Danny Duffy clasped his hands together and stared back at home plate umpire Bruce Dreckman. He took another step toward plate, then another. As his feet touched the infield grass, he mimicked his set position and yelled toward the plate.
“I stopped,” Duffy said.
It was the bottom of the second inning on Tuesday night, just moments after Duffy was called for a controversial balk with runners at first and second and two out. The moment infuriated Duffy and irked the Royals dugout, and it moved the runners up 90 feet.
Whether it cost the Royals a run was a matter of some interpretation.