EXCLUSIVE: The Tampa Bay Sports
Net has in its possession the conversations
between Rays' pitcher Matt Garza and catcher Dioner
Navarro on the mound, when Garza got a close-up look
at what Navarro wears on his face, in the dugout when
they met again and in the runway leading to the visitor's
clubhouse.
Without anyone's knowledge, a miniature
microphone was cleverly embedded in the catcher's
mask padding and every word was heard across the Gulf
of Mexico (when you are in an area loaded with 1,000-5,000
watt radio stations, you know you can hear them further
out in the water to the west than you do over land
to the east).
So without further adieu, TBSN brings
you the complete blow-by-blow from start to finish.
*************
Dioner Navarro, upon arriving
at the mound at the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington
after Garza gave up a two-run homer: "What the
hell are you doing?"
Matt Garza: "What?"
DN: "You're pitching like
a girl."
MG: "You're the one who
has to squat, not me. Get lost."
DN: "Listen Mr. Venus
De Milo, I'd like to tell Joe what kind of fastball
you have but I ain't caught one yet."
MG: "Hey, I'll start pitching
when you start hitting."
DN: "Are you nuts? Have
you seen my average?"
MG: "Oh, sorry. I watched
The Natural before the game and I loved that
line."
DN: "Knock, knock. Anyone
home up there? We're playing a game here."
MG: "Get that mask out
of my face. You want to ugly up this GQ face?"
DN: "I got more than this
mask for ya."
MG: "Oh yeah?"
DN: "Yeah! And
to think we traded Delmon Young for you."
MG: "I'll start pitching when Delmon
Young starts hitting. So there."
DN: "Pitchers."
*************
Meanwhile, manager Joe Maddon has a flashback to
Boston and pops open a '94 Harlan Estate Cabernet
Sauvignon while he waits for his battery to come back
to the dugout after the inning.
Joe Maddon to both players: "What the
heck just happened out there?"
DN: "I dunno. Nothing
skip."
MG: That's crap. He called me a girl and mashed
his mask into this pretty face."
JM: "Well you were throwing like you
had a dress on."
MG: See D, you even got Joe calling me names."
JM: "No I didn't." (Maddon takes
huge gulp from his Reidel Sommelier)
DN: "No he didn't."
MG: "Yes he did." (Garza flails
his arms and knocks over the rest of Maddon's $1,200
bottle of wine)
JM: "Why you......."
DN: "Don't worry
skip, I'll take care of your light stuff."
MG: "I'll knock you all the way back
to the Yankees' farm system....."
*************
The two players head down the steps to take their
"misunderstanding" out of the range of the
cameras as to not make people think this was a Manny
Ramirez-Kevin Youkilis redux. Little did they know
that new assistant video director Jonny Gomes was
there for such an occasion, should it arise.
Gomes, it was learned, was trying to earn some extra
cash. He tried to eat some Coco Crisp during the game
and the headmaster gave him a time out because meals
are served before and after games.
Taken back by Gomes being dressed as a sumo wrestler,
everyone started to laugh, Garza went to the clubhouse,
Navarro returned to the dugout and Maddon ordered
some Boone's Farm Strawberry Hill.
It was cheaper.
*************
After the game, Garza was telling the press how sorry
he was and Navarro was holding court about the loss
of some expensive wine. He is a beer drinker but sympathized
with his manager.
"I know what the price of a 40 is so it bothers
me to see that happen," he said. "If Joe
had a 40, it would have blown up and everyone would
have been hit with flying glass. Thank goodness wine
isn't carbonated."
A reporter told him that Boone's Farm has some bubbles
in it.
"Oh, it's like Champale, huh?"
Maddon also expressed disappointment that Gomes tagged
along on this road trip instead of going home like
all suspended players do.
"I was ready to relax and watch Navvy and Matt
go at it for a few rounds and then Jonny goes and
spoils it," said the skipper. "I'm mad.
I'd suspend him but he already is. And my wine is
gone and I have to drink this crap. When do we play
the Sox again?"
A reporter told him that Gomes diaper had fallen
off and that's why everyone was laughing.
"Oh, that's a different story," he said.
"Now he's going to Durham."
*************
BEWARE THE TERRORISTS: It appears the lunatic
fringe of politics have interpreted the fist bump
between Senator Barack Obama and his wife after he
wrapped up the Democratic nomination for President
as some sort of terrorist signal.
With all the fist bumping in baseball, maybe fans
should check the baseballs flipped into the stands
before they hand them off to their kids. The ink in
Bud Selig's signature could be laced with poison tomatoes
or spinach.