Uh-oh...

[milky_way]

Battery Mates
http://www.newsday.com/sports/ny-posada0915.story?coll=ny%2Dsports%2Dheadlines
By Ken Davidoff
Staff Writer

The tension that has always existed between Orlando Hernandez and Jorge Posada -- sometimes for the better, sometimes not -- exploded yesterday.

El Duque punched Posada in the face before the Yankees' game against the White Sox, and teammates had to pull the two men apart. The incident probably will strengthen the desire of the Yankees' front office to get rid of Hernandez after the season.

Posada, who didn't appear injured, started at catcher and went 0-for-4 in the Yankees' 8-1 loss to the White Sox at Yankee Stadium.

After yesterday's game, Hernandez waved at a reporter who approached him and said, "Bye," as in "Goodbye." He offered no further comment.

"I've got nothing to say about that," Posada said. "It's something we're going to keep in the clubhouse."

A team source said the matter will be handled internally, with no announcement if there is any disciplinary action.

The one-punch affair took place at about 12:15, 70 minutes before the scheduled first pitch, in the rear of the Yankees' clubhouse. According to a source with knowledge of the situation, it stemmed from an incident in El Duque's last start, Wednesday.

In the eighth inning, with a full count on Baltimore's Chris Richard, plate umpire Angel Hernandez called a ball on Hernandez when El Duque licked his fingers on a blustery night. That ended the Yankees' streak of consecutive innings without allowing a walk at 65.

During the last few days, El Duque had wanted to discuss the incident with Posada, to find out if the catcher had failed to pass on a warning from the umpire about licking his fingers. But Posada, for no apparent reason, refused to talk about it.

Yesterday, as Hernandez was speaking with Raul Mondesi, Posada passed by and began taunting the pitcher, at which point Hernandez taunted back.

When Posada made a comment about Hernandez's mother, El Duque snapped. He threw down the hand weights he had been carrying, according to a witness, and landed a right to Posada's face.

Someone yelled, "Whoa!" and the noise of the fracas got the attention of everyone in the clubhouse, including a few members of the media.

A couple of people pulled El Duque into the players' lounge, where Hernandez continued to yell in Spanish. Robin Ventura held back Posada. Bernie Williams held his ground in the middle, serving as a human barrier.

Derek Jeter tried to re-establish calm, holding his arms up and saying, "OK. OK." Hernandez was still yelling as Posada, shaking his head, returned to his locker to prepare for the game.

Posada went through the rest of his day as normally as possible. He warmed up starting pitcher Roger Clemens in the home bullpen and was one of five Yankees to catch the ceremonial first pitches thrown by the cast of "The Sopranos." On this day, when the Yankees experienced some problems inside their family, Posada worked with John Ventimiglia (who plays restaurant owner Artie Bucco), catching his toss and shaking his hand.

Hernandez and Posada have been connected since El Duque's major-league debut June 3, 1998, when Posada caught the 7-1 victory over Tampa Bay. Though most of the Yankees' pitchers preferred throwing to Joe Girardi in 1998 and 1999, Posada almost always caught Hernandez.

El Duque and Posada became a sideshow of their own, constantly shouting at each other while debating how to take on the opposition. Joe Torre has often laughed while recalling how the two go at each other verbally in the dugout and clubhouse.

Hernandez, who spent five weeks on the disabled list this season with a strained upper back, generally has pitched well, posting an 8-4 record and a 3.60 ERA in 20 starts. But many team officials wanted to trade him in July after the Yankees acquired Jeff Weaver, and only the strained right groin Clemens suffered in mid-July ensured that El Duque would finish out the 2002 season with the Yankees.

The Yankees almost traded Hernandez to the San Francisco Giants last winter; only the objection of George Steinbrenner prevented it from happening. Now that El Duque has added fighting to his list of negatives -- moodiness and constant injuries -- it appears likely that he'll be pitching elsewhere in 2003.

