Billy Butler takes offense to Gimenez framing pitches, a breakdown
What Happened
In the bottom of the fourth inning, veteran designated hitter Billy Butler of the Oakland Athletics steps up to the plate, looking to make an impact for his team. The Athletics trail the Seattle Mariners by one run in this close contest. On the mound is Seattle Mariners pitcher Chris Gimenez, who tries to paint the outside corner with a cutter. Gimenez frames the pitch well and the umpire calls it a strike. However, the 34-year-old Butler takes offense to Gimenez's pitch framing, believing the pitch was outside the strike zone. "I thought we had a good pitch, a cutter away," Gimenez later explains. "I didn't say anything, I just made a sound. I try not to be disrespectful of the umpire, but Butler didn't like the way I was talking to the umpire." Frustrated, Butler voices his displeasure to Gimenez. "You can't have both of them," Butler tells the catcher, referring to Gimenez's ability to get borderline pitches called strikes. Gimenez responds, "I thought it was a strike," further angering the veteran designated hitter. The exchange continues, with Butler and Gimenez trading barbs as the umpire tries to defuse the situation. "He's serious, I'm over it," Butler says, growing increasingly agitated. Gimenez, for his part, questions Butler's actions, saying, "What are you doing? What's up?" Finally, with the confrontation threatening to boil over, the umpire steps in to separate the two players. Butler steps back into the batter's box, refocusing on the task at hand. On the very next pitch, he crushes a deep fly ball that ties the game, screaming and tossing his bat in the process. As Butler rounds the bases, the benches briefly clear, with Gimenez and the umpire exchanging words. Afterwards, both players take a diplomatic approach, with Gimenez acknowledging the incident was "mellow, funky and monky." Butler, for his part, says, "I thought he might have just been asking for a little too much and it is what it is." Despite the heated exchange, the two players are able to move past the incident, demonstrating the competitive spirit and professionalism that are hallmarks of Major League Baseball.
Full Transcript
Click timestamps to jump to that momentthis is kind of an odd and fun one 2016
Billy Butler country breakfast at the
dish for her second at-bat of the day
ball there then a nice foul tip Butler's
getting in his later years he gets that
called for a strike and he doesn't like
it
inside strike looks like it was a strike
but he's thinking of God I don't like
that I think that one's inside not a fan
this next pitch they try to go outside
and it's called a ball but Jimenez the
catcher holds it there and apparently
this is what Jimenez says I thought we
had a good pitch a cutter away going
back on the video it was probably a hair
outside I didn't say anything I just
made a sound I try not to be
disrespectful of the umpire but Butler
didn't like the way I was talking to the
umpire he said you can't have both of
them and I took offense to that Billy
Butler said oh go back dumbass Jimmy go
back Billy Butler said during the game I
thought he might have just been asking
for a little too much and it is what it
is
so Butler's saying hey if you're framing
the pitch and getting it on the inside
which was a strike
you can't frame the pitch and get on the
outside and you can't verbally let the
umpire know because now you're trying to
do gamesmanship trying to get both
pitches trying to work it and Butler
says I'll work the UMP too so here it is
after the pitch he holds it their
catcher goes and probably goes come on
man
balls outside you got the last one you
can't get both and they talk to each
other says get in the box I thought it
was a strike so Butler gets in the box
but now Jimenez is still talking he's
like okay well you know don't talk while
I'm in my backswing basically I'm trying
to focus here get in the box so he steps
back in the box cleared his head
Jimenez keeps talking to him so now
Butler's like dude he's serious I'm over
it
Jimin is like well what are you doing
what's up now the UMP has to get in the
middle cuz they're really fighting over
his love and affection and trying to get
him to sway to their side
Butler seems to make some good points
because trip is like him hmm okay I see
what you're saying hmm okay now Butler
steps back
in they go back to it curveball in the
dirt now we got a full count fastball is
gonna come and Butler just smokes it
screams bat this goes pretty deep it
goes a bunch of rows up and it tied the
game in the fourth inning but look at
this he screams and then tosses the bat
and gymnast says hey you don't pull that
[ __ ] tosses the bat Jimenez is upset
with him him and the UMP are pushing
each other back like I got this I got
this Butler's John around the bases a
little bit with everyone cuz everyone's
probably like what just happened what
was he mad about what were they talking
about the UMP separates the catcher and
Jimenez said he thought better he wasn't
gonna make a scene his family was
watching whatever tells the UMP today it
was [ __ ] up though now he's on the
bench he's talking he's making jokes
telling telling his teammates about it
and both of their quotes at the end of
the game were really like professional
like hey we were just being competitive
in a heated mellow funky Munky