NEW YORK (AP) -Major League Baseball’s style police were patrolling Yankee Stadium, and Red Sox manager Terry Francona was pulled over.
During the second inning of Wednesday night’s game against the New York Yankees, Francona was called out of the dugout so an MLB security official could make sure he was wearing his uniform top under his usual Boston pullover jacket.
“When Derek Jeter is on second base and I got somebody coming from the league making me go down the runway, I was a little perturbed,” Francona said Thursday.
“That was about as embarrassed as I’ve been in a long time, for baseball.”
Francona said the commissioner’s office contacted him when the Red Sox were in Cleveland earlier this month, reminding him to wear his uniform top. He also spoke with MLB vice president Bob Watson before Wednesday’s game, and Francona said he showed him he was wearing his uniform under his jacket.
A resident security agent then came to check on Francona with New York batting in the bottom of the second.
“I’m not talking about that, and I’m disappointed that they talked about it. And there will be something said about that,” Watson said. “That’s in house.”
Francona said it’s more comfortable to wear the jacket without the uniform top, but he started doing it anyway after the league stressed its importance.
“I don’t want to disrespect the game,” Francona said. “At the time I didn’t think it was a big deal.”
Wearing team apparel instead of a uniform top is not uncommon among coaches and managers across the majors, and MLB will fine personnel for violations.
“I got a letter warning me,” Yankees manager Joe Torre said. “You’d think there’d be more important things to do this time of year than do Mickey Mouse stuff like that. It’s a farce, I think, I really do.”
Francona said he has had good conversations with Watson about the issue and was just surprised with the timing of the uniform check.
“I have never seen anything like that before in my life,” Francona said. “Middle of the game you’ve got the fashion police. This is incredible.”
The Boston manager said he felt the need to speak out because of a New York Post report that said Watson entered the dugout during the game and Francona snapped at him.
“For somebody to say that I yelled at Bob Watson, somebody owes Bob an apology and probably me,” he said, “because that’s bad. That’s not being professional.”
Add A Comment
THIS IS NOT A GAMBLING SITE – If you think you have a gambling problem click here.
Disclaimer: This site is for informational and entertainment purposes only. Individual users are responsible for the laws regarding accessing gambling information from their jurisdictions. Many countries around the world prohibit gambling, please check the laws in your location. Any use of this information that may violate any federal, state, local or international law is strictly prohibited.
Copyright: The information contained on TheSpread.com website is protected by international copyright and may not be reproduced, or redistributed in any way without expressed written consent.
About: TheSpread.com is the largest sports betting news site in the United States. We provide point spread news, odds, statistics and information to over 175 countries around the world each year. Our coverage includes all North American College and Professional Sports as well as entertainment, political and proposition wagering news.
©1999-2023 TheSpread.com