It doesn’t sound like Rick Sutcliffe will be beaten up gang style by the Yankees team when he goes into their clubhouse tonight.
Sutcliffe was in the news because he was confronted by Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira before yesterday’s game with the Red Sox. Sutcliffe called a Yankees-Rangers game on May 27 for ESPN where Teixeira homered off Rangers youngster Derek Holland. The two thought that Sutcliffe was suggesting that A-Rod was tipping pitches for Teixeira.
“I did not have any idea whether or not Alex Rodriguez was doing it or not,” Sutcliffe, who will be calling tonight’s Yankees-Red Sox game, told ESPN 1050’s Brandon Tierney.
“My allegations, what I pointed out on the air, was the fact that you had a young pitcher in Derek Holland on the mound, a young catcher in Jared Saltalamacchia and the catcher was moving, what I thought, way too soon. I mentioned over the air that in the 18 years I played on the big-league level there were a lot of teams that would have passed along that information. Teixeira hit a 94-miles-per-hour fastball on the inside corner to the upper deck. They replayed it and showed the catcher moving. What I said is that there are a lot of things that can happen right here — a player in the on-deck circle or a coach on the bench can yell out or whistle.”
Since A-Rod was accused of something very similar by Selena Roberts in her book, he obviously has to take any suggestions seriously. If he confronted Sutcliffe in a crowded clubhouse imagine what he would do to Roberts in a dark alley.
I can’t find the video, otherwise I would confirm Sutcliffe’s comments. Sutcliffe said the meeting between himself, A-Rod and Teixeira was much rosier than originally reported.
“I was talking to Mike Harkey (Yankees bullpen coach) and CC Sabathia And Teix came over and asked to talk to me for a minute. And Teixeira said, ‘hey we aren’t tipping pitches.'” said Sutcliffe, who mentioned he was actually friends with the two Yankees sluggers.
According to Sutcliffe, ESPN showed a replay of A-Rod and Teixeira laughing after the home run.
“They explained to me what they were laughing about it,” Sutcliffe said. “A-Rod said to Teixeira, ‘what pitch did you hit out.’ And Teixeira jokingly said it was a changeup. Well it was a 94 miles-per-hour fastball. That’s what they were laughing about.”
So the real losers in this — Derek Holland and Jared Saltalamacchia.