurred after Caballero grounded out to Santana, but the exchange escalated quickly.
"The whole league should know who I am, what I do in the box, and they should be aware of it," Caballero stated postgame. "And for you to be mad at something the league implemented in this league [batters have until eight seconds left on the pitch clock to engage], he shouldn’t be mad at me — he should be mad at someone else."
Santana acknowledged he was aware of Caballero's strategy to some extent but felt it was unnecessary, especially with the Yankees holding an 8-5 lead at the time. "I got caught up in the game," Santana admitted. "He shouldn’t be delaying me on every pitch."
Yankees manager Aaron Boone offered a more relaxed perspective, calling it a case of "boys will be boys," but also noted that pitchers can be surprised by Caballero's approach. "I completely understand, it’s part of his process getting ready mentally to hit. And frankly, I think more guys should," Boone said.
Caballero echoed this sentiment, suggesting that if players are unfamiliar with his tactics, they should practice accordingly. "If you’re not used to it, you should practice," he added.
The game was delayed for several minutes as players and coaches from both teams came onto the field. No ejections were reported following the incident.
