New York Yankees pitcher Nestor Cortes decided to get back at the umpire after a pitch clock violation call went against him.
MLB instilled a new pitch clock rule this season in order to decrease the waste of time in between pitches. As the rule is still in the early stages of implementation, the players, as well as the umpires, are finding it difficult to adjust to it. Not just that, the players protested against the pitch clock violation calls on multiple occasions in the recently concluded spring training.
Nonetheless, the rule is here to stay, and the MLB looks committed to bringing some changes to it and further simplifying the process so that the players and officials can understand it better. Meanwhile, in a recent spring training game, Nestor Cortes, the New York Yankees thrower, was caught at the wrong end and decided to pull the officials’ and hitter’s leg over it.
Nestor Cortes Hilariously Protests Pitch Violation Call
On March 28th, during a game between the New York Yankees and the Washington Nationals, Yankees pitcher Nestor Cortes violated the new pitch clock rule. The incident occurred when Nestor threw a quick pitch at Jeimer Candelario, who seemed unready and was still taking his stance. However, under the new rule, the pitcher has to make eye contact with the hitter before throwing the pitch from the mound. Hence, under these grounds, Nestor got a pitch clock violation call.
Nestor Cortes looked confused as he seemed unaware of any such sub-rules. Hence, he initially protested but was asked to stand down by the umpire behind the plate. However, the nasty Cortes decided to clap back. As he went back to the mound and prepared for his windup, he went in extreme slow motion and made a long action before eventually throwing the pitch. Furthermore, the video of Cortes’ antics went viral on social media within minutes, and the internet loved it.
Fans Hail Cortes For His Antics, Other Accuse Hitter Of Taking Undue Advantage Of New Rule
Meanwhile, the internet looked divided on the whole issue. While the Yankees fans love Nestor Cortes’ antics, others blamed the MLB for allowing the hitters to misuse the new rules in place. Apparently, some fans believe the batters in the future will deliberately avoid eye contact and waste time on the plate to gain a free violation call. However, MLB seems to rest assured that the rules are for the greater good of the game and will eventually help to up the game in the longer run.
Regardless, the fans thoroughly enjoyed the moment and had a great laugh. Meanwhile, Nestor Cortes had an excellent final spring outing. But, he cannot relax even for a second now as he will likely start second behind Gerrit Cole on the opening day. The rest of the rotation is on the injury list, and Cortes remains the only experienced thrower in the bullpen. Hence, he must assist Cole and stay right at the toe during the whole game.
