Nationals' Sean Doolittle Takes Shot at Joe Maddon and Cubs for Playing 9th Inning Under Protest
By Brendan Azoff
Uh oh. We have some MLB drama, folks!
After Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon made a fuss during the Washington Nationals' 5-2 victory on Saturday and played the ninth inning under protest, the alleged offender, Sean Doolittle, responded wittingly when asked about Maddon questioning the pitcher's toe-tapping delivery.
Doolittle said of Cubs protest: “it was a thinly viewed attempt to throw me off my game.”
— Brittany Ghiroli (@Britt_Ghiroli) May 19, 2019
On Maddon: “Sometimes he has to remind people how smart he is...he put his stamp on that one for sure.”
It surely is a comedic response from the reliever, who picked up his eighth save of the season in the win. Maddon is infamous for his managerial techniques, which incorporate a lot of defensive shifts and constant lineup changes, among other things. His reputation is no secret, but Doolittle's comment surely was a harsh assessment that many people were probably thinking.
Sean Doolittle, Tap Move (protested by the Cubs). pic.twitter.com/zVCCD6cPgz
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 19, 2019
It appears Doolittle is not the biggest fan of Maddon's "baseball genius," and was able to expose him at the right time after the umpires ruled there was nothing wrong with the lefty's delivery.
Maddon challenged the call due to Cubs reliever Carl Edwards Jr.'s similar delivery being ruled a violation, so don't expect this to end here given the circumstances.