Notes: Tigers-Sox rivalry heats up
07/20/2006
DETROIT -- What was originally described as an apology now seems to be part of a developing rivalry between the Tigers and White Sox.
Craig Monroe wanted no part Wednesday night of a war of words when asked about his contact with catcher A.J. Pierzynski near home plate following Monroe's go-ahead grand slam. After reading comments from Pierzynski claiming Monroe apologized to him, plus comments from Sox pitcher Javier Vazquez taking issue with Monroe for watching the home run, Monroe wasn't going to keep quiet Thursday.
Ironically, it was Vazquez, not Pierzynski, who took issue with Monroe on his home run posture.
"He definitely did. But that's part of baseball," Vazquez said of Monroe after Wednesday's game. "Nowadays, guys who have hit 10 home runs in the big leagues think they can do that. That's something we see every day, not only him. Every day we see it."
Monroe didn't want to make a big deal out of it after the game, saying he probably wouldn't have done it if he could do it all over. After reading Vazquez's comments, he wasn't quite so forgiving.
"Here's 40,000 Tigers fans and probably one of the biggest moments for the Detroit Tigers," Monroe said. "So you know what? It's an exciting time. Don't be mad at me."
Because the ball went down the left-field line, Monroe said, he took a second to make sure it was going to stay fair. From there, it was the heat of the moment. If they had wanted to hit him with a pitch for it, he said, he'd be happy to take his base.
Dealing with Pierzynski was another matter. Though Monroe originally said the contact was his fault after the game, he also said he didn't want to start anything. Once he read Pierzynski's claims that Monroe apologized when he stepped to the plate in the eighth inning, he realized something had already started.
"I don't really know if it was an apology," Monroe said. "Basically, I think I asked him in my sarcastic way, 'Is that elbow necessary? Was that really necessary?' I said, 'You understand the game. It was a big part of the game. It's a big moment.' Come on, let's be honest. It was a big moment for the Detroit Tigers. He nodded his head and sat back down, too. It wasn't really any confrontation. I said what I needed to say to let him know that I thought [the elbow] was unnecessary."
Replays showed Pierzynski was right near home plate as Monroe crossed. The brush-up happened just as Monroe turned towards the dugout after being congratulated. The two could be seen exchanging words as Marcus Thames led Monroe back to the dugout.
"I'm not trying to hurt my team by doing something to get ejected from the game and cost myself 10 days," he said. "This is a big, important time for us as a team. Why do something right now to cost yourself 10 days and not get a chance to do something to help your team win? I don't know if that's their way, but whatever.
"To me, that's a sign that [Pierzynski] wants to do something. He wants to get in their heads. He wants to [tick] you off. He wants to make you mad. So now you get out of your game plan. You get out of what you're trying to do, and now you're playing mad and you're trying to do more, when in reality I don't have to do more, just continue to relax. Well, they're not going to change my mindset. I'm going to continue to do what I do."
Thursday's remarks were news to Pierzynski, who said it was "bush league" for Monroe to alter his remarks.
"He hits me and now he's accusing me of throwing an elbow," Pierzynski said. "You know, whatever. He's the one who made the mistake and now I'm being blamed for it. Like I said last night, he apologized to me and now he's changing his story. I don't know where that's coming from.
"It's kind of funny that all of a sudden the story got completely turned around. Now, I'm the one ... just standing there. I don't know where I'm supposed to go. The guy hits a home run and you just stand there behind home plate. I don't remember going anywhere else. It's kind of funny."
Monroe, too, had a chuckle about it. So did some of his teammates, who were at Wrigley Field last month when the best-selling T-shirts in Chicago featured a photo of Cubs catcher Michael Barrett punching Pierzynski with the words, "Who said the Cubs can't hit?" At least two players were wearing those shirts Thursday.
"You know what, guys? The bottom line is everybody in baseball knows that's A.J.," Monroe said. "Let's be honest. That's him. He likes confrontation. He likes to play this role like he's so tough. Well, that act is just tired. It's just tired."
More on Monroe: He started in left field Thursday for the first time since July 2 at Pittsburgh. Marcus Thames started at designated hitter, where Monroe had been playing for most of the last month after returning from a sprained ankle in June.
"I'll mix that up probably quite a bit before the end of the season," Jim Leyland said. "One will play left. One will DH."
Dmitri back soon? The more Dmitri Young hits for Triple-A Toledo -- he had two more hits Wednesday at Pawtucket to improve to .500 (13-for-26) with the Mud Hens -- the more his return to Detroit becomes a matter of when rather than if. It appears it could be this weekend.
Asked whether Young's rehab assignment will run its full course of 20 days through Monday, Leyland said, "No, it won't run its full course." He would not elaborate.
The Athletics are scheduled to start right-handers in all three games this weekend at Comerica Park, creating an opportunity for the switch-hitting Young.
Celebrity sightings: Famed actor Tom Hanks and director Ron Howard were seen in the stands at Comerica Park Thursday, a day after they were spotted at Cincinnati's Great American Park.
Hanks -- who was wearing a Tigers cap -- Howard and comedian Dennis Miller are traveling around on a short tour of ballparks following Hanks' 50th birthday earlier this month. They had also been to Camden Yards in Baltimore and PNC Park in Pittsburgh.
