Tagged: Don Sutton
A-Rod/Tex Rift? Does It Matter?
The Yankees blog “Was Watching” posted about the supposed tension between A-Rod and Teixeira when both were with the Rangers. Maybe there was a rift back then, but Tex said during his press conference that A-Rod was one of the players who got in touch to congratulate him on becoming a Yankee.
There’s a long history of teammates not getting along, even hating each other. But in most cases, the strained relationships didn’t affect the success of the ball club.
For instance….

Babe and Lou, despite mugging for the camera together, were said to be polar opposites who felt genuine enmity toward each other. Did it hurt the Yankees? Nope.
Neither did the resentment between Thurman

and Reggie.

Jorge and El Duque had a dustup in the dugout after a game

but the Yankees more than managed.
Turning to other teams, the Dodgers did just fine in spite of bad feelings between Don Sutton

and Steve Garvey. (Did anyone like Steve Garvey?)

The Red Sox didn’t suffer just because Carl Yazstremski

wasn’t thrilled about sharing the spotlight with Tony Conigliaro.

When Torii Hunter was with the Twins, he threw a punch at Justin Morneau

but they kissed and made up.
Even last year’s Cinderella, the Rays, had two players who got in each other’s faces.

But Garza and Navarro patched things up and won the Al pennant.
Baseball teams are like families – there’s a good chance someone won’t get along with someone else. But the teams that push through to the playoffs find a way to make even negative chemistry work.
It all comes down to being able to put aside petty differences, recognize the greater good, and go like this….
