Pregame notes: Martin not shy about his “hate” of Red Sox
Posted by: Chad Jennings - Posted in Notes, Podcast on Sep 22, 2011 
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In terms of real news, there’s more good stuff down in the notes below. In terms of raw entertainment, it didn’t get much better than Russell Martin’s pregame interview this afternoon. There’s obviously a way we’ve all come to expect athletes to respond when asked about opponents, but Martin pulled no punches when asked about the Red Sox.
“Anything to get the Red Sox out would be awesome for me,” he said. “… They are fun to play against just because they have a quality team, and they’re gritty, and they play hard and stuff, but I’d love to see them lose.”
Why?
“Because I hate the Red Sox,” Martin said.
Fair enough. The Yankees could play the role of spoilers down the stretch, but oddly enough, to help eliminate the Red Sox, the Yankees would have to lose against the Rays. Joe Girardi — of course — said he has no preference in the wild card race, and he said he feels no responsibility to either the Rays or the Red Sox.
“Our responsibility is to our club,” he said. “That’s the bottom line. I have to make sure our guys are healthy and rested and ready to go next Friday… Obviously our goal is to get home-field advantage, and the important thing to me about some of these lineups is that we take care of our guys and have them ready to play next Friday. I’ll rotate some days off with some guys and get them a little rest, but I want them sharp and we want home-field advantage.”
And what happens if the Red Sox hang on and meet the Yankees in the American League Championship Series?
“They gave us a hard time all year, but I don’t think we’re scared of them or anything,” Martin said. “We’ll see what happens. If we play them, we play them. We’ll just have to beat them.”
Here’s Martin. The best stuff is a couple of minutes into the interview.
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• Looks like CC Sabathia won’t be getting 20 wins this season. Girardi said today that the Yankees are likely to have Sabathia pitch a simulated game, but not pitch in another regular season game this season. “Do it that way so you can control the environment,” Girardi said. Girardi said he wasn’t sure when that simulated game would be, but Sunday seems to be a possibility. The Yankees prefer a simulated game because they believe it lets Sabathia stay more or less on routine, rather than forcing him into a bullpen situation or a shortened start.
• The Yankees rotation for this weekend:
Friday: Freddy Garcia
Saturday: A.J. Burnett
Sunday: Ivan Nova
• The Yankees are hoping to have Phil Hughes start one of the games in Tampa next week. He’s hoping to throw a bullpen this weekend, and Hughes said he could have pitched at about “90 percent” yesterday, but the Yankees wanted to play it safe.
• The expectation is still that Francisco Cervelli will not be healthy enough to play this postseason. Girardi said that’s part of the reason Jesus Montero is getting a start behind the plate. The Yankees want to see him back there to help them make an informed decision about what to do about a backup catcher in the playoffs.
• Girardi said he expects to have six or seven regular players in the lineup every day, and he doesn’t see any one player as needing significantly more rest than others. “I think they’ll all get about the same amount of time,” Girardi said.
• No special treatment for Alex Rodriguez this last week: “I think since he’s come back this time he’s hit the ball better and he’s been more consistent,” Girardi said. “He’s going to get his at-bats this next week and I really, truly believe he’s going to be ready to go. When next Friday comes around, I truly believe he’ll be ready to go.”
• David Phelps, Adam Warren and Manny Banuelos will join the Yankees tomorrow, but they won’t be in uniform. They’ll just be here for a couple of days to sit in on meetings and see what it’s like at the big league level. It’s a pretty standard thing that the Yankees do with some young players at the end of the year.
Associated Press photos
Love his comment………..good for Martin
Tom-
Weather should hold tonight.
Don’t expect a game tomorrow night.
Gotta love Russell Martin. All kidding aside, Martin has brought some gritty toughness to this team. I don’t know what the saber formula is to measure that, but there has to be some way to quantify.
Yay Montero catching!
Love me some Russ Martin also.
You got it, tucker.
Martin gets a 10/10 in the Attitude Metric.
2011 AL East summary –
The Rays own the Sucks.
The Yankees own the Rays.
The Sucks own the Yankees.
Martin-a true Yankee?
Re: Montero getting a look. The timing is interesting.
expect martin to get one in the ear this weekend
phuck bahston
“Martin not shy about his “hate” of Red Sox”
Me either!!!
