Joe Maddon protests the game because Sean Doolittle taps the ground in his delivery, a breakdown
What Happened
The Chicago Cubs and manager Joe Maddon engage in a heated protest against the Washington Nationals in the late innings of a close game. In the bottom of the ninth, with the Nationals holding a one-run lead, Nationals pitcher Sean Doolittle takes the mound, trying to record the save. As Doolittle begins his delivery, Cubs manager Joe Maddon emerges from the dugout, incensed. Maddon argues vehemently with the umpire, claiming that Doolittle's delivery, which includes a slight tap of his foot on the ground, is illegal. "I was told he can't do that. Can't come stop his motion. Put his foot on the ground," Maddon says. "That's what I was told. It's not a judgment call." The umpire listens patiently as Maddon insists the rule prohibits Doolittle's foot tap. Maddon claims he was informed by MLB officials that such a motion is not allowed and he is now officially protesting the game as a result. The umpire dutifully records the protest in the scorebook, drawing a backwards "P" to signify the action. Doolittle, unfazed by the commotion, continues warming up on the mound, amused by Maddon's outburst. The rules analyst explains that while the rulebook prohibits pitchers from taking a "second step" in their delivery, Doolittle's minor foot tap does not constitute an illegal step, as he is not actually transferring his weight or moving to a new position. Maddon appears to have misunderstood the rule, believing any foot movement is illegal, when the regulation is specifically aimed at pitchers who take an additional step during their delivery. The analyst concludes that Maddon, while a talented manager, is "an annoying know-it-all" in this instance, as Doolittle's motion is well within the bounds of the rules. With the protest recorded, the game continues, the Nationals clinging to their narrow lead as Doolittle looks to close out the victory. The outcome of Maddon's protest remains to be seen, but the colorful disagreement has provided plenty of entertainment value for the fans on hand.
Full Transcript
Click timestamps to jump to that momentThe Cubs and Madden protested this game
last night because of that little toe
tap by Doolittle who's trying to get the
save. Madden comes out. He says, "I was
told he can't do that. Can't come stop
his motion. Put his foot on the ground.
That's what I was told. It's not a
judgment call. It's no joke. I can't
tell. I'm trying to call strike on the
pitch." Well, ask your friends then.
Okay. Okay. Okay. I'll go ask them. He
goes and asks his friends. They say, "I
didn't see [ __ ] I don't think it's
illegal." So now he's watching like a
hawk. I'm going to get you dittle.
Little toe tap there.
He's protesting. I was told he can't do
that. So, I'm protesting right now.
Right now. This moment. That's it. Are
you mad at me, Joe? No, I'm not mad at
you. That I was just told he can't do
it. Dittle is getting a kick out of the
whole thing. It happened now twice.
That's what I was told.
He's mad. So, now the umpire, it's an
official protest. So, the umpire has to
write a capital P in the sky like a
Disney Channel commercial with the magic
wand. Opts for the capital P and he does
it backwards for the scorekeeper. That
was nice. This is what the Cubs are mad
at. Carl Edwards got told that his
delivery was illegal. Right there comes
to a full stop, plants his foot on the
ground and then pitches. Now, what is
the rule here? It is the pitcher may not
take a second step toward home plate
with either foot or otherwise reset his
pivot foot in his delivery of the pitch.
So it really comes down to what's a
step. What does MLB constitute a step in
their delivery? The real definition of
step is to lift and set down one's foot
or one foot after the other in order to
walk somewhere or move to a new
position. So to walk somewhere or move
to a new position, I think that means
you have to put weight down on it and
able to transfer your weight to a new
spot. Does Carl Edwards put weight down?
Who knows? You could. Does Dittle?
Absolutely not. If you tried to step
somewhere and did what Doolittle does,
you would fall on your face and look
like an idiot. There are definitely
different deliveries. There's nothing
that says touching the ground is
illegal. It says stepping on the ground
is illegal. And Doolittle doesn't step.
He just kind of taps. So, I don't think
Madden was mad at Doolittle. He's just
mad at the MLB rules, but I think he has
a misunderstanding of what the rule is.
Think he's a very good baseball manager,
but an annoying know-it-all.