No, Reds manager Bryan Price was not trying to fire up his slumping team, but, yes, he did want to argue about the strike zone, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported.
And that's how he ended up being ejected while exchanging lineup cards before Saturday's game against the Indians.
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"I may be an inexperienced manager," Price said Sunday, seeking to clear the air. "But I'm not an inexperienced coach. This is my 16th year at this level. I would not use an ejection to motivate a club. That's just something I would not do. To think a manager is going inspire a club through an ejection is ludicrous.
"There was no preconceived – I knew I was going to discuss the topic from the previous night. I did not anticipate that it would go the direction that it would go in."
Even if it was a motivational move, it wasn't a winner as the Reds' losing streak grew to seven, a tailspin that Price was, well, at a loss to explain—though he looked to the other dugout for inspiration.
"We always want to have a feeling like we know why a team is struggling, that they're not doing a certain thing right, that they're not motivated or driven," Price said. "Winning creates optimism. Losing can create pessimism, and you can lose the expectation of winning. … Look at Cleveland now. They were nine or 10 games under .500. Now, they're on a beautiful roll, expecting to win every day. It's incredible what a couple of wins will do for club and their temperament."