Frazier: No regrets ducking media after miscues

TORONTO — Two days after he declined to talk to reporters instantly following what he referred to as the “most troublesome sport of my skilled profession within the outfield,” New York Yankees outfielder Clint Frazier doubled down Tuesday, saying he had no regrets about avoiding the cameras and ducking questions in regards to the collection of defensive miscues he had that evening.

“No, I do not remorse it. And to be honest, I do not assume I owe anybody a proof as a result of it is not a rule that I’ve to talk,” Frazier mentioned, meandering his manner by way of quite a lot of totally different matters whereas addressing reporters simply earlier than the Yankees’ collection opener in opposition to the Toronto Blue Jays.

Part 7 of the collectively bargained Main League Baseball Gamers Affiliation’s regular-season media pointers say, “It is rather necessary to our sport that ALL gamers can be found to the media for affordable intervals and it’s the participant’s duty to cooperate.”

Frazier’s reluctance to be interviewed got here after Sunday evening’s Eight-5 Yankees loss at residence to the rival Boston Pink Sox.

Almost an hour after that sport ended, and mere minutes earlier than the Yankees’ scheduled 11:30 p.m. ET bus departure from Yankee Stadium for a flight to Toronto, a staff spokesman introduced to ready reporters that Frazier was not going to talk.

Typically affable and commonly out there on nights when he delivers large base hits or clutch residence runs, Frazier felt embarrassed by his efficiency within the subject on Sunday. He lamented listening to for the primary time heckling from followers in Yankee Stadium’s bleacher seats, angered by his defensive woes.

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These miscues included being charged with an error when a floor ball acquired previous him and rolled to the right-field wall, plating a Pink Sox run. He additionally had hassle monitoring a fly ball hit close to him, prompting him to dive — unsuccessfully — for it on the final second. One other fly ball he possible ought to have caught fell alongside the right-field line and resulted in a triple.

“The performs had been what they had been. I sucked,” Frazier mentioned Tuesday, earlier than crushing a fourth-inning two-run homer that put the Yankees in entrance of the Blue Jays early. “I misplaced us the sport. Everybody knew what I did fallacious, and that is what it got here all the way down to.”

Though he declined to speak to the collective of reporters within the clubhouse Sunday evening, Frazier did communicate completely to ESPN a few hours after the Yankees’ stadium departure.

“I have been working actually exhausting day by day with [outfield coach] Reggie [Willits] earlier than batting follow begins, and regardless of what has been occurring throughout the sport, I am nonetheless assured in myself to have the ability to flip this round quickly,” Frazier informed ESPN. “It is robust to price the staff runs and a possible win, particularly when enjoying at residence in opposition to Boston. Issues preserve occurring that should not, and I am acknowledging all that with all the early work I am doing earlier than video games.”

Response to that remark was principally combined from Yankees followers on social media. Some had been glad he lastly, albeit a pair hours later, spoke about his want to deal with his gaffes. Others thought it was too little, too late.

Yankees supervisor Aaron Boone, amongst many different coaches, staff advisers and teammates, has spoken privately with Frazier about each his play and skipping out on the media.

“We talked just a little bit [Tuesday] about sure issues and expectations and issues like that, however I will preserve it at that,” Boone mentioned.

As Frazier said on Tuesday, “I knew the folks that I ought to have spoken to, I did, and that is the place I went. I did not really feel like I wanted to face in entrance of everybody and clarify myself.”

Nonetheless, his supervisor believes that dealing with reporters, each after good and unhealthy occasions, is of paramount significance for his gamers.

“A part of being a giant league participant, and positively a part of enjoying right here,” Boone mentioned. “We would like our guys to all the time reply once you play a particular position in a ball sport. That is a part of being a professional, and being a giant league ballplayer and being a New York Yankee.

Clint Frazier mentioned his defensive miscues late within the Yankees’ loss to the Pink Sox on Sunday price his staff the sport. Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports activities

“These are the issues which can be a part of the rising course of that we undergo with a number of our guys.”

Along with talking about turning down Sunday’s mass media interview alternative — and his poor defensive play that prompted it — Frazier additionally apologized for hanging his teammates out to dry that evening. Whereas he remained away from the portion of the clubhouse reporters are permitted to occupy, his teammates had been requested to debate his play.

“There’s going to be days the place issues sort of appear to be they are not going your manner. It simply all the time looks as if the ball is being hit to you,” heart fielder Aaron Hicks mentioned. “That is only a time the place you study over time that you have to sluggish the sport down. Know the conditions going into it, what may occur earlier than the play even begins.”

Frazier was remorseful Tuesday about placing his teammates in such an uncomfortable place.

“I do not need them to have to talk for me, however I additionally need to be on the identical web page as everybody in there,” Frazier mentioned. “I ought to have been standing in entrance of my locker.”

Unprompted, the 24-year-old outfielder — who has made as many headlines for his every day selection of cleatwear as he has for his 10 residence runs this season — additionally mentioned he felt the protection round him has been considerably sensationalized.

Particularly, Frazier cited issues he had with tales that had been written in previous seasons about his hair being too lengthy and lower than Yankees code. He additionally referenced questions he heard from broadcasters final season who questioned in regards to the size of time he spent away from enjoying after struggling a spring coaching concussion.

“Since I acquired traded over right here, it has been some tales that got here out that should not have got here out,” Frazier mentioned. “And it is troublesome, as a result of the way in which that I am perceived by folks isn’t how I feel that I actually am. I do not really feel prefer it’s been honest at occasions, and I do not owe an apology for not speaking.

“I do know I do not match the mildew of what a number of the previous and present Yankees are like, and which may be why it is just a little bit tougher for me to navigate day by day, and I am making an attempt to be myself in right here. And generally it appears like folks have a difficulty with me simply being myself. It has been troublesome; it has been exhausting. My complete life, I’ve all the time sort of been totally different and struggled to slot in as a result of folks understand me a sure manner. It was, each time I used to be youthful, the one factor that I felt like saved me related was baseball.”