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Torre's take Manager reacts to Clemens-Piazza flap
Updated: Tuesday October 24, 2000 2:19 PM
Game 2 of the Subway Series was another thriller with the Yankees holding on for a 6-5 victory. But what most everyone was talking about was another incident between Yankees' pitcher Roger Clemens and Mets' catcher Mike Pizza. CNNSI.com's Vince Cellini and baseball insider Ozzie Smith talked with Yankee manager Joe Torre to get his impressions of what happened. Vince Cellini: The Yankees have a two games to none lead in the 2000 World Series over the Mets. Unfortunately, that isn't the only story that's evolving in New York. Joe I know you've talked about this, but the incident Sunday night, and one of the initial questions was should Roger Clemens have stayed in the ballgame after that incident. I know that's a tough call. Joe Torre: Well, it's not a tough call for me Vince, only because to me, if you get thrown out of the game, if he's throwing the bat at somebody sure, throw him out of the game. I know it may have looked like that. But from where I was sitting in the first base dugout, I think I saw something very clearly. The bat came out to the mound and I'm not sure Roger... when Roger went down to get that thing, if he thought it was the bat or the ball. Normally when a bat's thrown at you, you try to avoid it and not catch it. And when he picked it up and, I think, just emotionally fired it toward the dugout. And probably when it was about to leave his hand it scared the hell out of him when he saw Mike in frame. To me, Mike didn't know where the ball was so he started running which is what you do when you don't know if the ball is fair or foul. And he happened to be there when the bat went by. For certain, he's not...first of all, I asked the question [Sunday] night, why would he do this? I mean, is he looking to hurt him and mess with the other 24 guys on his team's World Series checks? So it's unfortunate. There's no question, he should not have thrown the bat. I'm not condoning that. But if you know Roger Clemens or a lot of starting pitchers there's a lot of emotion that goes on. Ozzie Smith: Let's back up a little bit. You know the incident with Mike getting hit. Did Roger call to apologize? Torre: I've been told in some pretty good sources that he went in and called and Mike, and understandably so, Mike didn't want to talk to him. I know Roger had called to apologize the day he hit him in the head. You know [former St. Louis pitcher] Bob Gibson. "Gibby" keeps calling me and says, "Will you stop dragging my name through the mud." I mean nobody ever wants to hurt anybody. We're all here to make a living. But there's question if intimidation is part of what you do and it works, well use it. Again, it doesn't mean that there's the fear of... somebody is in fear of losing their career. It's just a matter of pitching in off the plate and how many times have we told pitchers, "If you are going to miss, don't miss out over the plate and miss inside so it's not a home run." Cellini: Joe, as a Brooklyn native you better than anyone else know how volatile the Series was anyway coming in emotionally with the folks who live in town and follow the Mets and the Yankees. So now are you trying to defuse this whole thing a little bit? Or at least hope that cooler heads prevail as we try to work past that incident? Torre: Well for sure, you just don't want to get the fans riled up. They're very passionate. Some families are split, obviously half the family are Mets fans the other half are Yankee fans. And I thought Mike Pizza and Bobby Valentine's remarks were right on. It was like, "Let's talk about the game." Sure, Mike wanted to know what Roger's problem was and I guess Roger didn't give him an answer. But I can see where Mike is coming from too, "Hey, what are you throwing at me for?" But I'm certain he didn't throw it at him. Smith: I think your point is very well taken too. Unfortunately what is lost here is a great two performances in post-season by a guy who a lot of people thought had lost it. Torre: Well let me tell you something else Ozzie. When he [Roger] first came over here he wasn't pitching the way he's pitching now. All of a sudden I had to call him in my office and say, "What are you doing, Roger?" He said, "I'm trying to fit in." I said, "Don't fit in. Just be Roger Clemens." And the media, not all of them, but some of them, it was sort of like hinting that he was done or he didn't have the courage to pitch or challenge anyone anymore. And now that he's doing the challenging, now he's getting criticized for something else. So it's been a no-win situation for him. Cellini: Oh, by the way, your team could go up three games to none on Tuesday [everyone laughs]. Smith: Can't we all get along? Cellini: For Ozzie Smith and manager Joe Torre, I'm Vince Cellini at Yankee Stadium.
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