'Shock' Manager Ordered to Replace Player, Who Openly Flipped the Bird: Full Account of the 'Mutiny' Incident

*This content was translated by AI.

An unprecedented incident occurred where a player openly waved his finger in refusal on the field in response to the manager's order to substitute a leadoff runner. This is the story of San Francisco Giants outfielder Lee Jung-hoo (28) and his teammate Rafael Devers (30).

On the 22nd (Korea time), the San Francisco Giants lost 1-2 to the Miami Marlins in an away regular-season Major League Baseball (MLB) game held at LoanDepot Park in Miami, Florida, USA.

The unprecedented situation unfolded in the 9th inning. In the top of the 9th, with the San Francisco Giants trailing 1-2, Devers stepped up to the plate. Devers quickly fell into an unfavorable 0-2 count after just two pitches. However, through calm at-bats, he drew four consecutive walks to reach base successfully.

After Devers touched first base, the San Francisco bench moved before Lee Jung-hoo began his at-bat. They substituted runner Yonny Coks for Devers.

At that moment, Devers openly waved his finger, then pointed toward the dugout, signaling for Coks to return. The substitute runner Coks appeared visibly flustered. Amidst a brief moment of confusion, the umpires reconfirmed the San Francisco Giants' intent to substitute. Ultimately, Devers had no choice but to comply with the manager's substitution order. He walked toward the dugout with a clearly dissatisfied expression.

Ultimately, after Lee Jung-hoo flew out to left field, Adames hit into a 3-6-3 double play at third base, and the San Francisco Giants lost 1-2.

After the game, the official MLB website, MLB.com, focused heavily on this situation and relayed an interview with manager Tony Vitello.

According to reports, in a post-game interview, Manager Vitello stated, "Devers signaled that he felt he could continue running the bases on his own."

Manager Vitello explained, "Devers had been on a break recently and was experiencing some minor pain in his leg. While there was no major issue with him running, we still used him as a designated hitter. It seems Devers, overflowing with competitive spirit, wanted to stay in the game until the end."

However, the manager's judgment was clear. Substituting the faster Coks for Devers was a strategy to increase the probability of victory. In fact, Coks attempted 34 stolen bases in the Triple-A league this season, successfully stealing 27. According to reports, Coks' sprint speed reaches 28.8 feet (approximately 8.78 meters) per second. In contrast, Devers' sprint speed is 26.2 feet (approximately 7.99 meters) per second, making him slower than Coks. Moreover, since joining the San Francisco Giants via trade in June last year, Devers has not recorded a single stolen base.

Manager Vitello said, "Once a substitution signal is given, it cannot be canceled. It was the best effort and choice for the team's victory. The ideal scenario was for Coks to successfully steal second base. Even if he failed, it was correct to have the fastest runner on base to face the situation. Of course, if they had tied the game, we would have had to accept the risk of losing Devers as an offensive asset."

Nevertheless, the manager protected the player. Manager Vitello stated, "We have no plans to have a special conversation with Devers separately. We talk frequently anyway. We simply wanted to utilize the fastest player at the final opportunity. There is no hard feeling toward him," showing firm trust.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.