Double Hanker Day - Get Two Hanks For The Price Of One

The silence is over! Kevin Kernan has both reports.

That was Hank Steinbrenner’s no-nonsense message yesterday. Steinbrenner made it clear that he is firmly in Joe Girardi’s corner in the battle of aggressiveness with the Rays and that the 2008 Yankees will continue to play hard throughout the season and protect their players.

“Girardi has his players’ back and I have his back and that’s never going to change,” Steinbrenner told the Post in the wake of suspensions and fines of Shelley Duncan and Melky Cabrera , and fines of Girardi and coaches Bobby Meacham and Kevin Long for the Shelley Spike Slide into second base Wednesday against the Rays and ensuing brawl.

“There are going to be problems, especially if they go after our stars,” Steinbrenner said. “It’s not going to be tolerated. We never have done it to them. It’s just not going to happen anymore.”

As for the suspensions and fines, Steinbrenner said, “If I got any problems with any of that I’ll take care of that with Bud [Selig].”

Steinbrenner said he does not want to interfere in Girardi’s handling of such matters.

“All that is up to Joe,” Steinbrenner said. “All I can tell you is that I will support everything he does, and that will never change. Because this is the manager I wanted, and that’s not anything against Joe Torre. That’s the manager we wanted at that time. Times change.”

Next, Hanks says that Private Pyle Papelbon has a case of the Sniffles:

It’s one thing for owners to have a little back-and-forth like John Henry and Hank Steinbrenner did recently in regard to Red Sox Nation vs. Yankees Universe. It’s another for a young player to take a shot at an owner.

That’s what Jonathan Papelbon, 27, did in criticizing Steinbrenner.

“I don’t know if he’s trying to stir things up or not,” the Bosox closer said. “I sure as hell don’t care, because he sure as hell hasn’t stepped on a baseball field. He needs to just stick to pencil-pushing, I guess.”

Hammerin’ Hank fired back yesterday.

“Being insulted by Papelbon is like being attacked by a mouse,” Steinbrenner told The Post.

“John Henry and I traded a couple of jabs good-naturedly,” he added. “So now, all of a sudden, this player, this 20-something kid who really doesn’t know his way in the world, comes out with a personal insult. There’s no excuse for that.”

Who knew Hank was capable of such a jab-cross combination?

March 15, 2008 | Filed Under Hankie Says