Yanks, Jays empty benches twice

08/07/2007 9:33 PM ET
Yanks, Jays empty benches twice
No punches thrown after A-Rod plunked in leg by Towers
By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com


TORONTO -- Alex Rodriguez's much-debated shout may have occurred more than two months ago in Toronto, but it's still fresh in the minds of the Blue Jays and Yankees.
On Tuesday night, the benches and bullpens cleared twice in the third inning after Jays starter Josh Towers hit Rodriguez with a pitch. With two outs in the inning, the first offering that left Towers' hand met up with the left leg of New York's third baseman.

Rodriguez, who was nearly hit with a first-pitch fastball by Toronto's Jesse Litsch in the second inning on Monday, immediately headed toward the mound, barking at Towers. The Blue Jays starter pointed to first base, appearing to tell Rodriguez to take his base. That didn't stop the other Yankees and Blue Jays players and coaches from spilling on to the field.

A crowd of players formed between the mound and home plate, where the umpires attempted to gain control of the situation. While the Blue Jays and Yankees exchanged words, both clubs' pitchers began to jog in from the bullpens located beyond the outfield wall.

As the pack of players began to break up, Rodriguez headed down the first-base line with 39-year-old Blue Jays veteran Matt Stairs close behind. Stairs, while being held back by a handful of New York players, continued to yell at Rodriguez before returning to Toronto's dugout.

A few minutes after the minor confrontation took place, Rodriguez left first base and had more words for Towers. The benches and bullpens cleared again -- this time with players sprinting out to the area between the mound and first base, where Toronto's Lyle Overbay blocked Rodriguez's path to Towers.

The entire incident, in which no one was ejected, delayed the game for around 15 minutes, and was likely the result of bad blood leftover from the May 30 incident in Toronto. During that game, Rodriguez appeared to distract former Toronto infielder Howie Clark and Jays shortstop John McDonald during a ninth-inning pop up near third base.

Rodriguez shouted something as he ran between Clark and McDonald on a fly ball off the bat of Yankees catcher Jorge Posada, Clark, who was playing third base, believed McDonald was calling him off on the play, so he ran out from under the ball. The baseball dropped to the turf, resulting in a single that helped lead to four New York runs in a 10-5 loss for the Jays.

With the Yankees leading, 7-0, in the seventh inning, Yankees starter Roger Clemens sent an 1-0 pitch up and in on Toronto's Alex Rios. The baseball hit Rios in the back and home-plate umpire Angel Hernandez, who issued warnings to both teams earlier in the game, promptly ejected both Clemens and New York manager Joe Torre.

Jordan Bastian is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Now THIS is the way baseball should be played! Go get 'um Alex!

I have to admit that I have NEVER been a fan of Roger Clemens
I always thought he was out for Roger and not entirely a team player. It seems as though I have made a HUGE mistake and I apologize to Roger (as if he really cares what I think ...but it will make me feel better!)
Tonight he showed me that he is a good guy and will take one for the team. He came to the defense of his team by sacrificing himself...THAT is a good guy in my book! Way to Go Roger!...and THANKS!

The whole Yankee team rallied around Alex tonight...and that must be an incredible feeling for him!

08/08/2007 10:15 AM ET
Yanks come to A-Rod's defense
Incident with Jays shows bond between team and superstar
Baseball Perspectives

Fred Claire

If the New York Yankees reach postseason play for the 13th consecutive season, you may want to credit the Toronto Blue Jays with an assist.
The Blue Jays may have helped accomplish what seems to have been a difficult task for the Yankees -- making Alex Rodriguez feel like a full-fledged member of the New York team.

The Yankees rallied around Rodriguez in Tuesday night's game in Toronto after the star third baseman had been hit in the back of his left leg by a fastball from Blue Jays starter Josh Towers in the top of the third inning.

Rodriguez took exception to being hit and started walking toward the mound, prompting both benches to clear.

Once on first base, Rodriguez and Towers exchanged words and the benches cleared again.

Rodriguez's reaction was in contrast to what had transpired in Monday night's game, when Blue Jays rookie starter Jesse Litsch threw behind A-Rod in the second inning.

Rodriguez showed little reaction to the pitch and most observers seemed to think this was payback for an incident that had taken place when the Yankees and Blue Jays met in Toronto on May 30.

Major League Baseball teams and players are noted for having long and lasting memories.

Litsch's pitch in Monday night's game appeared to have been in retaliation for when Rodriguez apparently yelled something to distract Toronto third baseman Howie Clark on a popup during a game in late May.

With his lack of response to the Litsch pitch, Rodriguez seemed to be saying "OK, if you think I did something wrong in that earlier game in Toronto I guess we are even now."

Being even is important in baseball. You just don't want to have any outstanding debts.

That isn't to say Rodriguez was totally unforgiving about the pitch that sailed behind him on Monday, and he showed emotion when he slid hard into second base in the fourth inning while trying to break up a double play.

Even so, the score seemed to be settled, and even Yankees manager Joe Torre seemed perplexed that the Blue Jays had waited so long to take what appeared to be a measure of revenge.

"They played us four games at our place [Yankee Stadium]," Torre said. "Unless they didn't care about doing it there and they did it here, that doesn't make sense."

The important thing to understand in all of this is that these types of things have to make sense to veteran baseball people like Torre.

There is an unwritten system at play in all of this and it really is one of the most intriguing parts of the game.

The fact is, Torre was certainly less than supportive of Rodriguez after the May 30 incident when it appeared his star player had yelled something while running the bases that could be seen as somewhat less than the right way to play the game.

When the Blue Jays decided to go after Rodriguez with a pitch on Tuesday night, Torre and the Yankees felt it was the Toronto team that now was out of line and their total support went in the direction of A-Rod.

Yankees starter Roger Clemens was rolling along in Tuesday night's game, retiring 13 batters in a row over a span that started in the second inning and lasted through the sixth.

When Alex Rios led off the bottom of the seventh for Toronto, Clemens fired a fastball that struck the Blue Jays right fielder in the back. Both Clemens and Torre received automatic ejections because both teams had received a warning after the third-inning incident.

When it was all said and done, the Yankees had won their fifth game in a row and Rodriguez had the support of his manager, the great pitcher Clemens and his teammates.

"Our whole team got a little emotional," said Rodriguez after the game.

"It's an emotional game," said Torre.

"There are some things you can control and some things you can't," said Clemens.

When Clemens chose to take control of the situation on Tuesday night, he made a strong statement -- Alex Rodriguez is one of us and if you go after him we will go after you.

Fred Claire was a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers from 1969-98, serving the team as Executive Vice President and general manager. His book -- Fred Claire: My 30 Years in Dodger Blue -- was published by SportsPublishingLLC. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.