Anyone notice how Red Robin wasn’t around for the celebration last night? Guess it was time for bedtime stories and cookies and milk. Good that he hung in until the Sux lost and Yanks won – all the time predicting the opposite!
Good job chap!
Not fond of a player’s self-promotion, whether it’s fact or not, but, this could backfires and cost Cano some votes.
“BryanHoch Bryan Hoch
Also in that clip, Robinson Cano says about the MVP award — “Why not me? The numbers are there.” atmlb.com/o4wDzM/”
You can’t seem to ignore me, so how are you different than a troll? You’re not.
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you’re like a player who complains about being booed
better that than to be ignored
In summary-
Robin/Ruby/”2011 champion sox” is one sad MFer.
Go kiss your Buchholz poster, girlfriend.
Get HFA and then let our guys rest. Our B team can kick the Suxer’s arses, for heaven’s sake!
Later y’all!
mick,
Martin gets one in the ear, whoever does it will get a body slam shortly thereafter.
Bx is Burning September 22nd, 2011 at 6:32 pm
LMAO!!!
The Red Sox own 2nd place……just like most years…..some years they own 3rd when Tampa is good.
Martin is following the Jorge legacy correctly. Po has never hidden his dislike of Boston. Good job, Russell.
Following up on the thought that the Red Sox lack a Nova from previous thread:
They don’t have a nova, and their system didn’t provide them with a noesi, ours did: in Aceves.
The Red Sox’ achilles heel really has been no ML relevant minor league talent that could help them in the pitching ranks. The big lie for several years has been their “great system pitching,” except people who actually follow the minors knew better, started asking the question: where is this great Boston young pitching hiding?
Same people were trying to convince their fellow Yankee fans, who don’t get to the miL games, that not only did Boston have a bare cupboard, but that ours was full of pitching riches, and typical of a certain type of Yankee fan, they pooh poohed any claims that optimism was in order as “prospect hugging”. These claims go back 3 or 4 years.
A little digression is in order. My heretofore definition of those who use the term “prospect hugger” in another’s direction is:
A fan who is insecure in his own knowledge of a team’s minor league system, OR, one who cannot be bothered with, OR, who has no time or curiosity for finding out, what the system actually consists of.
For no matter what player at whatever position is praised, the response is never specific to the player, whom the one using the term “prospect hugger” knows not from any other random player in the system; they are all alike to him. Hence, anyone who praises any one of them, must be a “prospect hugger,” since “prospects” are all the same guy. (I would assert here that actually, the type of fan who uses this term of derision is identical to other fans who either use it or enjoy it when others use it; they are all alike to me).
The user of the term “prospect hugger” also seems to suffer from a disconnect in not understanding that all “real” players in the majors were once “prospects”. Same user of term also has decided that using the term “prospect hugger” at the derision of someone else will be viewed by similarly clueless fans as clever and intelligent, because it demonstrates a kind of skepticism that the accuser thinks makes him sound smart and that convinces his equally clueless admirer.
Incidentally, the user of the term “prospect hugger” is always, ALWAYS in favor of trading promise for present “talent”, regardless of said promise’s upside, or incoming talent’s. ALWAYS.
End of definition.
Now then, the irony that Red Sox Nation has been turning its lonely eyes to Alfredo Aceves, who came from the Yankees’ system, to provide its rescue, cannot be missed…
luis September 22nd, 2011 at 6:35 pm
Hi everyone!!!,
LGY,
I think they are doing the right thing with CC, no sense in pushing him now.
JAP
Good to see Montero behind the plate!, and i envy you for being able to be at YS
Joe from LI, GB7,
Very good posts, i would add that what doomed them was the lack of depth, so they couldn’t deal with injuries like we did…If someone should be fired it should be Theo.
Trisha,
I wont go as far as to root for the Rays, so you are a heretic!!!
I might add that i love the hate for the sux from Martin, not only a player but a fan!!
Trisha i forgot the
“BryanHoch Bryan Hoch
Also in that clip, Robinson Cano says about the MVP award — “Why not me? The numbers are there.” atmlb.com/o4wDzM/”
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yea maybe Cano is fed up with hearing how Pedroia is a better player, when Cano has more talent in his toenail than pedey does in his whole body. Maybe Cano is just giving all the folks who have called him lazy, non-clutch, et al their due, his middle finger. You go, Robbie!
Why not you, indeed.