[milky_way]

from the article
When Posada made a comment about Hernandez's mother, El Duque snapped.
if that's true, then that's just wrong :no. Reminds me of that jerk who attacked Boomer :angry: :hmm:

[milky_way]

Hernandez, Posada make amends
Torre talks to pair before Sunday's contest
http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/nyy/news/nyy_news.jsp?ymd=20020915&content_id=129204&vkey=news_nyy&fext=.jsp
By Mark Feinsand / MLB.com

NEW YORK -- One day after Saturday's clubhouse altercation between Jorge Posada and Orlando Hernandez, the Yankees appeared to be a united team, having put the incident in the past.

The two players, who have a history of shouting and arguing with each other on the field during Hernandez's starts, reportedly shouted and shoved each other in the clubhouse about an hour before Saturday's game. Despite published reports that Hernandez punched Posada in the face, the catcher said that no punches were thrown during the altercation.

"No punches were thrown at all. We pushed each other, that's all," Posada said. "Things are going to happen. Something happened, we took care of it, and that's all. Nothing else."

Hernandez refused to comment on the situation.

General manager Brian Cashman said that the incident was behind the team, but wouldn't comment as to whether any disciplinary action would be taken against either player.

"It's an internal matter that is already behind us. You'll have to take my word for it," Cashman said. "It's not really an issue, not something that we're concerned about. It's in the rear-view mirror."

Manager Joe Torre met with both players before Sunday's game to discuss the matter. According to Torre, the pair had already had a discussion before they walked into the manager's office.

"I care for both of them very much. We had a conversation, but evidently, they had one before I had mine. That's good news, that they weren't forced to come together," Torre said. "They understand what's at stake here."

Posada likened the incident to fighting with your brother, saying that it could make the relationship stronger.

"We just had an argument, that's all. I don't know why you guys are surprised about it, we do it all the time. It's no big deal. We'll go on, it will make it a lot better now and we'll get ready for the playoffs," Posada said. "When you fight with your brother, it can make your relationship a little better after. I think this will make us a lot stronger.

"Obviously something wasn't right, we had to get it right and we did," Posada added. "It wasn't about baseball at all."

Yankees players didn't feel as if the altercation would have any lingering effect on the clubhouse, as the Yankees make their push for another October postseason run.

"Over nine months, everyone has disagreements. It gets taken care of right there and it's over with," said Steve Karsay. "We're professionals. This is what we get paid to do, it's our job. They're professional enough to handle the situation, go out and do what they have to do."

Derek Jeter, one of Posada's closest friends, didn't think that the incident would hamper Posada's ability to catch Hernandez's games, nor would it affect Hernandez when it came to pitching to the catcher.

"We're all professionals and we have to separate things," Jeter said. "They have no choice. Your job is to win. It doesn't matter who you like. Those two are vital parts to us winning a championship, so the bottom line is that they have to work together. They don't have to go to dinner after the game."

Torre said he has no plans to sit Posada when Hernandez pitches, and that if it happens, it won't be as a result of anything but a normally scheduled day off for Posada.

"We talked, and I don't think it's any different than spending time with your family," Torre said. The most important thing is being able to talk it out. You're not going to get along all the time, especially with people who are so passionate about what they do. They're two passionate people. I'd much prefer to have that than two people that don't give a damn."

Karsay said that things like this happen in baseball, as well as all sports.

"We all feel like we're brothers in here. There are disagreements, sometimes they escalate into a little more, which is unfortunate. You forget about it, hug the next guy and move on," Karsay said. "The bottom line is that it's over with. Whatever happened yesterday, happened yesterday. We don't see it as a problem or a distraction. We'll go out and do what we need to do on the field."

The Yankees have a reputation of being a very professional team and Torre thinks that his squad will respond to this in a professional manner, not taking it out on the field with them.

"We have a lot of veterans here who have been down this road before," Torre said. "If something like this is going to affect our team, then we're certainly not as good as I think we are. It's far from the Bronx Zoo."