Bautista Goosed: Day Two
A day later, the Goose Gossage comments are still being discussed.
Joe Girardi and Brian Cashman called Gossage in for a sit down meeting. Because that's what you do when you are afraid Grandpa needs to be put in a home.
“Everything is good; I just kind of lost my mind there for a minute,” Gossage said. “You’re talking to an old school guy, man; there are things that I have a hard time with. The game taught me a long time ago (to) control what you can control and don’t fret all the other stuff. It’s just what it is. I said what I said yesterday and that’s it.
They told me where they were coming from and they knew where I was coming from. I understood some things where they were coming from. It was a good meeting. All is well.”
Ok, this is how I imagine the meeting:
Joe Girardi: " We respect you, Goose. I mean, of course we do. But Brian and I are a little concerned about your state of mind. Are you senile? Now, we don't care about the old school vs new school stuff. I mean, you know we like to make sure our players are soulless automatons without beards when they play for us. No, we're talking about possibly angering José Bautista. Have you seen what this man does to individuals and teams that anger him? Ask Buck Showalter. We can't handle an angry Bautista. We just can't do it."
“ All the things I said, Bautista just came into my mind. I was asked a question and I got it off my chest. Hopefully they think about it, because nobody else is going to tell them not to do it. None of their teammates. Act like Jeter. Act like Mo. Act like a professional, that’s all.”
Act like Jeter? I think someone wants a gift basket.
Now, if Bautista was a professional, what would he say? Maybe this?
“I just found them to be unnecessary. I have tried to analyze it, in every way that my creativity allows me to, and I find no scenario where he would have something positive to gain from it…but he must have his reasons. Many people feel bad or offended or humiliated by such comments, but playing baseball is a great learning experience and one of the many things I have learned is to leave by the wayside unnecessary comments and things that make no sense, therefore it is easy for me not to engage in any conflict in this case. A lot of baseball players nowadays are a little more connected with their emotions, and that is our style, we understand and respect that once upon a time it was different, but we live in the now.”
If I were to craft a sentence that is quintessentially José Antonio Bautista, it would be this:
"I have tried to analyze it, in every way that my creativity allows me to, and I find no scenario where he would have something positive to gain from it."
It's intelligent and it's slightly cheeky. It isn't overt but he understands that clever people will get it.
If he said that and then bat flipped, it could not be more José.
Need to hear more? Buster Olney and company talked about it on the Baseball Tonight Podcast.
(They have Andrew Marchand's actual recording of the Gossage comments. Marchand saying "Yeah...." to every increasingly crazy statements is pretty funny.)
Best tweets?
Best. Ever.
Again, Reggie Jackson is a Yankee. Everything is ok if a Yankee is doing it.