KANSAS CITY — Turns out it was a tough night for Robinson Cano’s family on Monday as well.
The Kansas City crowd once again booed Cano last night as a result of Cano not picking the Royals’ Billy Butler for the Home Run Derby on Monday night as the NL crushed the AL, 8-0, at Kauffman Stadium in the 83rd All-Star Game.
GRADE YANKEES PLAYERS AT THE BREAK
Cano said family members faced verbal abuse on Monday during the derby. Cano’s dad, Jose, said extra security was added last night to the area where his family was seated and the situation improved.
“I knew coming in I was going to get booed,’’ Cano said last night after picking up a single in two at-bats. “The only thing I didn’t like was the way they treated my family when they went to the restroom. Hopefully it will stop here and we can go forward.
“This is a game and we’re All-Stars. If I get booed I don’t really care, but to start with your family, that’s over the line. You don’t want to take this too far because when they do something to your family because it’s just a game. This is the kind of game you want to have fun in and you want to go home with good memories.’’
Considering it all, would Cano take Butler on the Home Run Derby team if he could do it over?
“It was a tough decision, but from this you understand how bad people want to see kids from their hometown, which is the right way,’’ Cano said. “I understand the fans and this is for them.’’
CC Sabathia said he thought it was “horrible’’ the way the Royals fans treated Cano, saying, “He was put in a bad situation. Hopefully he’ll be able to shake it. I think he was stunned by it. The fans were a little too vicious.’’
Former Yankees manager Joe Torre, MLB’s vice president of operations, also backed his former player, saying of Cano, “That was sad to have that. That probably kept it from being a lot of fun for [Cano]. I’m sorry it happened.’’
Derek Jeter said he also got booed in the game. As for Cano’s family getting taunted on Monday, Jeter noted, “Sometimes my parents don’t go to games because of what fans do, but I don’t think that’s a reflection of all the fans. You are always going to run into an idiot here or there. Booing is fine. You expect to get booed.’’