A's manager Mark Kotsay has long, embarrassing journey in awkward ejection
For once, someone may have missed the Coliseum.
Athletics manager Mark Kotsay had to make a 330-foot-plus walk of shame after being ejected from Sunday's win over the Phillies since the home team clubhouse at Sutter Health Park — a minor-league park in Sacramento serving as the team's temporary home — is located beyond the outfield walls.
While almost all his fellow managers can just retreat through their dugout to the clubhouse, Kotsay instead had plenty of time to think about his ejection in the seventh inning of a 5-4 win.
Advertisement
4 On the bright side, Kotsay got his steps in for the day.
@uprootedoakland/X
'It's long. It's long, definitely,' Kotsay said with a laugh. 'There was a moment where I thought, should I jog? And then I thought, actually no, I think (Phillies starter Jesus) Luzardo could use a little break.'
The Athletics are playing in Sacramento while they prepare for their eventual move to Las Vegas and their home games are hosted at the home of the Giants' Triple-A affiliate.
Advertisement
Minor-league parks are not as lavish as major-league ones, which can create the awkward situation like the one that unfolded Sunday.
In a 3-3 game in the seventh, Kotsay earned the booth for disagreeing with a first-pitch strike call against Miguel Andujar with two on and two outs.
4 Kotsay yelling at umpire Roberto Ortiz.
Getty Images
Advertisement
Kotsay noted in the ex-Yankee's previous at-bat, Andujar also disagreed with a call and the manager said to let him know if he felt a wrong call had been made so he could take it up with umpire Roberto Ortiz.
Andujar felt the first pitch in the seventh missed but it was ruled a strike.
Kotsay argued the call from the bench before being ousted, and he then walked to the plate to let Ortiz hear it. Kotsay's outrage included some finger pointing.
4 Mark Kotsay did some finger pointing.
@uprootedoakland/X
Advertisement
'I was obviously frustrated with the first call, I expressed that, but I was more frustrated in the reaction that I got back from the umpire,' Kotsay said.
'And that's what we kind of talked about. I made sure that he was aware that I was frustrated with how he treated me. I know he's frustrated with my disagreement in the balls and strikes, which he's perfectly allowed to be, but I think we agree to disagree in that situation.'
Kotsay then made the trek down the left field line toward the wall, walking 330-something feet.
4 On the bridge side, the Athletics won.
@uprootedoakland/X
The game had to be paused while he walked, with some of the fans giving him an ovation. One reporter told Kotsay he clocked him walk at 48 seconds.
The A's eventually rallied for two runs in the eighth to end their 11-game losing streak.
Kotsay watched the end of the game in the training room.
Advertisement
'No one in that room was happy about losing 11 straight games and there's obviously emotion that's pent up,' Kotsay said. 'Sometimes, that volcano erupts. There was nothing preconceived, there was no thought process, it was just reactionary to the moment in the game. It was a big moment in the game.
'I think I've grown up a little bit as a manager over the last three years, calmed down in certain ways and been able to be a better communicator and today I wasn't maybe the best of communicators to the umpire.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Phillies' Slumping Leadoff Man Bryson Stott Gets Vote of Confidence From Rob Thomson
Phillies' Slumping Leadoff Man Bryson Stott Gets Vote of Confidence From Rob Thomson originally appeared on Athlon Sports. This season, the Philadelphia Phillies have soared to a 37-25 start, placing them second in the NL East. While most things have gone right for Philadelphia, there are a few things that simply have not. Aside from the historical Jesus Luzardo bombardment, the Phillies' few offensive woes stem from the lack of production off the bats of Brandon Marsh, Max Kepler, and Bryson Stott. Advertisement Of these three, Stott is the least concerning, but given that he is the Phillies' leadoff man and thus has the most opportunities at the plate, this warrants some added worry. Stott popped out in a big spot on Wednesday, adding to the concern. However, one person who doesn't share this concern is Phillies' manager Rob Thomson. 'I thought we were going to score (in the fifth),' he said in a postgame interview. 'Bases loaded and one out with 1 and 2 guys coming up. Stott had a good at-bat. Long at-bat, but he just popped it up.' Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Bryson Stott (5) stands on the field with manager Rob Thomson during World Series workouts at Minute Maid Taormina-Imagn Images Despite the fact that Stott is responsible for setting the tune of the Phillies' offense, Thomson still maintains the utmost confidence in him. When asked if he would move him down the lineup, Thomson responded with this: Advertisement 'I'm pretty committed, you know. The length of the at-bats are good. When we first put him in there, he was really productive. He's kind of cooled off a little bit. There's a trust factor there that as long as the at-bats look good and they're long, I'm good with it.' In the following game, Stott would go 0-for-4, bringing his stat line down to .244/.311/.347 with four home runs. While his numbers are nothing to scoff at, hitting leadoff is likely better-suited for someone with a higher on-base percentage. For instance, Kyle Schwarber, who was their leadoff man prior to this season, maintains an on-base percentage of .387. Related: Phillies Bullpen Sends Strong Message to Orion Kerkering Amid Early Struggles This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 6, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Phillies' Bryce Harper Out of Lineup Again Friday at Pirates
Phillies' Bryce Harper Out of Lineup Again Friday at Pirates originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Right when Philly thought it got its captain back, Bryce Harper turned out to not be 100% after all. Although Harper successfully returned Tuesday after missing five games with a right elbow injury, he's out of the Phillies' lineup again Friday night for when they take on the Pittsburgh Pirates. Advertisement According to manager Rob Thomson, it's due to some lingering soreness. "It's his right wrist," Thomson said before Friday's game. "It's been sore for a while. He's been fighting through it. He's just been having trouble swinging, so if it's affecting his swing, we're going to hold him off and get it right." "Any time with feet and hand (injuries) scares me," Thomson added. "Whether they believe that or admit to it or not, I believe it." It comes at a very unfortunate time, as the Phillies have lost six of their last seven games - including two of three with their franchise star back in the lineup. Advertisement That said, Thomson's concerns could be warranted. Harper went only 1-for-11 in Toronto, homering in his first at bat before striking out five times between games two and three. Bryce Harper is now day-to-day with this wrist issue; he's once again hoping to avoid the Hamilton-Imagn Images For someone with such an aggressive swing, getting around on the ball fast is crucial, and it seemed that Bryce was unable to do that well this week. Alec Bohm will slide back over to first base in Harper's absence, with Edmundo Sosa playing third. Some good news is that catcher J.T. Realmuto is back in after taking a foul ball to the groin Wednesday. He has the task of managing a bullpen game while Philly attempts to stop their recent skid. Advertisement Related: Phillies' Slumping Leadoff Man Gets Vote of Confidence From Rob Thomson Related: Phillies' Rob Thomson Praises Mick Abel Amid Latest Start This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 6, 2025, where it first appeared.
