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Buck Showalter ‘Rips’ Derek Jeter and Theo Epstein, Sort Of

Photo: Jim McIsaac/2010 Getty Images
Photo: Jim McIsaac/2010 Getty Images

Follow along here: Over the weekend, Bob Klapisch of the Record wrote a column about Buck Showalter that included a pair of quotes the Orioles manager had given to Men’s Journal for the magazine’s April issue. In one, Showalter called out Derek Jeter for his exaggerated movements in the batter’s box on pitches just off the plate, and in the other, he questioned whether Theo Epstein would look so smart if he had the Rays’ payroll. Yesterday, the quotes showed up on ESPN.com, citing the Record story, and also on TampaBay.com. Today, there are short pieces on the quotes in both the News and the Post. And this morning — five days after the Klapisch column went online — the quotes were the lead on the Daily News’ homepage, appearing with the headline “Buck You, Jeter!”

Here, by the way, is the full quote about Jeter, via the Record:

“The first time we went to Yankee Stadium, I screamed at Derek Jeter from the dugout,” Showalter told the magazine. “Our guys are thinking, ‘Wow, he’s screaming at Derek Jeter.’ Well, he’s always jumping back from balls just off the plate. I know how many calls that team gets - and yes, he [ticks] me off.”

And here’s the quote about Epstein:

“The first time we went to Yankee Stadium, I screamed at Derek Jeter from the dugout,” Showalter told the magazine. “Our guys are thinking, ‘Wow, he’s screaming at Derek Jeter.’ Well, he’s always jumping back from balls just off the plate. I know how many calls that team gets - and yes, he [ticks] me off.”

Of course, neither of these statements is particularly outrageous: Jeter’s long been leaning over the plate on outside pitches or jumping back on inside ones, and having a large payroll to work with undoubtedly benefits Epstein. Not that you often hear people within the A.L. East say either of these things out loud, which is kind of Showalter’s point, we suppose — to signal to his team that the Orioles aren’t to be bullied by the big dogs in the division, and that Jeter is a human being like any other player, so should he do something that warrants getting screamed at by the opposing dugout, then he’ll get screamed at by the opposing dugout.

By the way, isn’t it strange to hear someone make the “he might not look so smart if he had a smaller payroll” argument about a GM other than Brian Cashman? The Red Sox really have been acting like the Yankees lately, haven’t they?

Buck Showalter ‘Rips’ Derek Jeter and Theo Epstein, Sort Of