Orioles manager Buck Showalter made a couple of controversial comments in a recent issue of Men’s Journal about some of his opponents in the American League East. He said Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter “ticks” him off and that he’d “like to see how smart” Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein “is with the Tampa Bay payroll.”
Epstein was asked about the remarks last week and played it safe, telling reporters that he hadn’t seen the article and didn’t care to comment. Red Sox skipper Terry Francona took a different route.
The eccentric skipper spoke Sunday with Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe:“I got asked that the other day and I hadn’t seen it. I got it third-hand and I kind of joked about it a little bit. Then I read it and actually I was kind of aggravated a little bit,” Francona said. “I don’t think that’s anybody’s place. That’s my boss. I was actually kind of aggravated a little bit. It’s not the end of the world, but I thought he shouldn’t have done it.”
“I just thought that was a little bit out of line. I don’t think he’d be appreciating if I said something about Andy [MacPhail, Baltimore’s president of baseball operations], which I wouldn’t. It’s none of my business. And for the record, I think Andy’s really good.”The Showalter-led Orioles went 3-3 against Boston at the end of last season. Given Baltimore’s mediocre roster and the additions that the Red Sox made this winter, our guess is that .500 record won’t last too long.
