Umpire Doug Eddings has had it out for the Cardinals and Oli Marmol for a long time

Friday night wasn't the first time that umpire Doug Eddings and St. Louis Cardinals manager Oli Marmol have gone head-to-head in a dispute. Eddings, a long-time umpiring veteran, ejected Marmol in the sixth inning after Marmol took issue with Eddings telling rookie reliever Hancel Rincon to straighten his hat. Later in the inning, Eddings called reliever Justin Bruihl for a pitch clock violation and blatantly called a play at the plate incorrectly at the expense of the Cardinals.

This was not a new arrangement for the two.

Doug Eddings and Oli Marmol butting heads on Friday night wasn't the first time for the two

Earlier this year, in a series against the Cincinnati Reds at Busch Stadium, Eddings was umpiring at first base. Starting pitcher Kyle Leahy had Eugenio Suarez behind in the at-bat at 0-2. A slider at the top of the zone got Suarez to do a half swing, one that almost certainly went all the way around. An appeal was made to first, and Eddings said Suarez didn't go around.

Eddings also made some turning gestures to the Cardinals' dugout as an imitation of Suarez's swing.

After Suarez struck out on the next pitch, Eddings quickly glanced at the Cardinals' bullpen.

If you were to go back half a decade, you would find another instance in which Eddings ejected Marmol due to a poor call on his part.

On September 26th, 2021, Frank Schwindel hit a high pop fly just up the third-base line in fair territory. Third-base umpire Carlos Torres ruled it to be an infield fly situation and that runners could advance if they wanted to. Because Schwindel was automatically out, the runners on first and second had to be tagged to be out.

Third baseman Nolan Arenado fielded the ball and flipped it to Paul DeJong, who was covering at third base. DeJong then threw the ball to second baseman Tommy Edman to get the runner at second base. Doug Eddings, the second-base umpire, ruled Rafael Ortega to be out, and Ortega stepped off the bag. Edman then recognized what was happening and tagged the runner, but Eddings had already called time, thus ending the play and ruling the ball to be dead.

The umpire determined Ortega should be safe at second, but Eddings was still in the wrong here because the play should have never been called dead. The home plate umpire eventually ejected then-manager Mike Shildt for arguing.

Earlier that year, Doug Eddings ejected infielder Matt Carpenter, who was arguing from the dugout after a Nolan Arenado check swing. Eddings, the first-base umpire at the time, deemed that Arenado had gone around. Carpenter disagreed.

The pitch, an up-and-in fastball from Sonny Gray, had Arenado reeling. Eddings still said Nado swung through.

The reaction throughout the baseball world regarding Eddings's behavior and demeanor has been largely negative. Fans have called Eddings's behavior embarrassing and unprofessional. Even the Cardinals' broadcast duo of Chip Caray and Brad Thompson were shocked.

Eddings will be in the field for the remainder of the Cardinals-Rockies series. Hopefully he doesn't continue to put the Cardinals at a disadvantage with his poor calls.

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