New York Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira, left, tags out Philadelphia Phillies’ Ben Francisco during the fourth inning of a spring training baseball game in Clearwater, Fla., Sunday, March 20, 2011. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
NEW YORK (WFAN/AP) – Memo from Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira to Phillies left fielder Ben Francisco: “That’s not baseball.”
According to Teixeira, Francisco’s effort to knock the ball out his glove on a fourth-inning grounder down the first-base line on Sunday was an unnecessary play.
“That’s not a hustle play, there is no reason for it,” said Teixeira. “He could hurt me or hurt himself.”
Francisco engaged contact with Teixeira instead of pulling up to accept an easy out in front of first base. Teixeira was visibly annoyed after the play, shaking his head at the runner.
“That’s not baseball,” Teixeira said afterward.
It should have been a pleasant afternoon for Teixeira, who slugged his first home run of the spring in the top half of the fourth, helping the Yankees to an 8-1 win.
Was Francisco’s contact clean? Let us know in the comments below…
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