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Ross Stripling 'embarrassed, mortified' about yelling at Panik: 'The most disrespectful thing I’ve ever done'

The unwritten rules of baseball are essentially a mile long at this point, but Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Ross Stripling had to read them over again on Wednesday.

In the top of the sixth inning with a 2-1 lead over the New York Yankees, what appeared as a routine out at first for Jays third baseman Joe Panik turned into an ugly throwing error that sailed over Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s head. After the misplay, Stripling turned to Panik and showed some intense unsportsmanlike emotion.

It was Panik’s second recorded error of the game, and given that his first led to an unearned run in the first inning, some frustration was surely built up.

Stripling addressed the outburst after the contest — a 3-2 Toronto loss.

“It’s the most disrespectful thing I’ve ever done — maybe ever. Certainly on a baseball field. I’m completely embarrassed about it,” Stripling told the media. “I simply let the moment get too big for me. I saw when it kind of jammed [Giancarlo] Stanton and it was rolling, he didn’t run out of the box. If you’ve been watching him all year, he doesn’t really run down the line, and I’m just screaming at Joe, ‘he’s not running, he’s not running.’ And Joe, Gold Glover, tries to make an awesome play and the pay unravels, and I just completely show him up.

“I literally can’t explain it. Honestly, I’m mortified by it, I can’t stand that that’s the way it went. I apologized to Joe individually, I even addressed the team because I feel so bad about it. That can’t happen, that should never happen. It’ll never happen again from me, I can promise you that.

“Joe, the awesome veteran and person that he is, took it in stride and said no hard feelings. But you can’t do anything worse than that to a teammate and I feel terrible.”

Stripling wasn't too pleased when Joe Panik made his second error of the game.
Ross Stripling wasn't too pleased when Joe Panik made his second error of the game.

Stripling and Panik were seen in the dugout after the on-field event, but the two of them talked further behind closed doors.

“In real time, I didn’t think it was that bad,” Stripling said. “I knew it was bad, but I didn’t think it was that bad. And then when I got back, and it’s on our screens, it’s on my phone, it’s everywhere, and I see it. It’s as bad as anything I’ve seen as far as showing up a teammate. I mean, I can’t really believe that I did it.

“So, as he was coming up the tunnel, I pulled him aside right away, because I just wanted to address it and get it over with.”

Stripling also took to Twitter later on Wednesday night to publicly apologize for his display of emotions and gave a short lesson to young players.

Through 11 appearances (10 of them starts), Stripling has a 2-4 record and holds a 4.64 ERA in 54.1 innings in his first full season as a member of the Blue Jays.

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