What gives between the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles? The Orioles, 53-78 and mired in last place in the American League East, can’t compete with the Yankees on the field. So, it seems they are taking their shots from the management side.
Remember earlier this year when manager Buck Showalter ripped Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter?
Well, Showalter and the Orioles front office are ripping the Yankees again over New York’s unhappiness about the Sept. 8 re-scheduling of the game missed on Saturday due to Hurricane Irene. The Yankees had wanted to play a doubleheader Friday in advance of the storm, but the Orioles rejected that.
“Are we really still talking about this? We’ve just seen a hurricane come through this region which has caused millions to be without power, tens of millions of dollars in property damage and even several deaths,” Orioles director of communications Greg Bader wrote in an email earlier Sunday to ESPNNewYork.com. "We’ve got people out there literally trying to put their lives back together and yet there are some still worrying about a rescheduled game time?
Showalter was also frustrated by the complaints. The Orioles manager told MLB.com the Yankees called the team’s president of operations, Andy MacPhail, to express their concerns about 24 hours before the games would be played. Showalter told the website that the team denied New York’s request for several reasons, including a planned tribute for ex-pitcher and broadcaster Mike Flanagan, who took his own life Wednesday.
“First of all, I felt that some of the stuff was a little disrespectful to Flanny quite frankly,” Showalter told MLB.com. “That didn’t sit with me very well. I can tell you that. We didn’t say much — I think we had an April rainout there — and they just told us when we were playing. We were OK with that. Like I told you the other day, you tell us when we’re playing, we’ll play. The whole scheme of life, the things that really consume you.”
Whatever. Let the Orioles have their little front office victory over the Yankees. They are still looking up — way up — when it comes to the quality of the product on the field.