KANSAS CITY – Royals relievers better dip themselves in Kevlar during their three-day visit to Yankee Stadium in the middle of August. After the way the Yankees’ bullpen was abused last night at Kauffman Stadium by the fans in the left-field seats, all bets are off for Aug. 17-19.
Jason Grimsley had a beer dumped on him early in the game and the rest of the pen had to listen to taunts throughout the Yankees’ 13-6 loss.
“What’s going to happen when Kansas City’s players come back to New York?” reliever Jeff Nelson asked. “There is nothing like New York fans. They will support us and there is no way of knowing what will happen.”
What happened last night was that some of the 5,000 fans participating in a “$hare The Wealth” demonstration decided to get stupid.
“You get used to the verbal abuse and there were some pretty good rags out there, but don’t throw beer on me,” Grimsley said.
Mike Stanton insulted the loudmouths for a lack of ability to be ignorant.
“They tried to be butt-heads and couldn’t do it,” Stanton said.
David Cone put it all in perspective when he said, “We have no right to complain since we play at Yankee Stadium.” *Since Bernie Williams is the highest-paid player in Yankee history, Royal fans focused their protest on the $87.5 million man.
Encouraged by radio station KCTE to demonstrate against the gap between big-market teams such as the Yankees and small-market teams like the Royals, about 5,000 fans showed up at the game last night and were herded into the left-field seats. They turned their backs to the field when the Yankees batted and left in the fourth inning to watch the game in a nearby bar.
Wearing t-shirts that read, “$hare The Wealth,” the crowd booed Williams as he walked from the team bus to the stadium entrance.
“Getting booed during the game is one thing,” Williams said. “But this goes beyond that as far as economics. I felt very uncomfortable. I felt like I was marching into the 1960s somewhere. I was almost scared.” *Asked to comment on the job Don Zimmer had done guiding the Yankees to a 14-6 record and first place in the AL East, Joe Torre smiled.
“The record is pretty damn good,” Torre said. *RHP David Cone (3-0; 1.04 ERA) faces RHP Jim Pittsley (1-0; 6.30) tonight. RHP Hideki Irabu (0-0; 5.79) draws RHP Kevin Appier (2-2; 4.60) tomorrow. RHP Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez (3-1; 4.41) battles LHP Jose Rosado (1-1; 1.72) Monday night.