BOSTON — According to the Yankees, Major League Baseball is investigating ESPN for using a remote dugout camera Wednesday night to focus on the tunnel that leads from the Yankees’ dugout to the visiting clubhouse at Fenway Park.
When Michael Pineda was ejected for having pine tar on his neck in the second inning he went down the dugout steps into the tunnel where the camera picked him up talking to trainer Steve Donohue and pitching coach Larry Rothschild.
Noticing the camera was shooting into the tunnel, manager Joe Girardi put his hand over the camera to block the shot.
“What frustrated me is that the camera is meant for the dugout and Michael was already out of the game so I don’t want it down in our tunnel,’’ Girardi said. “It’s a private area and it has been clearly stated that it is for the dugout, not for the tunnel and conversations that happen between players and coaches.
“If I was really going to tear up the camera I would have torn it up but I was just trying to get it from being in the tunnel.’’
Asked if he believed MLB would have a problem with him putting his hands on a camera, Girardi said the beef should be with the network and not him.
“I think MLB is going to have a problem with ESPN,’’ Girardi said. “I didn’t break the camera. All I did was keep it from going into our tunnel. You guys are acting like I ripped it apart. The camera worked the rest of the game, didn’t it? All I did was turn it so it was on the field or in the dugout. If I get fined for that I will have a problem with that because I didn’t do anything to hurt the camera.’’