Athletics hits new low as ejected manager Mark Kotsay is left humiliated by temporary minor league ballpark
Often referred to as the 'walk of shame,' the unceremonious departures of ejected baseball managers are usually quick journeys from home plate to the dugout.
But in West Sacramento, where the migrating Athletics are playing for three years en route to their new Las Vegas home, that walk is considerably longer.
As manager Mark Kotsay discovered Sunday, ejected managers in West Sacramento will need to hoof it about 330-feet to their respective outfield corners in order to access the clubhouse. So when Kotsay was tossed in the seventh inning of Sunday's game against the visiting Philadelphia Phillies, the game needed to pause briefly as he exited stage left (field).
The A's, who were on an 11-game losing streak, took a 3-0 lead in the first inning but were tied 3-3 at the time of the ejections in the seventh. They went on to a wild 5-4 victory over the Phillies to snap their skid.
Kotsay said something from the dugout after the first pitch from Jesús Luzardo to Andujar, a sweeper near the bottom of the strike zone, was called a strike despite appearing to be outside.
Kotsay came out of the dugout to continue the argument and motioned with an arm at Ortiz following his 15th career ejection, the first for the A's this season. Kotsay then had to make the long walk down the warning track along the third-base side to the clubhouse behind the left-field wall at Sutter Health Park, the team's temporary home for at 2025-28.
'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, and 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.'
Andujar took another strike, then struck out swinging on the third pitch. He motioned at Ortiz with an arm and also was tossed.
'For Andujar, he felt the next pitch was in the same location, maybe even a little higher, called for another strike. And then he chased the fastball up,' Kotsay said. 'So there's a lot of frustration in there and I think that came out and it's OK.'
Bench coach Darren Bush took over as acting manager to get the win. The A's had not lost 12 straight games in a season since 1994.
Prior to the season, the Athletics moved about an hour east from Oakland to the Sacramento area, where they will be based in a minor league ballpark for the next three seasons while hoping a more permanent home in Las Vegas will be ready in 2028.
The A's now play at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento, a 14,00-seat park they share with San Francisco's Triple-A River Cats.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Reuters
11 minutes ago
- Reuters
Stars sign D Nils Lundkvist to 1-year contract
June 20 - The Dallas Stars re-signed defenseman Nils Lundkvist to a one-year, $1.25 million contract on Friday. Lundkvist, 24, recorded five assists and a plus-4 rating in 39 games this past season. "Nils brings a unique combination of offensive ability and defensive reliability to our lineup," Stars general manager Jim Nill said in a statement. "His puck-moving skills, vision, and hockey sense are assets that elevate our game in transition. We're thrilled to have him back and excited to see how he continues to grow and contribute to our success." Lundkvist has totaled 44 points (nine goals, 35 assists) in 183 career games with the New York Rangers and Stars. The Swede was selected by the Rangers with the 28th overall pick of the 2018 NHL Draft before being traded to Dallas on Sept. 19, 2022 in exchange for a conditional first-round selection in the 2023 draft and a conditional fourth-round selection in the 2025 draft. The Stars also signed forward Mavrik Bourque to a one-year, $950,000 contract extension. Bourque, 23, recorded 25 points (11 goals, 14 assists) in 73 games last season. --Field Level Media
Reuters
36 minutes ago
- Reuters
Benfica, Auckland City in weather delay at Orlando
June 20 - A Group C clash between Benfica and Auckland City at Orlando, Fla., was delayed due to inclement weather Friday, with Benfica holding a 1-0 halftime lead. Angel Di Maria scored Benfica's goal from the penalty spot against the semi-pro opponents from New Zealand, who lost their opener to Bayern Munich 10-0. It was De Maria's second of the tournament. After Auckland's Nathan Garrow made seven first-half saves, Di Maria finally put Benfica in front in the eighth minute of first-half stoppage time. Gianluca Prestianni won the opportunity, slicing into the right corner of the penalty area and weathering Haris Zeb's late sliding challenge. Di Maria calmly converted, allowing Garrow to guess in the wrong direction before dispatching his side-footed effort. That provided an end to some growing early frustration from the Portuguese favorites after a succession of missed chances and 18 total first-half shot attempts. Amid that stretch, Álvaro Carreras picked up his second caution of the tournament, meaning he'll be suspended for Benfica's third match against River Plate on Tuesday. --Field Level Media