Guys,
What Yankee fan would choose to use the color “RED” in his handle…….
Some cities, players, and fans are easy to like. Boston is clearly not one of them. They’ll always have the “little brother” syndrome toward anything New York.
Martin wants to stay with the Yanks so its wise of him to develop that Sox dislike…..fans love that.
J alfred,
Love that post….
I think Grandy is a better candidate this year for MVP but Robbie is their best player
munson-posada-martin…join the legacy!
Montero should have a little easier time catching Bartolo tonight….
J. Alfred Prufrock September 22nd, 2011 at 6:39 pm
AMEN!
JAP,
As I’ve said before, I’d love to watch the prospects play. I read somewhere that SWB might be playing in Staten Island. Anyone up there who wouldn’t go out to watch them there couldn’t be a rel fan.
Cano has good numbers but they’re not MVP numbers.
They all look prettty stupid right now, ha ha!
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only if you take them seriously to begin with…
Last game of the 2010 season. Rays beat KC, Yankees lost to Sox. Result: Yankees didn’t win the AL East, and gave HFA to Texas in the ALCS.
I have a long memory. I bet some of the Yankees do. I hope they knock both of those bum teams out, and have the Angels win.
PS–never in ML history has a team that started as bad as the Sox or the Rays made the playoffs. Maybe that tells you something.
# Giuseppe Franco September 22nd, 2011 at 6:35 pm
# Betsy September 22nd, 2011 at 6:21 pm
I don’t think so, but you go on deluding yourself. By the way, you’re a complete hypocrite. You were one of the ones who used to complain about the board being dragged down by trolls, etc………YET, you continue to snipe at me every chance you get. You can’t seem to ignore me, so how are you different than a troll? You’re not.
————
So challenging you on your repetitive unfounded charges means I’m a troll? Whatever you say.
You say the same thing all the time. Their either “pushing” a guy back from injury or they are “pushing” a kid too hard in the minors.
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GF
She’s long gone but will reappear in seconds to disprove me….it’s like I said all along, she craves attention and by being a blowhard she gets it…the more unfounded the better on her part….why people buy it, I have no idea…like I said dumb it down Lohud.
Thank you Joe for getting Montero behind the plate tonight. Using Romine should be the last option.
I don’t see how his defense can be any worse than Jorgie’s.
I wonder how long Martin has had these feelings about the Sox. He was being courted by both the Yankees and the Red Sox for his services, and he chose the Yankees. Could it be that we have a couple of players who would like to re-establish some of the “rivalry” feelings from the days when Munson played? Martin seems to be a good fit for this team, despite his offense, where we have been a bit spoiled by Posada and Yogi.
Boston has a number of players who gave team friendly terms. Boston has also gone out and signed two players to contracts for more than the normal going rate of the ones already there, namely Crawford and Lackey. Things like that can simmer in the background, upending the team chemistry even if it is never talked about. Especially when they under perform.
The Queen of Confrontation doesn’t like to argue…what a joke!
Queen of the Hit and Run is more like it.
Prufrock, you’re just saying all that b/c *you* are a prospect hugger.
When it comes to awards there’s a debate (sorta) about anti-Yankee bias.
I present Exhibit A:
“Plus, there’s an anti-New York vote that swirls around Baseball America whether folks want to admit it or not.”
http://espn.go.com/new-york/ml.....rs-success
I obviously want the Yanks to win the WS…..and I think they a good chance to do so….but one way or another this has already been a really enjoyable season for me……from Jeter’s 3000th…….to Mo and the saves record ……to seeing some of the kids come up and contribute. Great year already and a really fun year…
JAP
Good to see Montero behind the plate!, and i envy you for being able to be at YS
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Great to see what should have happened a couple of months ago!!! Alas, I am not in the Bronx tonight. Will miss Montero behind the plate, Matt Moore on hill for Rays, another Jorge lineup presence (as they are dwindling down
), and possibly a cameo from the next great right-hander for the NY Yankees, Dellin Betances. 
.
BUT: I did get to be there last night, which I wouldn’t trade for anything. Also, I just can’t get over how magnificent C is, even when he’s battling his own lack of command and getting too much plate. He’s just so admirable, and seeing him live, you see his mound presence so much more than on TV. He’s a mensch.
