The first Yankees vs Red Sox game of the season became the talk of the town, but not because of a close fight. It was a New York batter’s attempt at gamesmanship that didn’t just fail but also earned him the wrath of the entire ballpark.

“Loser stuff. What a douche. Please, someone, drill him next time,” a fan shared on social media. 

José Caballero tried to take advantage of the pitch clock rule during Tuesday’s game. While he wanted to play tricks with and rattle the pitcher, fans saw it as unnecessary stunts. They wanted to see baseball skills, not tolerate psychological schemes. 

The Yankees were leading 3-0, with the bases loaded and two outs in the top of the sixth when Caballero came to bat. Red Sox pitcher Jack Anderson threw an 84 mph slider and made him swing and miss. Caballero then started playing mind tricks with the RHP. 

According to the MLB rules, the batter must be fully ready and looking at the pitcher with 8 seconds left on the pitch clock. However, Caballero stared at the ground, waiting until the very last second to look up.

Anderson began his throwing momentum before the batter was ready and earned a penalty. The rule says the pitcher needs to start his momentum before the clock hits 0. But he cannot start that unless the batter is ready in the first place.

It worked at first as Anderson got hit by two pitch clock violations in a row. But it wasn’t enough. Plate umpire Austin Jones explained the rules to both the pitcher and the batter. Anderson regrouped and then struck out Caballero with a fastball.

The 29-year-old infielder tried to pull the same stunt again in the 9th inning when the Yankees were up by 4-0. This time, he faced LHP Tyler Samaniego.

Despite being a rookie, Samaniego kept his calm and avoided the automatic ball. José missed the clock by a second, and the umpire signaled an automatic strike for the batter. Fenway Park erupted as it was his third strike.

The Yankees won the game 4-0, taking a lead in the series. But Boston was angrier at the poor attitude from Caballero than at the shutout.

José Caballero’s failed mind game triggers frustration across social media 

“Embarrassing. Get up and swing the bat, don’t play games,” one user wrote on X. While people were furious with his tricks, what threw them over was how he didn’t use his bat as much as he did his psychological skills. He had one hit from 4 at-bats without a single run. 

Had New York lost the game, he might have been chewed out by the Yankees Nation. 

“Never been so happy to see a hitter rung up. Caballero wants to play little games instead of batting,” one fan exclaimed. The automatic strike worked like a sweet revenge for the Red Sox fans. 

“He gets warned for this nearly every game,” said another user. 

José Caballero is the certified bad boy in this context, as he often earns fan hate by playing mind games with the opposition. He has tried to manipulate the 8-second mark on multiple occasions to intentionally irk the pitchers.

A similar incident in 2023 had Gerrit Cole so frustrated with this that he fired a 97 mph fastball high over Caballero’s head. The hit to the backstop was a “warning pitch.” Cole ultimately won the battle. He struck out Caballero on the very next pitch before famously wagging his finger at Seattle’s dugout.

“Surprised pitcher didn’t throw at Caballero. If he keeps it up, a pitcher will eventually throw one at him,” one fan ranted. 

José often baits the pitchers to do that because he knows that a hit-by-pitch will only go in his favor. He has earned several free trips to first base by leaving his elbow in the path of the pitches. And yes, he comes prepared with heavy elbow armor to reduce the impacts. 

“Can’t flirt with the clock and then bi–h about it when you get caught lacking, Caballero and the Yankees remain as hateable as ever,” read another comment from a (probably Red Sox) fan. 

Manager Aaron Boone was seen rushing towards the umpire when Caballero was awarded the automatic strike. Fans found it irritating that he allowed the mind games but came to argue when José himself missed the timer. 

What was meant to be a clever ploy became a reminder of the strict and necessary rules. While playing mind games isn’t new in sports, José Caballero rightfully earned the criticism for his own misjudgment.