Veteran umpire Phil Cuzzi brought some unexpected drama to Tuesday night’s game between the Astros and Orioles. With the Orioles comfortably leading 7-3 in the sixth inning, Jose Abreu was at bat for the Astros when Cuzzi suddenly lost his cool. Cuzzi, in a moment caught on a hot mic, unleashed a colorful tirade towards the Astros dugout.
“I’m not gonna listen to you. I’m not gonna listen to you. F–k me? F– you!” Cuzzi yelled at the Astros dugout before proceeding to eject their hitting coach, Alex Cintron.
“FUCK ME? FUCK YOU! YEAH!”
Phil Cuzzi showed out last night 😤😤😤 pic.twitter.com/kuqvHcAu3A
— Céspedes Family BBQ (@CespedesBBQ) September 20, 2023
While managers getting ejected is nothing new, hitting coaches taking the walk of shame is a bit rare.
What exactly set Cintron off is still a mystery. However, this marked his second ejection of the season and his fifth since 2019.
Cintron, aged 44, had a career as a player in the MLB, representing teams such as the Diamondbacks, White Sox, Orioles, and Nationals from 2001 to 2009.
Oh buddy, the mics are hot tonight. Phil Cuzzi don't care. pic.twitter.com/EeZP3L52oD
— Roger Cormier (yayroger.bsky.social) (@yayroger) September 20, 2023
Cuzzi’s reaction appeared to be triggered by Cintron’s complaints about ball and strike calls, resulting in a rare unfiltered exchange between the coaching staff and the umpire, caught on video. While not quite reaching the legendary status of the Terry Collins/Tom Haillion exchange, where Collins famously exclaimed, “our a— is in the jackpot,” it was still a noteworthy incident.
Cintron’s dedication to his players and his understanding of the game have earned him respect among the Astros. According to shortstop Jeremy Peña, “He’s played before, he understands what we’re going through, where we’re coming from, and he’s just a smart baseball man. You always want to gravitate towards dudes like that, learn the game through their eyes as well.”
Phil Cuzzi has thrown out Astros hitting coach Alex Cintrón pic.twitter.com/zKSRYpwlqy
— Dillard Barnhart (@BarnHasSpoken2) September 20, 2023
Cintron’s ejection earlier in the season was attributed to his efforts to manage his emotions in response to calls made by umpire Jeremy Layne.
