Brewers’ Abner Uribe appeals ban for allegedly obscene gesture

Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Abner Uribe struck out Alec Burleson to end the eighth inning of a game against the St. Louis Cardinals on May 26.

Looking toward his own dugout, Uribe thumped his chest. The 25-year-old right-hander then turned toward the visitors’ dugout at American Family Field and “chopped his crotch” three times as the crowd roared.

On May 29, Major League Baseball decided Uribe chopped at least one time too many. The league suspended him one game for “his inappropriate actions towards the St. Louis Cardinals’ dugout during the top of the eighth inning of Tuesday’s game at American Family Field.”

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Uribe is appealing his suspension, and therefore will be active for the Brewers’ game against the Houston Astros, unless his appeal is heard before the 7:10 p.m. first pitch.

MLB wasn’t the only authority that took exception to Uribe’s gesture. His own manager, Pat Murphy, called it embarrassing.

“I don’t know what got over him,” Murphy said, via The Associated Press. “I mean, he’s an emotional guy, but that kind of thing, that’s just not how we do things.

“I was embarrassed by it. Why are we doing it? It’s a 6-0 game. What are we doing there?”

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Uribe ultimately recanted, saying “everyone here knows me and knows who I am, and knows I have a bit of a history of being emotional out there. I think first I owe an apology to the Brewers. I owe an apology to my teammates, to my manager, all the bosses of the team. I understand that’s unacceptable, to go out there and react in a way like that.

“But at the same time, I don’t think it’s unprofessional for their manager to be making signs towards our dugout saying that he’s going to be hitting guys.”

Uribe referenced St. Louis Cardinals manager Oli Marmol’s alleged gesture toward a Cardinals pitcher to hit a Brewers batter with a pitch. But no Brewers were hit by pitches in the game, and Marmol said that was not the intent of his gesture.

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