Sidney Ponson pitched six shutout innings on Friday night against the Mets in the debut outing of his second Yankees stint.
The Rangers could use some pitching as they try to make a playoff push, however, Ron Washington, who was instrumental in letting Ponson go after having a disagreement with the right-hander, expressed no regrets.
“That was something that happened that was unavoidable and we wish him all the luck in the world,” said Washington, whose team faces Ponson tonight at the Stadium. “The Yankees needed pitching and they picked him up. I never said he couldn’t pitch. He’ll do well. I just hope not [tonight].”
Texas management decided Ponson’s pitching ability wasn’t worth his behavioral problems, which included being out late in a bar the night before a start. He was 4-1 with a 3.88 ERA before his release.
“It was a difference of opinions and that’s the way it went,” said Washington, who also drew Ponson’s ire when he pushed back one of his starts to keep Kevin Millwood on his rest. “His philosophy didn’t gel with ours. He just didn’t fit in Texas. To move forward, you need to send a message to everybody in the organization.”
Milton Bradley, who knows a thing or two about causing distractions, reportedly took exception with Ponson’s behavior. Yesterday, he insisted that wasn’t the case.
“Somebody told me I had a quote out there saying that he’s got issues,” Bradley said. “I said, ‘He had some issues with Texas.’ ”
But he didn’t disagree with what the Rangers did.
“They gotta make a lot of tough decisions,” Bradley said. “I’ve been that guy before.”
That doesn’t mean Bradley was enamored with his former teammate.
“I’ve seen stuff from Sidney that I wouldn’t necessarily do, but that doesn’t make Sidney a bad guy,” Bradley said. “He can pitch and that’s the bottom line. Put him in a good atmosphere, good environment and he’ll do well.”