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New York Yankees infielder José Caballero’s maneuvers with the shot clock irritated multiple parties earlier this week.
On Monday night, the benches emptied against the Pittsburgh Pirates after pitcher Dennis Santana had some choice words for Caballero, and two days later, hot microphones caught Caballero in a heated argument with an umpire.
In short, Caballero has become famous for waiting until the last possible second to make eye contact with the pitcher, which, in the era of the shot clock, is necessary before a pitcher sets up or begins to wind up. Hitters and pitchers have up to eight seconds to be alert to the opponent.
New York Yankees shortstop Jose Caballero reacts after being called for a clock violation by plate umpire Quinn Wolcott during the sixth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx on July 22, 2026. (John Jones/Image Images)
However, Caballero did his usual thing Wednesday afternoon and was quickly called for an infraction before striking out, despite even looking up a second earlier. The microphones caught Caballero saying that the referee was getting “annoyed” with him. Home plate umpire Quinn Wolcott said Caballero “could no longer do the three or four seconds in the box.”
Caballero responded that he had been “doing my damn routine,” and manager Aaron Boone said the umpires were “making up rules on the fly.”
Manager Aaron Boone said neither he nor anyone else on the Yankees were informed that Caballero could be disciplined for violations. However, Wolcott cited MLB rules, which state that maneuvers by batters “to deceive a pitcher into beginning his swing or reaching the set position” will first result in warnings before being penalized for shot clock violations.
Crew chief Adrian Johnson said Caballero “has been warned all season,” prompting a change in the way he is treated.
New York Yankees shortstop José Caballero leaves the field after the benches cleared during the eighth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx on July 20, 2026. (Vincent Carchietta/Imagn Images)
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“He’s been warned all season. We were ordered not to warn him. We were ordered to rape him. That’s what it is. It’s a rape,” he told a group reporter.
So as long as the umpires believe Caballero is deliberately provoking the pitchers, the Yankees could have a losing battle here.
Johnson also said the violation was a result of the incident in which banks were emptied on Monday.
“You’re not allowed to spend an excessive amount of time looking down, trying to get the pitcher to cause a violation,” Wolcott told a pool reporter. “There is no other hitter who will step into the box, take the amount of time Caballero looks down, without making eye contact with the pitcher. He has obviously caused a lot of problems in the past. It will no longer be allowed.”
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Boone called the referees’ decisions “disgraceful.” Based on previous conversations with MLB, Boone instructed Caballero to “make sure you look up at nine so you’re alert at eight.”
New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone argues with plate umpire Quinn Wolcott after the sixth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the first game of a doubleheader at Yankee Stadium on July 22, 2026 in New York City. (Getty Images)
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“He actually said that today they were going to make new rules and that it’s up to me because I was cheating or something on the pitcher, which doesn’t make sense,” Caballero said. “I don’t know, maybe my English is so bad that I don’t understand it, but cheating means you’re trying to fool someone and I’m not trying to fool someone because I do the same thing over and over again. You can look back at my last 50 at-bats and see if I’m doing the same thing or not, or look back at maybe 100 at-bats or 150.”
