All Cincinnati Reds pitcher Johnny Cueto wanted to do was keep warm as he ran the bases in chilly San Francisco on Thursday night.
And umpire Tim Tschida had no problem with it — as long as Cueto ditched his hooded sweatshirt and replaced it with a regulation jacket, as required by Major League Baseball's uniform code.
The legendary and incomparable blog Uni Watch documented the exchange between Cueto and Tschida, which briefly delayed the Reds-Giants game in the third inning. It took a couple of moments, but Cueto performed a quick change to get compliant and the inning continued.
Hoodies have become a staple in major league dugouts in recent seasons. Players and coaches alike wear them, sometimes to the horror of MLB, which briefly cracked down on Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon for going hooded in 2010.
The league quickly realized the rule was dumb, if for no other reason than marketing. People see Maddon, Terry Francona and Ozzie Guillen wearing a hoodie, they might buy one.
Yet, MLB remains firm with players participating in the game: No boys in hoodies on the bases are allowed. And, as Uni Watch also noted, the no-hoodie rule infuriates — infuriates! — Reds broadcaster Thom Brennaman.
[Brennaman] took Tschida to task for excessive nit-pickery. Here's how Brennaman and his broadcast partner, Chris Welsh, assessed the situation (transcript courtesy of U.W. reader Mark Dormer):
Welsh: They're going to tell Johnny Cueto that he's not allowed to wear that hoodie [pause] and he's got to put a regular team jacket on.
Brennaman: That is riDICulous!
Welsh: No, that's part of the uniform code
Brennaman: I know, but that's ridiculous.
Welsh: It's been like it forever.
You tell 'em, Welsh! Chris Welsh used to pitch in the majors and tried pointing out to Brennaman that hoods tend to flap around, and a ball could hit it, or bounce up in there, whatever.
Sound enough reasoning, right? I mean, you wouldn't allow a batter to hit with a hoodie on, would you, Thom?
Besides, is Chris Welsh the only one around here who gives a (care) about the rules?!
Well, Thom thinks he's cooler than you are, dude. By trying to be hip and anti-curmudgeonly ("Let them wear their hoodies, what's the big deal?!"), Brennaman was acting the stubborn curmudgeon just like his pappy, Marty "Franchester" Brennaman.
Brennaman: There are some rules that are just … you wonder who thought of it. And more importantly, who can't open their eyes to consider changing it.
Welsh: I don't have a problem with that, though.
Brennaman: No, I'm not saying it's a big deal, but c'mon. The guy's got a sweatshirt on. Who cares?
"Who cares?" Like the commenter who takes the time to read a story, sign in to Yahoo! and write "Who cares?" in the comments (and you know who you are). You obviously care enough to take all of those steps. Brennaman wants us to think he doesn't care.
Chris, help the man:
Welsh: Yeah, but it's got a hood on it. What if the thing's flapping and now you throw the ball and it hits the hood that wouldn't normally be there on a jacket. I can see why you have rules on uniforms.
Welsh became so exasperated at Brennaman's stubbornness that he advanced the conversation by quickly adding, "Let's see what Drew Stubbs does" in his at-bat — the matter never to be addressed again.
But whatever you do, stay out of Brennaman's hood.
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