Tuesday, August 01, 2006

Bad First Impression?

Bobby Abreu would be wise to learn that what flies in Philadelphia may come crashing down on him in New York.

In Phillie land it is not uncommon for the biggest stars to big-league or even stiff the media, win, lose or rainout.

Abreu's new team - the Yankees - do not hide. Haven't since the start of the Joe Torre era. Win or lose, the biggest of the big stars in the Bronx, stand up for the team, as a team.

So imagine the surprise - and disdain - drawn by the newest Yankee all-star when he kept about 50 members of the media waiting for nearly an hour after his first start in pinstripes tonight.

The muttering was unmistakable among the reporters. They'd long since interviewed Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, Jason Giambi, Alex Rodriguez - and even Bernie Williams, who'd lost his starting job to Abreu. Guys who actually played far greater roles in the Yankees' 5-1 victory.

Abreu, 0-for-3, but none-the-less still in line for the softer questions accorded during a honeymoon, made the scribes wait.

Not smart. Likely not a scene to be repeated, either. The Yankees police themselves - and undoubtedly the scene most of them missed long after they carried out their olbigations to speak for the team will be recounted - and dealt with. That's the beauty of a Torre club - another lesson Abreu will learn.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hello, I have really been enjoying reading your baseball blog. It is thoughtful and entertaining. However, will reading your comments about Abreu filing to speak to the media, I was reminded of a longstanding issue that I have with the press. Quite frankly, I feel that members of the press take themselves far too seriously and grossly exaggerate their own importance.

Where in the world is it written in Abreu's contract that he has obligations to speak to the media? I must have missed that clause. I saw thus same attitude exhibited by a New York Post writer a few wees ago when the Yankees played the Mets. Some hack writer decided to take exception to Alex Rodriguez not speaking to the media after the game and decided to have a public temper tantrum and take some cheap shots at him in print.

Now mind you this was after a 7 RBI performance with flawless defense. And this moron had a problem with him. Now no one mentions the fact that no one in that clubhouse is more available to the media than him, and the fact that he has NEVER failed to speak to the press after a poor performance. But he is all of a sudden a bad guy because he didn't feel he needed any postgame fake ego-stroking. For all we know, there could have been an emergency at home, but this bird brain decides "well, who does this guy think he is for not talking to ME? Of course, I'm more important than anything that may be going on in his trivial little life!"

You know what you do when you can't get a quote? You write about the game- which would be refreshing anyway, as it wouldn't leave any room for the usual misguided speculation, judgment and off-base psychoanalysis (human behavior analysis that none of you are that even qualified to make , mind you, because I darned sure never saw any of you in my doctoral level psych courses).

Anonymous said...

I love how traded Phillies leave Philly and many become so loquacious! Billy Wagner & Cory Lidle should give Abreu some lessons so that he can continue the fine tradition of Phils expats with so much to say!

Howard said...

Tonya,

In response to your question about Abreu's "obligation" to speak to the media. He has none whatsoever in regard to the individual sports journalists. But those journalists aren't standing around and waiting for themselves. They're doing it to represent their media -- TV/radio/print/Internet -- as an intermediary with the fans who want to know more than they would from merely watching the game. That's the concept.