There was a whole to-do this morning, with a pre-game confrontation between Francisco Rodriguez and Brian Bruney. The Mets’ closer had to be restrained by teammates from going after the Yankees’ reliever.
Here’s the thing – until he looked like he was going to shove Bruney, I actually think Rodriguez was in the right. While I’m as sick of Rodriguez’s “tired act” as Bruney is – the Mets’ closer makes Joba Chamberlain look like a wallflower – I think Bruney should be concentrating on getting back on the Yankees, and not making unprovoked verbal attacks on Met players. And this quote was a bit much. Bruney said the following after Francisco (I’m still refusing to call him K-Rod) got the loss:
“[It] couldn’t have happened to a better guy on the mound, either,” Bruney said. “He’s got a tired act. … He gets what he deserves, man. I just don’t like watching the guy pitch. I think it’s embarrassing.”
Rodriguez responded twice yesterday. First, he said this before the game:
“He needs to keep his mouth shut and do his job,” Rodriguez said. “If he was a big guy, I’d probably pay attention. If he was somebody big like Mariano, I’d respect that. But if I don’t know who he is, I just don’t listen.”
After Saturday’s game, the Met closer, whose celebration – for once – was relatively subdued after the Mets’ win, threw this high hard one at Bruney:
“Instead of sending a message through the paper, next time when he sees me at Citi Field come up to me and say it to my face. Don’t be sending a message through the media. I don’t even know who that guy is. Somewhere in Double-A? I believe he hasn’t even pitched one full season. He’s always been on the DL. That’s all I know right now.”
Even though he’s my least favorite Met, I gotta give Rodriguez credit here. Both quotes are classic. He was able to make Bruney look dopey just with these rejoinders. And unlike Brad Penny’s slam on Joe Girardi, Rodriguez didn’t need to use profanity to get his point across.
Francisco should have left the situation at that. But instead, when Bruney went to talk to him today, as per his own challenget, Rodriguez got heated and had to be restrained.
Bruney may be a nobody, but Rodriguez losing his cool like that doesn’t make him look good. The Met closer wasn’t a good closer when it comes to this feud.
At any rate, this is one of the sillier contretemps of the year. But nonetheless, it is entertaining!
Whose side are you on – Brian Bruney or Francisco Rodriguez? Tell us about it!
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