Doug Eddings’s decision to intervene over Hancel Rincon’s tilted cap was always going to frustrate the Cardinals. The fact that the umpire later acknowledged the rookie had not violated a written rule only sharpened the backlash. What began as a brief exchange during Rincon’s Major League debut, however, quickly became a larger issue for St. Louis.

Oliver Marmol was ejected Friday after stepping in to defend Rincon during the dispute. After the game, he questioned why Eddings had taken issue with the rookie’s cap in the first place.

“I had an issue with Doug. Just Doug,” he said post-game, as per MLB.com. “He took it upon himself to tell our rookie pitcher the kid’s ‘not going to wear his hat on my field that way.’ You got Dontrelle Willis, CC Sabathia, Pedro Strop, plenty of guys that have worn it way more tilted. I have an issue with that. That’s just a power-hungry move, in my opinion.”

The Cardinals carried that frustration into Saturday. During pregame warmups, several players tilted their caps, and many continued wearing them that way in the dugout throughout the game. According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the group settled on the gesture during the ride to the ballpark. As one team member explained, “This is for Rincon today.”

The response extended beyond the Cardinals’ clubhouse. A few Rockies players tilted their caps in support, while several St. Louis players turned their helmets to the side after reaching base. Fans seated behind the Cardinals’ dugout followed suit, and Cardinals radio broadcaster John Rooney wore his cap angled to the side for several innings.

“It’s a big support,” Rincon said. “Obviously, when you are together, like this group, we’re gonna be much better.”

To which Marmol echoed, “It’s a really tight-knit group. I love the fact that regardless of what’s going on, they always have each other’s backs.”

Rincon also kept his brim tilted, making clear that the previous night’s exchange had not changed how he wears his cap. Despite the cold attitude, Eddings apologized to Rincon during a brief talk on Saturday, which he accepted.

He added, “He also told me good luck with the rest of my career as a big leaguer. I told him, ‘Don’t worry, it’s nothing personal, and everything stays here.’”

Now, what was the issue? In case you’d missed it, on Friday, umpire Eddings raised an issue with Rincon’s hat, whose brim was tilted to the left. Rincon, who made his Major League debut that day, did as was asked. Marmol eventually confronted Eddings before being ejected from the dugout.

When MLB.com reached out to Eddings for an explanation, he stated a batter had reached out to him, pointed at Rincon, and asked, ‘Hey, can he wear his hat like that?’

His comments were initially interpreted as identifying Rockies catcher Hunter Goodman as the batter who had complained about Rincon’s cap.

“I never once mentioned the hat,” Goodman denied. “It doesn’t matter who’s pitching. I don’t care how they wear the hat. I’m trying to find out where the ball is coming out, and I’m trying to worry about what I’m doing in the box. I’m not worried about how his hat looks.”

Regardless, it doesn’t matter who, when, or if someone complained to Eddings. It was his choice as an umpire to make the call regarding an “unwritten rule,” by his own admission, and he did. Protest aside, it doesn’t look like the problem will die soon. 

Marmol, for example, stated he believes the situation was “poorly handled.” He talked with Eddings before Saturday’s pregame. He also talked to Michael Hill, Major League Baseball’s Senior Vice President of On-Field Operations and Workforce Development. When asked about the meeting, Marmol only said, “I feel great about my conversation.” 

Though this hat-gate has taken over the headlines these days, Rincon’s debut didn’t go as planned either. 

Hancel Rincon’s MLB debut gets off to a rough start

Hancel Rincon’s debut on Friday night in Denver quickly spiraled. Entering with St. Louis ahead, the rookie recorded one out but was charged with three earned runs on three hits before Justin Bruihl replaced him.

After Hunter Goodman lined out to second for Rincon’s first Major League out, TJ Rumfield tripled to right. Cole Carrigg followed with a 428-foot inside-the-park home run, and Connor Norby singled before Rincon’s night ended.

Still, Rincon’s difficult debut did not decide the opener. The Rockies carried a 5-4 lead into the ninth, but Thomas Saggese led off the inning with a walk before José Fermín reached on a throwing error by Norby. With runners on second and third and one out, Ivan Herrera delivered a three-run homer to center field to put St. Louis back in front.

Despite the rough start, Rincon remained upbeat about finally reaching the Major Leagues.

Riley O’Brien closed out the bottom of the ninth, and the Cardinals held on for a 7-6 win. Herrera’s late heroics allowed St. Louis to overcome the five-run sixth inning that had spoiled its early lead.

“It’s a dream come true to be in the big leagues. Obviously stuff like that happens. It’s OK. The game goes fast, but my dream came true, and I feel really happy about it,” he stated.

Saturday was not much kinder to the rookie. Rincon breezed through a 1-2-3 sixth inning and notched his first career strikeout against Zac Veen. He struggled in the seventh, however, allowing a hit, a walk, a hit-by-pitch and another single before exiting without recording an out in the inning.

The Cardinals had built an early three-run lead, with Joshua Báez hitting a solo homer in the second and Herrera adding a two-run shot in the fifth. Matthew Liberatore carried a no-hitter through four innings, but Colorado broke through in the fifth and scored six runs.

St. Louis could not recover from the big inning, falling 10-7 to the Rockies in the middle game of the three-game series. The loss dropped the Cardinals to 71-72.

While the Cardinals now turn their attention to the series finale, the fallout from Doug Eddings’ decision to intervene over Rincon’s tilted cap is unlikely to disappear immediately. The team made its position clear through Saturday’s show of support, even as Rincon looks to settle in after a turbulent start to his Major League career.