Players from the New York Yankees and Cincinnati Reds engaged in a lengthy, patriotic standoff after the national anthem was played before a Fourth of July game in the Bronx.
The stalemate, which began with at least five players involved, was eventually whittled down to four after Yankees starting pitcher Marcus Stroman finished warming up. Reds pitchers Graham Ashcraft and Carson Spiers, along with Yankees pitchers Ian Hamilton and Cody Poteet, stood firm with their hats pressed to their chests after “The Star-Spangled Banner” finished.
“There’s nothing to do today. I’m going to stay here until I win, I’m out, or both.”
Bally Sports Cincinnati reporter Jim Day described what was happening in front of the dugout.
“It was a good old fashioned baseball game, a good old fashioned showdown,” Day said while reviewing the tape.
“You don’t see that a lot in the major leagues anymore, but Graham Ashcraft, Carson Spiers and the Yankees, they’re getting five to 10 minutes of attention at this point,” Day added. Live Feed.
The remaining four players didn’t seem to budge when the umpire ordered them off the field, and first base umpire Jonathan Parra laughed as he tried to persuade the Yankees players, who looked blank-faced, chewing gum and staring straight ahead.
“It wasn’t even planned,” Ashcraft said. MLB.com“We all took a quick look and saw they weren’t moving,” one of the guys said to Carson. [Spiers] “They told me to stay. I was like, ‘I’m not moving, I’m staying with you. I don’t have anything to do today. I’m staying until we win or we’re out, or both,'” the pitcher recalled.
Fortunately for the players involved, home plate umpire Alan Porter left to retrieve his equipment, extending the stalemate, and the players were warned that if they continued their shenanigans after the first batter took his turn at bat, they would all be ejected.
Spiers was ejected first, leaving Ashcraft to face off against the two Yankees. After at least 10 to 15 minutes, according to reports, the Yankees decided to leave the game and Ashcraft emerged as a fist-pumping winner.
“If you’re going to win, you’ve got to win, right?” Ashcraft told reporters.
First baseman Spencer Steer added that he thought the win was “pretty awesome” and gave his team “a little bit of an edge.”
Perhaps that advantage paid off, as the Reds won the game. 8-4.
But as history has shown, umpires aren’t always as forgiving as they were at Yankee Stadium, so the Fourth of July folly could have been a lot worse.
The umpires were unhappy with the start of the match being delayed due to a stand-off. 2022 matches Seattle Mariners vs Kansas City Royals.
Robbie Ray of the Mariners and Luke Weaver of the Royals were both ejected as home plate umpire Adrian Johnson signaled for the players to return to the dugout.
It initially looked like the Mariners had won because Weaver made the first move, but both players were eventually ejected. The game had already been delayed three minutes by the time the players were ejected.
Some umpires seem to have a better sense of humor than others.
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