San Francisco Chronicle
an hour ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
As some seek to make Pride divisive, Giants sustain commitment to LGBT community
Going back to their original 'Until There's a Cure' Day in 1994, the San Francisco Giants have a long history of supporting the local LGBTQ+ community, and their annual Pride game is a staple of the schedule each June. In most years, Saturday's game wouldn't be all that newsworthy; it's just one of many days celebrating different groups that help make up the team's fan base, including numerous ethnic heritage nights, faith days and veterans events. This year, however, in an atmosphere of scrubbed diversity programs and canceled corporate sponsorship for Pride celebrations, the Giants' Pride Day is back and bigger than ever, with the proceedings now encompassing the Mission Rock side of McCovey Cove. From 10-11:45 a.m., the Giants will hold 'Pregame in the Park' at China Basin Park, with music by DJ Livv, drag performances hosted by Bobby Friday and Mercedez Munro, face painting, Story Time with Drag Queens and treats from Castro staple Hot Cookie. At 11:45 p.m., fans can parade together to Oracle Park for the pregame festivities and game. 'We're extending the party out,' said Roscoe Mapps, the Giants' chief diversity and inclusion officer. 'This will allow many more people to attend and opens it up to the neighborhood and more of the community.' San Francisco has been in the crosshairs in recent weeks, from President Donald Trump's suggestions about reopening Alcatraz as a prison, to threats of withdrawing funding to the state because of a transgender athlete competing at the state high school track championships, to plans to remove Harvey Milk's name from a John Lewis-class U.S. Navy ship. SF Pride and the Frameline film festival have lost sponsors and struggled to find new ones. 'Every heritage and culture night is pretty exciting and matters to all of us,' Mapps said. 'That said, I think this year does carry a different kind of gravity — it's very overt that the community is being told that they don't belong and that there are actions that are trying to erase members of the community. 'It's not very subtle. It's certainly not harmless. So we want to make sure that there is no question about Oracle Park, we want to make sure when fans come in cheering the Giants, they feel safe, they feel seen, they feel like it's home, like it's always been since 2000 — so fans can feel like themselves and feel a sense of community that day. It's just a reflection of who we are and our values.' The Giants will give away a Pride Day bucket hat to the first 15,000 fans Saturday, and the players will wear the same Pride hat they did last season; no Giants player ever has refused to wear Pride gear, though last year infielder Nick Ahmed added a bible verse to his hat after briefly considering not wearing it. 'It wasn't anything about judging anyone else for their beliefs or what they do,' Ahmed told the Chronicle, adding that he had just wanted to prompt a conversation about faith. There are no plans for extra security measures Saturday, according to the Giants, and Mapps said the team has not received any pushback about the event, nor have any sponsors dropped out. There have been rumblings that some other pro sports teams might modify or even do away with their Pride events, but to date no MLB teams have announced any changes to Pride games. Every team but the Rangers schedules a Pride Day. This year's Pride month is additionally meaningful for many around baseball. In past years MLB's ambassador for inclusion, Billy Bean, attended as many of the Pride games as possible, but in August, Bean, a former Dodgers outfielder, died of acute myeloid leukemia at the age of 60. 'This year feels a little different,' Mapps said. 'It's our first Pride season, all of us, without him, and few people understood better than Billy how powerful it is to have visibility. He certainly knew the power of people hearing his story and meeting a queer athlete and MLB executive. 'I think the weight is carrying the torch for some of us, making sure that we do it right, and that we continue to make sure that not just LGBTQIA fans feel comfortable, but that LGBTQIA kids feel comfortable playing baseball as well.' Gates will open at 11:05 a.m. for Saturday's game against the Braves and pregame festivities will start at 12:40 p.m., including the addition of the Seattle Mariners' Pride Ball, hand-stitched using rainbow thread to symbolize the way baseball brings communities together, according to the Giants. The ball, used for the first pitch at Safeco Field on Wednesday, is traveling to ballparks across the country throughout Pride Month. In addition, a special Giants' Pride flag will be unfurled in center field. There are Pride food and beverage items as well, including a souvenir Fastball cocktail at the Skyline Bar and Murph's Pub, rainbow popcorn at concessions near Section 103 and 140, and a Pride souvenir soda cup at all concessions with fountain soda. There are also four new Pride merchandise items available at the team store.
