The St. Louis Cardinals found themselves in another anthem standoff, as Jose Martinez took on Carlos Estevez of the Colorado Rockies in a battle of wills prior to the start of Wednesday’s game.
Neither man wanted to give in after the playing of the national anthem, but Martinez was able to outlast Estevez when umpires ordered the players into their dugouts.
Wednesday was reminiscent of the standoff between the Cardinals’ Joe Kelly and Scott Van Slyke of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the playoffs a couple of years ago. The players stood much longer during that standoff before Kelly finally backed down.
Umpires won’t like it, but the anthem standoff is one of those enjoyable moments for players and the fans.