Reuters
36 minutes ago
- Reuters
Stubbs: Best tracks for 5 marquee drivers to claim first wins of '25
June 20 - With 16 races of the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season complete going into Sunday's 400-miler at Pocono Raceway, several stars remain winless as the circuit nears the halfway mark. Here are five big-name drivers who have yet to win this season -- and the track where they're most likely to break through. --Chase Elliott Elliott has been consistent this year, as he sits fourth in points and has yet to finish outside the top-20. But that consistency hasn't translated to race-winning speed very often, as Elliott has only led 95 laps. This is a rare situation where numbers do lie -- statistically, the driver of the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet has looked the part of a championship contender, but he's failing the eye test. Pocono history: 15 starts, one win (2022), four top-fives, 10 top-10s Track where's most likely to break through: Watkins Glen (Aug. 10) Elliott has won twice before at Watkins Glen, and while his last victory at the New York road course came in 2019, it remains one of his best tracks. Eliott has not won on a road course in the Next-Gen car, but he's finished top-five in both road course races this season. --Tyler Reddick Big things were expected of Reddick after a Championship 4 appearance in 2024, but those expectations are yet to be realized. The No. 45 team has shot itself in the foot several times in recent weeks, and while Reddick is all set to coast into the playoffs on points, it's slightly worrying that he's been unable to get back to victory lane in the 23XI Racing Toyota. Pocono history: Seven starts, zero wins, two top-fives, four top-10s Track where he's most likely to break through: Chicago Street Course (July 6) Reddick was the runner-up in Chicago a year ago and has turned into a fantastic road racer in recent years. Chicago is as big of a wild card as any race on the schedule, but that may be exactly what Reddick needs in order to see the checkered flag. --Chase Briscoe Briscoe's first year at Joe Gibbs Racing has seen its share of highs and lows and his playoff positioning is in jeopardy, but a win would solve that problem. A lack of overall pace hasn't been the issue, seeing as Briscoe won three consecutive poles at Charlotte, Nashville and Michigan, but being unable to put an entire race together has cost the No. 19 Toyota team. Pocono history: Five starts, zero wins, zero top-fives, zero top-10s Track where he's most likely to break through: Dover (July 20) Dover hasn't been great for Briscoe, who doesn't have a top-10 at the track in four starts. But the No. 19 team with Martin Truex Jr. knew how to get around the "Monster Mile," as Truex won at the one-mile oval in 2023 and finished third in 2024. If crew chief James Small can use those notes, Briscoe could snag his first win with JGR. --Ryan Preece Preece and the brand new No. 60 team have put together a solid season so far for RFK Racing. He is only 19 points out of the playoffs going into Pocono, and has shown winning speed in several races this season. With a cut line that will be constantly moving over the next 10 weeks, a win is his best bet -- and his only sure one -- to make the playoffs. Pocono history: Eight starts, zero wins, zero top-fives, one top-10 Track where he's most likely to break through: Richmond (Aug. 16) Short tracks are clearly Preece's best track type, and while Richmond doesn't appear to be a great track for him on the stat sheet, it's probably his best shot to win at a non-superspeedway. --Kyle Busch For the second straight year, Busch is in danger of missing the playoffs. With his winless streak officially eclipsing two full seasons, a win for Busch in one of the last 10 races would be one of the biggest of his career. Pocono history: 37 starts, four wins (2017-19, 2021), 11 top-fives, 18 top-10s Track where he's most likely to break through: Daytona (Aug. 23) It's hard to trust that Busch and the No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevy will have winning pace at any track other than the drafting ovals of Atlanta and Daytona. Daytona in particular seems to be a better track for Busch, who had a runner-up finish at the 2.5-mile tri-oval in August 2024. --Samuel Stubbs, Field Level Media
