OAKLAND — All it took was a single borderline pitch, which home plate umpire DJ Reyburn ruled a 3rd strike, and A's starting catcher Kyle McCann lost his nerve within the ninth inning of a 3-2 loss to the Royals on Thursday.
The rookie had some kind words for the umpire who ejected McCann from the sport after Zack Gelof was eliminated for striking.
And with a fiery ejection, a pair of rock-star hands raised toward the Coliseum crowd, and a series of fist bumps with sympathetic fans on the technique to the locker room, McCann is well on his technique to joining an extended list of A's who’ve earned the favor of the team's fans through their passion.
“In my opinion, he would be a fan favorite if he played every day,” Max Schuemann said, sitting next to McCann's locker. “He has that certain fire.”
Kyle McCann got ejected after that strike three call against Zack Gelof and he gave the fans the rockstar hand sign on the best way out, lol pic.twitter.com/HlvbDoaG2n
— TalkinBaseball (@TalkinBaseball_) June 20, 2024
A's fans loved strong competitors like Grant Balfour, Josh Reddick, Sean Doolittle, Jason Giambi and even current manager Mark Kotsay.
Kotsay, who has been ejected from 12 games in his three years as manager and was ejected from last week's game against the Padres for complaining about balls and strikes, had no problem together with his catcher showing some fire.
“Of course you don't want to be disrespectful and I don't think he was disrespectful to the referee in any way,” Kotsay said. “Emotions are always a good thing.”
McCann, a 26-year-old chosen by Oakland within the fourth round of the 2019 draft, had an eventful day before leaving the series finale on Thursday.
The former Georgia Tech Yellowjacket player was ejected on the plate in the underside of the seventh inning while attempting to advance from first to home on an Abraham Toro single. He also issued one walk and struck out.
“We've played a lot of close games in the last month and haven't always had the upper hand,” said Schümann. “So when you have the feeling that a decision isn't going in your favor, it can cheer you up a little.”
McCann, who didn’t start Friday's series opener against the Twins, has a batting average of .270/.357/.432 with three home runs and nine RBIs in 84 at-bats this season.
Twins travel to the Coliseum for the last time
With the A's moving to Sacramento for the 2025 season, this will likely be the last visit to the Coliseum for a team that has brought each joy and heartache to the East Bay.
Hall of Fame pitcher Catfish Hunter threw an ideal game against Minnesota in 1968, the A's first season in Alameda County. Hunter had 11 strikeouts and scored three runs to secure the 4-0 victory in an era before the appearance of designated hitters.
The 2006 A's, with Barry Zito leading the rotation and Eric Chavez, Frank Thomas and Nick Swisher batting for the 93-win team, defeated the Joe Mauer Twins 3-0 to advance to the ALCS.
It was revenge for 2002, when Oakland's successful team, which had 103 wins in Moneyball and won 20 games in a row, was beaten 3-2 by Minnesota.
A's honor star of the Negro Leagues
A day after the guy Bay Area Giants paid tribute to the Negro Leagues in a nationally televised game against the St. Louis Cardinals at historic Rickwood Field, the A's honored one among the league's legendary figures with a giveaway.
Fans who arrived early on the Colosseum received a Satchel Paige bobblehead.
Paige, who played for Chattanooga, Kansas City, Pittsburgh and other Negro League teams, also hung out with MLB teams Cleveland and St. Louis after his integration before retiring in 1953 on the age of 46.
The A's' versatile owner Charlie Finley, all the time on the lookout for a technique to get fans within the seats while the team was based in Kansas City, persuaded Paige, 58, to come back out of retirement for a game against the Boston Red Sox.
He threw three scoreless innings, struck out one player and allowed only one hit. Paige once more retired after the sport.
Injuries and removals
The A's have promoted right-handed pitcher Osvaldo Bido from Triple-A Las Vegas.
Kotsay said, “One of the things we wanted to get back to was having some length here where someone can come in and throw three or four innings if necessary.”
Bido, 28, was a pitcher against Texas this season and began nine games for Pittsburgh last 12 months.
Kyle Muller, who’s on the injured list due to tendinitis in his left shoulder, is predicted to throw 25 to 30 pitches within the bullpen on Saturday. “We'll see how he recovers from that, and if all goes well, he'll go on a rehab assignment,” Kotsay said.
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