A-Rod, Tex, Tussle With Sutcliffe
Via Mark Feinsand –
Hours before they were to do battle with the Red Sox Tuesday night, Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez were involved in different type of confrontation, this one inside the Yankees’ clubhouse.
Upset with an accusation made by ESPN’s Rick Sutcliffe two weeks ago, the two players approached the former Cy Young winner to discuss the situation.
Sutcliffe said on the air that A-Rod had been feeding Teixeira verbal signs from the on-deck circle, giving his teammate a heads-up on the catcher’s location before the pitch was delivered. Teixeira and A-Rod pulled Sutcliffe aside when they saw him in the clubhouse last night, expressing their displeasure with his charges.
“Me, Alex and him talked about it,” Teixeira told the Daily News, confirming that the conversation took place. “No doubt it’s disappointing when someone makes an accusation like that. Whatever. I can’t control what they say.”
Teixeira said he has known Sutcliffe “for years,” adding that he’s always considered him to be “a great guy and a great pitcher.” Teixeira wouldn’t comment any further on the tone of the conversation, although he and Rodriguez were clearly upset with Sutcliffe’s words and let the former All-Star know it. Sutcliffe will be part of ESPN’s broadcast team for tonight’s game.
“You can ask him about it,” Teixeira said.
Hey, am I missing something here? At any time did Teixeira and/or A-Rod say that this did not happen in Texas? Or, are they just mad that Sutcliffe told the story?
Unless these guys are the only two that have ever done this, why is this a story? Who cares?
Manny on 2nd during the 2004 WS was the first thing I thought of when reading this story…
This was stupid. Sutcliffe thought he saw something that he didn’t and ran with it
YankCrank wrote:
But, further to my previous comment, assuming Sutcliffe is 100% right…who cares? Since A-Rod/Tex aren’t the first or the last to allegedly do something like this, pointing it out is a waste of everyone’s time. It’s trying to make sensational news out of trite, tired, baseball gamesmanship.
In other words, it’s ESPN being ESPN.
As soon as a catcher even thinks this is going on, he’ll set up outside and have the pitcher throw the pitch up and in. And that ends that. Rick Sutcliffe is an idiot.
But, further to my previous comment, assuming Sutcliffe is 100% right…who cares? Since A-Rod/Tex aren’t the first or the last to allegedly do something like this, pointing it out is a waste of everyone’s time. It’s trying to make sensational news out of trite, tired, baseball gamesmanship.
In other words, it’s ESPN being ESPN.
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You’re right MJ, even if it were true, and i’m sure it’s happened before, what’s the big deal?
Part of what I thought Sutcliffe said 2 weeks ago was about that game itself. I find Sutcliffe’s vocal style among the most cloying and affected out there, so I didn’t hear every word. But what I recall is he said Alex gave a whistling signal from the dugout during that game to Teixeira who subsequently got a big hit. ESPN replayed his point and you heard a whistling sound. It’s possible this was a dramatic reenactment of an old game, but I thought they were talking about that game in particular. Expanding of course on the generic Arod stealing signs issue, which I’ve heard numerous baseball guys say is done all the time. One said Mike Scioscia is best at it.
If they can get away w/ it, good for them.