Monday, January 12, 2009

Will A-Rod and Mark Teixeira get along as Yankee teammates? Peter Gammons says no

Would-be president of Red Sox Nation Peter Gammons caused some controversy this weekend with his comments on Boston radio station WEEI about the Mark Teixeira signing. He said:
As you probably remember, there was a lot of testiness between Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira when they played in Texas together . . . and I don't think Alex really cares about communicating with other players, we know [that] from Derek Jeter.
Actually, I never heard anything about the two of them having "testiness" in their one year together, when Mark was a rookie. The one issue between them was this, according to the New York Post:
Rodriguez was traded to the Yankees that offseason, and told ESPN Magazine he never would have signed with Texas if someone had said, "'Alex, it's going to be you and 24 kids.' Never. For no amount of money."
And Teixeira was openly offended by the comment, and said so in the media at the time.

However, I think Gammons is blowing up one argument from five years ago into a whole to-do. He seems openly bitter about the Yankees' Teixeira signing. And given that Gammons is supposed to be objective in his capacity at ESPN, that's a bit much. Take a look at what else he said on that radio show:
Teixeira is Scott Boras's ultimate client, and he's very well-programmed . . . The Red Sox didn't know it, and in the end there was nothing they could do about it. He wanted to go to the Yankees, his wife doesn't like Boston -- apparently she doesn't like the stores on Newbury Street or something -- and in the end that's the way it goes.
I know Gammons is well-respected around the game, but he shouldn't be well-respected for comments like these. He previously compared Boras to Sirhan Sirhan's lawyer, which was over the top.

And now he suggests that Teixeira is a robot, and that his wife is a vapid, shallow woman who chose New York over Boston because of the shopping. I'd like to hear the sourcing on that tidbit about how "
apparently she doesn't like the stores on Newbury Street or something." It's a cheap shot, and Gammons should apologize for it.

Do you think A-Rod and Mark Teixeira will get along? And what do you think of Peter Gammons? Leave us a comment!

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Actually the A-Rod comment that supposedly caused the testiness gives him and Teixeira a new common bond. In choosing the Yanks over the Nats, Teixeira also didn't want to go somewhere that it was going to be "24 kids" and him. Tex may have learned the view sure does look different when you are the 1 and not one of the 24.

I think Gammons comment about Tex's wife was a mix of sour grapes and an attempt at humor but commenting on anyone's wife in public, including your own, is never humorous.

Uncle Mike said...

I've never seen Gloria Gammons, but I have seen Leigh Teixeira. She's not quite at Laura Posada's level, but as far as I'm concerned, she can shop wherever she wants. And I've been to Newbury Street: It's a minor-league version of 5th Avenue.

Have the Giants shown up for their Playoff game yet?

Anonymous said...

They'll be fine. All this hype about something extremely trivial.

Mr. Gammons should just stick to playing his guitar in his indie rock band and stop worrying about the Yankees.

Anonymous said...

Why is Peter Gammons on ESPN? I would understand if he had a job on NESN, but it's just nuts to have such a Sox homer on a national network.

Anonymous said...

Jim Rice is in the Hall of Fame - congratulations to a great ball player and even better man. It's about time!

Anonymous said...

Shopping?? It was a nothing comment during an unrehearsed radio show. We all want to know what the sports people know behind the scenes and then are angry when they tell us.

Uncle Mike said...

She-Fan: Under normal circumstances, it would be nuts to have a New England homer on a national sports network. But since the rise of the Red Sox, Patriots and University of Connecticut basketball(and now the return of the freakin' Celtics), we have not had normal circumstances. Yankee Fans call the Bristol boys "NESPN" for a reason.

Maybe Leigh Teixeira can hit Garden State Plaza or Willowbrook, and buy the Giants a touchdown. Or at least a couple of key blocks!

Anonymous said...

She-Fan,

Do you acutally think that every person who is on ESPN does not have teams they personally grew up rooting for. They weren't born ESPN announcers. I have to listen to Mike Greenberg talk about his Jets. So what? And Gammons is as hard on the Sox as anyone. So he loves his home team. It's the Red Sox - can you blame him?

nutballgazette said...

ESPN is a Red Sox Nation Network and anyway, The results of Reggie Jackson and Thurman Munson was pretty good for a couple of guys who did not get along,
Eat your heart out Boston.

Anonymous said...

nam-yes, I can blame Gammons for being a Boston hommer when he makes comments regarding Yankee players while completely over looking the fact that Schilling has bad mouthed both Manny and Pedro in public on numerous occasions.

Alvaro Fernandez Ravelo said...

Spin Doctor, Red Sox Nation Minister of Information Peter Gammons is not to be taken seriously anymore. He swore CC would NEVER sing with the Yankees and Teixeira to the Red Sox was a done deal.
I just can't remember how many years ago was it that I stopped watching or reading ESPN for baseball news, specially if the Red Sox or Yankees were involved. I think they got rid of Rex Hudler because he didn't had Red Sox blood.
Talk about a media bias!

Anonymous said...

Gammons' comment regarding Texeira's wife was a lame attempt at humor. That's all. So lighten up. As for the comparison between Boras and Edward Bennett Williams, I couldn't care less. Given the low opinion that I have of Boras (formulated long before this event), it would take a much more egregious comparison before I would find it objectionable.

Gammons' criticisms of Boras and Mark Texeira were spot-on. The fact is that Boras and Texeira met with Red Sox in Texas even though they had already made the decision 6 days earlier to sign with NY. They deliberately lied to Theo and company and furthered "negotiations" for the sole purpose of driving up the price for the Yankees. Most people would be outraged at paying an inflated price but not the Yankees -- after all, they've got the NY tax payers underwriting the cost of the new stadium! I digress.

There's nothing illegal about what Boras/Texeira did. But it is sleazy. Now I'm not really that surprised since we're talking about Scott Boras. Call me naive but I was a little surprised that Texeira played along with Boras' ruse. Gammons' comment that "Teixeira is Scott Boras' ultimate client... very well-programmed" is all too true.

By the way, who cares if ESPN and Gammons like the Red Sox? ESPN hates the New England Patriots and Bill Belichick. Are you NY sports fans outraged about that bias as well? Didn't think so.

Fred Garvin

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...

I'll be fair. ESPN does have it's share of Yankee homers, too. There's Max Kellerman, Brandon Tierney, Michael Kay (despite his diatribes to the contrary) and Steven A. Smith.

All those radio personalities (except Kay) are all open about their fandom for the Yankees, and Max will go to the end of Sabermetric universe to prove how productive each Yankee player is, but he only does that when that player is already a Yankee or is in a discussion of becoming on via free agency or trade. He doesn't really do that often if the player is on a different team, especially if the different team is Boston.

As a Yankee fan, I have to be honest in saying that I'm thoroughly entertained when those guys embellish the Yankees and make strong positive prognostications.

So, in the spirit of fairness I can't fault Peter Gammons for doing the same thing for the Red Sox.

Just avoid the cheap shots.

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