Love Russell Martin’s remarks. Love! Good old time Yanks-RS trash talking. Can the “Who’s your Daddy” chant be far behind?
Love Joe G.’s remark in response to Martin’s, essentially, boys will be boys w/a grin. No apologies!
Martin is a rare breed…even Jeter plays the politically correct card with the sox….i’m sure veriteks and becketts hair stood on end when Martin used the Hate word.
love jete but next time he pats youkilus or pedroia on the butt it makes me cringe
why discredit the nettles-munson-pinella generation
be more like billy, martin.
Luis, sorry I didn’t address you. that post quoted you and was meant in response.
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blake, thanks. Guess I had to get that one off my chest
.
yankeefeminista September 22nd, 2011 at 6:52 pm
I am another proud prospect hugger my self!!, so Pruf just wrote the bible to me
yankeefem,
So am I, but I rely on you guys to tell me whom I should hug.
yankeefeminista September 22nd, 2011 at 6:52 pm
Prufrock, you’re just saying all that b/c *you* are a prospect hugger.
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Well, of course!
I have been gravitating more towards the “hugger” side of things the last couple of years……I still think there are times when you make deals when something makes sense……before the more you follow the minors…..and the more you see the kids you’ve followed come upband succeed…….the more you want to keep them in house. Cool time to be a Yankee fan as we have legends still on the club…..and a lot of promising young players in the system.
I will be rooting for the Yankees tonight, but that’s just me.
Don’t we want Colon to do well? Montero?
The Rays can go off to wherever it is they’re going and beat some other team.
Maybe we’ll even help them out this weekend.
i love seeing the young guys AND im all for pretty much throwing this one to tampa. i dont prefer them over the socks, rather i prefer that both of them have to go down to the wire, along with the angels, even to the point of having one of those 3 team playoff in 2 days things.
Pruf, it is killing me to miss tonight–Matt Moore’s debut, Montero behind plate, and a perhaps Killer B appearance, but I too wouldn’t trade last night’s experience for anything. Maybe we still get to see Dellin in one of the weekend games…
Blake, agree, it has been a heckuva year in spite of all the adversity we have faced and whatever the outcome of the postseason. GO Yanks!
Don’t forget, the Red Sox allegedly made an offer to Martin this off-season.
Mark Teixeira part deux?
JAP,
No problem man!, i was envious of you being yesterday at YS, what a moment it must have been to see Po deliver in a big way….The only thing i didn’t like was the pitch count of CC
Yogi Mantle September 22nd, 2011 at 6:52 pm
I wonder how long Martin has had these feelings about the Sox. He was being courted by both the Yankees and the Red Sox for his services, and he chose the Yankees. Could it be that we have a couple of players who would like to re-establish some of the “rivalry” feelings from the days when Munson played?
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I bet if Tex weren’t such a polite guy, he’d have a few choice things to say about Boston. In fact, I think he did – just can’t remember what it was….?
tomingeorgia
luis September 22nd, 2011 at 6:59 pm
JAP,
No problem man!, i was envious of you being yesterday at YS, what a moment it must have been to see Po deliver in a big way….The only thing i didn’t like was the pitch count of CC
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Words fail…that’s how special that scene was yesterday. Yea, C was up there again. The sweat was coming off his forehead…his innings are really up there…
I want the Yankees to win. I always want the Yankees to win. Everything else is just noise. If the Yankees win, nothing else matters!
The one thing I think about with Martin’s comments, and why I think many players play the “politically correct” card, is that you really don’t want to give motivation to your opponents. However, I don’t know how much grist you can add to this particular rivalry mill.
I am really surprised at the reaction of most of you towards Martin’s words. I thought some of you would maybe think he should have been a little more PC.
BJK September 22nd, 2011 at 6:59 pm
Don’t forget, the Red Sox allegedly made an offer to Martin this off-season.
Mark Teixeira part deux?
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Didn’t Henry break furniture over Contreras? LOL.
Villa,
Maybe you are right, but as a fan, i love a player that is not only a professional athlete but also a fan of his team.
Villa – one thing I like about Girardi, he never defers to Boston, ala Torre.
I think it helps the Yankees to have more edge towards Boston. I don’t want them to trash talk – that’s not the Yankee way – but I do not want them throwing flowers at Boston, either. Torre did that and that is not what I want to see.
Russell Martin, my favorite Yankee–Next to Mariano, of course.