Kansas City Royals righty Johnny Cueto dazzled in a complete-game shutout of the Tigers on Monday night, and Detroit manager Brad Ausmus proceeded to react with Kikkoman-levels of saltiness.
Speaking with reporters after his team’s 4-0 defeat at the hands of Cueto, Ausmus openly questioned the legality of the Dominican’s delivery to the plate.
“Really, the way the rule reads, you’re not supposed to even alter your motion,” said Ausmus. “That’s the way the rule reads. They don’t enforce it. Well, (umpire Joe West) said if he stops it’s an illegal pitch.”
Ausmus also mentioned that he complained to West about Cueto’s windup during the game.
The 29-year-old Cueto is known for a funky delivery in which he kicks up his leg, twists his body almost all the way around, hesitates, and then counter-twists and fires to home plate.
Sometimes, he even adds a little shimmy.
When your song comes on at the club. pic.twitter.com/aIdySdIn4B
— MLB GIFS (@MLBGIFs) July 8, 2015
And much to the delight of Royals fans, Cueto’s shimmy swagger has made its way to Kansas City as well.
Johnny Cueto pitching means we get to see the shimmy https://t.co/EGRnP7SLUK
— Monty (@RoyalsALChamps_) August 10, 2015
Cueto’s idiosyncratic delivery has been disrupting batters’ timing for years now, and the MLB has never had a problem with it. This may simply be an instance of Ausmus channeling the frustrations of a poor Tigers showing by grasping at straws in an attempt to save face. “He only beat us because he cheated” is definitely one of the oldest cop-outs in the book. And until the league instructs him otherwise, Cueto’s unconventional delivery and the 2.53 season ERA that has resulted from it will continue shimmying circles around baffled hitters for a long time to come.
After all, if former Royals great Dan Quisenberry could get away with it for all those years…
H/T theScore
Image Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports
