A day after remarks made by Boston Red Sox play-by-play announcer Will Flemming fueled the long-standing rivalry, there was no radio quiet from the Yankees on Monday.
Flemming was openly criticized by a number of Yankees players, who called him “unprofessional” and questioned why a radio broadcaster would advise a team to hurl at an opponent.
Jazz Chisholm Jr., a second baseman for the Yankees, was initially referred to as a “bush league player” by Flemming, who works for the Boston radio station WEEI, after he stole two bases in the eighth inning of Sunday’s series finale in the Bronx with New York leading 7-1.
He then recommended to WEEI color analyst Will Middlebrooks that Red Sox left-hander Jovani Moran bean Yankees catcher Austin Wells, who was batting at the moment, in retaliation.
Chisholm claimed that on Monday morning, he became aware of Flemming’s remarks. Before the team’s series opening against the Angels in Anaheim, California, the two-time All-Star addressed reporters:
“They’re called unwritten rules because you’re not really breaking any rules,”
“You’ve seen teams — actually them [last season] — do the same thing where they’re pouring on runs. We didn’t have nothing to say or nothing to do about it.
“That’s just showing how unprofessional he is.”
Flemming was particularly criticized by teammates Carlos Rodon and Aaron Judge, who suggested that hitting Wells should be Boston’s solution. The Yankees’ captain, Judge, told reporters:
“He needs to stay out of that and not be telling people to throw at players and injure players”. “That’s not what this game’s about.
“Not too happy hearing broadcasters talking about trying to injure or hurt players. He needs to clean that up.”