Source: http://detroit.tigers.mlb.com/
DETROIT -- What was originally described as an apology now seems to be part of a developing rivalry between the Tigers and White Sox.
Craig Monroe wanted no part Wednesday night of a war of words when asked about his contact with catcher A.J. Pierzynski near home plate following Monroe's go-ahead grand slam. After reading comments from Pierzynski claiming Monroe apologized to him, plus comments from Sox pitcher Javier Vazquez taking issue with Monroe for watching the home run, Monroe wasn't going to keep quiet Thursday.
Ironically, it was Vazquez, not Pierzynski, who took issue with Monroe on his home run posture.
"He definitely did. But that's part of baseball," Vazquez said of Monroe after Wednesday's game. "Nowadays, guys who have hit 10 home runs in the big leagues think they can do that. That's something we see every day, not only him. Every day we see it."
Monroe didn't want to make a big deal out of it after the game, saying he probably wouldn't have done it if he could do it all over. After reading Vazquez's comments, he wasn't quite so forgiving.
"Here's 40,000 Tigers fans and probably one of the biggest moments for the Detroit Tigers," Monroe said. "So you know what? It's an exciting time. Don't be mad at me."
Because the ball went down the left-field line, Monroe said, he took a second to make sure it was going to stay fair. From there, it was the heat of the moment. If they had wanted to hit him with a pitch for it, he said, he'd be happy to take his base.
Dealing with Pierzynski was another matter. Though Monroe originally said the contact was his fault after the game, he also said he didn't want to start anything. Once he read Pierzynski's claims that Monroe apologized when he stepped to the plate in the eighth inning, he realized something had already started.
"I don't really know if it was an apology," Monroe said. "Basically, I think I asked him in my sarcastic way, 'Is that elbow necessary? Was that really necessary?' I said, 'You understand the game. It was a big part of the game. It's a big moment.' Come on, let's be honest. It was a big moment for the Detroit Tigers. He nodded his head and sat back down, too. It wasn't really any confrontation. I said what I needed to say to let him know that I thought [the elbow] was unnecessary."
Replays showed Pierzynski was right near home plate as Monroe crossed. The brush-up happened just as Monroe turned towards the dugout after being congratulated. The two could be seen exchanging words as Marcus Thames led Monroe back to the dugout.
"I'm not trying to hurt my team by doing something to get ejected from the game and cost myself 10 days," he said. "This is a big, important time for us as a team. Why do something right now to cost yourself 10 days and not get a chance to do something to help your team win? I don't know if that's their way, but whatever.
"To me, that's a sign that [Pierzynski] wants to do something. He wants to get in their heads. He wants to [tick] you off. He wants to make you mad. So now you get out of your game plan. You get out of what you're trying to do, and now you're playing mad and you're trying to do more, when in reality I don't have to do more, just continue to relax. Well, they're not going to change my mindset. I'm going to continue to do what I do."
Thursday's remarks were news to Pierzynski, who said it was "bush league" for Monroe to alter his remarks.
"He hits me and now he's accusing me of throwing an elbow," Pierzynski said. "You know, whatever. He's the one who made the mistake and now I'm being blamed for it. Like I said last night, he apologized to me and now he's changing his story. I don't know where that's coming from.
"It's kind of funny that all of a sudden the story got completely turned around. Now, I'm the one ... just standing there. I don't know where I'm supposed to go. The guy hits a home run and you just stand there behind home plate. I don't remember going anywhere else. It's kind of funny."
Monroe, too, had a chuckle about it. So did some of his teammates, who were at Wrigley Field last month when the best-selling T-shirts in Chicago featured a photo of Cubs catcher Michael Barrett punching Pierzynski with the words, "Who said the Cubs can't hit?" At least two players were wearing those shirts Thursday.
"You know what, guys? The bottom line is everybody in baseball knows that's A.J.," Monroe said. "Let's be honest. That's him. He likes confrontation. He likes to play this role like he's so tough. Well, that act is just tired. It's just tired."
More on Monroe: He started in left field Thursday for the first time since July 2 at Pittsburgh. Marcus Thames started at designated hitter, where Monroe had been playing for most of the last month after returning from a sprained ankle in June.
"I'll mix that up probably quite a bit before the end of the season," Jim Leyland said. "One will play left. One will DH."
Dmitri back soon? The more Dmitri Young hits for Triple-A Toledo -- he had two more hits Wednesday at Pawtucket to improve to .500 (13-for-26) with the Mud Hens -- the more his return to Detroit becomes a matter of when rather than if. It appears it could be this weekend.
Asked whether Young's rehab assignment will run its full course of 20 days through Monday, Leyland said, "No, it won't run its full course." He would not elaborate.
The Athletics are scheduled to start right-handers in all three games this weekend at Comerica Park, creating an opportunity for the switch-hitting Young.
Celebrity sightings: Famed actor Tom Hanks and director Ron Howard were seen in the stands at Comerica Park Thursday, a day after they were spotted at Cincinnati's Great American Park.
Hanks -- who was wearing a Tigers cap -- Howard and comedian Dennis Miller are traveling around on a short tour of ballparks following Hanks' 50th birthday earlier this month. They had also been to Camden Yards in Baltimore and PNC Park in Pittsburgh.
Source: http://detroit.tigers.mlb.com/
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