Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Aug 28, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Colorado Rockies center fielder Cole Carrigg (16) reacts after being called out at first against the Atlanta Braves in the eighth inning at Truist Park.
Former second-round pick Cole Carrigg has had an impressive rookie season for the Colorado Rockies, but he learned an important lesson recently after an awkward incident with a group of Atlanta Braves fans.
Carrigg, who is slashing .261/.342/.782 across 61 games, missed a diving attempt at a catch in the bottom of the eighth inning of Saturday’s 2-1 loss to Atlanta. The mistake turned a would-be game-tying single into a two-run double that decided the game.
After the play, a group of Braves fans appeared to heckle Carrigg over the misplay, to which the Rockies center fielder responded by giving them the middle finger.
As hilarious as it may sound, that didn’t sit well with Colorado manager Warren Schaeffer, who has since benched Carrigg for “a couple of days.”
Rockies Manager Speaks Out On Benching Cole Carrigg
“Cole made a mistake he knows that is an embarrassment to the organization and that we don’t stand for that,” Schaeffer told reporters. “Listen, everybody makes mistakes. It’s just one that he has to learn from. It’s just that we will not put up with that here.
“So he is going to sit a couple days, because he’s a guy that wants to play every day. That’s the repercussions of this.”
While we don’t know exactly what the fans said or did, Carrigg did offer an apology.
“First, I apologize to my teammates and the organization. That’s not how I want to represent us,” Carrigg said. “That’s inexcusable on my part.
“With that being said, I’m somebody who’s going to play at 110 percent every game and give my all to this team and to the game to try to win ballgames. That was a play that I felt could or could not have won the game, so I’m very passionate about that.
“Braves fans are pretty passionate themselves. Kudos to them. But that can’t happen.”
You have to appreciate that Carrigg dug his heels in a bit during the apology. Fans have shown time and again in recent years that they feel the right to overstep the line when interacting with athletes. Meanwhile, the athletes are expected to just sit there and take it.
Sure, it may not have been the most tactful response for Carrigg. But it’s easy to understand his frustration.