José Caballero claimed “the whole league should know who I am” after he enraged Dennis Santana with his time-wasting in the batter’s box and caused the benches to clear in the eighth inning.
The Yankees infielder has gained a reputation for not engaging with pitchers until the last possible moment, and it set off the Pirates pitcher Monday night — even after he grounded Caballero into a double play.
Caballero hit a tame grounder to the pitcher before being thrown out moments later, but the pair jawed after the play concluded as things quickly escalated.
Caballero said after the game that he didn’t believe he and Santana could actually hear each other’s barbs — but that didn’t stop both benches and bullpens from swarming the field as the game was delayed several minutes.
“The whole league should know who I am, what I do in the box, and they should be aware of it,” Caballero said.
“And for you to be mad at something the league implemented in this league [batters have until eight seconds left in the pitch clock to engage], he shouldn’t be mad at me — he should be mad at someone else.”
For his part, Santana admitted he was aware of Caballero’s strategy “a little bit” before the game, but that it’s “not my problem.”
He admitted that he got “caught up in the game,” and that he didn’t think Caballero should be delaying him on every pitch with the Yankees already leading 8-5.
Aaron Boone, meanwhile, cracked that “sometimes boys will be boys,” but admitted that pitchers can be caught off guard by Caballero’s antics.
“I completely understand, it’s part of his process getting ready mentally to hit. And frankly, I think more guys should,” Boone said.
“If you’re not used to it, you should practice,” Caballero added.
