NEW YORK โ During a peculiar moment in Saturdayโs game, New York Yankees reliever Ian Hamilton and Oakland Athletics rookie Jacob Wilson engaged in an unusual staredown at the conclusion of the seventh inning in the Yankeesโ 7-0 defeat.
At that point in the game, with New York trailing 4-0, Hamilton allowed a two-out single to Denzel Clarke and subsequently issued a walk to Lawrence Butler. Wilson then hit a comebacker, which Hamilton fielded and threw to first base underhand. After the play, Hamilton locked eyes with Wilson, and Wilson, not one to back down, returned the glare.
Hamilton later explained his perspective on the incident: โI was having a bad inning,โ he admitted. โA little emotional and got the ball, and then kind of looked in at him and then told him to run. โฆ He just wasnโt running out of the box. I was upset with the inning and then that was that. Then he asked me what I said and I just walked off.โ
Wilson, who is currently impressing in the league with a .340 batting averageโonly second to New Yorkโs own Aaron Judge at .354โtook the incident in stride. โItโs baseball and sometimes things get hot. Itโs part of the game and no hard feelings,โ Wilson remarked. โAs players, you get frustrated and no hard feelings, like I said. No big deal.โ