http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-31751_162-20070083-10391697.html
Big Papi's homerun bat flip irks Joe Girardi
By Stephen Smith Topics Baseball
Once upon a time, the rivalry has so heated, Boston's ace pitcher threw New York's 72-year-old bench coach to the ground. Alas, the two teams just don't seem to go at it with the same intensity these days.
That might have changed, at least a bit, with the flip of a bat Tuesday night.
It happened in the top of fifth inning. Yankees' rookie Hector Noesi nearly hit David Ortiz with a pitch - perhaps in retaliation for Mark Teixeira's plunking earlier in the game.
Big Papi brushed off the inside pitch and crushed a two-run homer, flipping his bat with a flourish. Yankees manager Joe Girardi was not amused, the Boston Globe reports.
"I didn't care for it,'' he said. "I don't know if [Ortiz] was upset that he came in hard on him."
He went on: "I never had a problem with David. David has always played the game hard. I'm just protecting my young kid."
As for David, he laughed off the bat flip in typical Big Papi fashion - referring to himself in the third person.
"That's Papi style," Ortiz smiled. "It's not the first time and it's not my last one. I'm a home run hitter. It's not like I do it all the time. What can I tell you? Just another homer for Papi."
Seems harmless enough. But we'll see if "Papi style" adds any more spice to the rivalry when the teams meet again tonight.
Big Papi's homerun bat flip irks Joe Girardi
By Stephen Smith Topics Baseball
Once upon a time, the rivalry has so heated, Boston's ace pitcher threw New York's 72-year-old bench coach to the ground. Alas, the two teams just don't seem to go at it with the same intensity these days.
That might have changed, at least a bit, with the flip of a bat Tuesday night.
It happened in the top of fifth inning. Yankees' rookie Hector Noesi nearly hit David Ortiz with a pitch - perhaps in retaliation for Mark Teixeira's plunking earlier in the game.
Big Papi brushed off the inside pitch and crushed a two-run homer, flipping his bat with a flourish. Yankees manager Joe Girardi was not amused, the Boston Globe reports.
"I didn't care for it,'' he said. "I don't know if [Ortiz] was upset that he came in hard on him."
He went on: "I never had a problem with David. David has always played the game hard. I'm just protecting my young kid."
As for David, he laughed off the bat flip in typical Big Papi fashion - referring to himself in the third person.
"That's Papi style," Ortiz smiled. "It's not the first time and it's not my last one. I'm a home run hitter. It's not like I do it all the time. What can I tell you? Just another homer for Papi."
Seems harmless enough. But we'll see if "Papi style" adds any more spice to the rivalry when the teams meet again tonight.