Agent, Cashman: Don't Read Into Unreturned Joba-Youkilis Phone Call
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- So Joba Chamberlain is still waiting for a return call from new teammate Kevin Youkilis.
Lingering tension, perhaps?
Not according to Youkilis' agent. And according to Yankees general manager Brian Cashman, hold the phone on reading into the situation.
"It was in the middle of a bunch of different things going on," Youkilis' agent, Joe Bick, told the New York Post. "There was no malicious intent."
Chamberlain acknowledged Tuesday that his welcome-to-the-Bronx voicemail was never returned by the former Boston Red Sox rival.
"I did everything I can do," Chamberlain said before the annual BAT fundraiser at the Marriott Marquis. "I can't control what Kevin Youkilis does, I can only control what I do and, you know what, we'll go on from there."
The Chamberlain-Youkilis feud at one point best symbolized New York's fierce rivalry with Boston. Chamberlain was suspended for two games in 2007 for throwing a pair of fastballs over Youkilis' head.
The bad blood extended into the 2008 season, when another iffy pitch resulted in an on-field screaming match.
Now teammates, Chamberlain and Youkilis have both downplayed the discord. Bick called their history a "non-issue."
"I don't think there's anything to get involved with," Cashman told the New York Daily News. "All relationships get developed in spring training. Some guys don't answer their phones all winter. I don't need to get involved whatsoever.
"I guess (Youkilis) could've done a lot of things, but I also know what he said publicly and that should be good enough. These guys are baseball players — they shouldn't be judged by how good they are at returning calls and texting."
Do you think these guys will get along just fine as teammates? Be heard in the comments!
