(with all due respect to Derek Jeter, this is still the greatest chicken in recent New York history)
Given the ease with which the Yankees took 3 games from the Mets two weekends ago at the Nu Stadium, is there really much point in reliever Frank Francisco further antagonizing the Bombers by calling them “chickens” prior to a return engagement at Citi Field? Francisco’s manager, Terry Collins tells the Newark Star-Ledger’s Conor Orr, “Frankie is a grown man and if that’s the way he feels – I don’t think he needed to stir the pot when we play these guys, they’re good enough already.” TRANSLATION : please wait until your ERA is at least under 4.50 before you start with the trash talk.
“I mean, I make a simple comment, because they complain a lot, for every call, for everything,” Francisco said. “I thought it was funny. But I didn’t expect it to make a big deal.
“I said what I said. I’m not sorry for anything. I think they complain too much for everything. You guys don’t watch the game? You guys don’t see it, every game?”
Over in the Yankees clubhouse, Derek Jeter said he wanted nothing to do with the conversation and that he’d seen far worse said about him over the years.
“I don’t understand what that means,” he said. “I can’t be insulted by something I don’t understand. You’re talking about five years ago (the last time I faced Francisco) man. When was the last time we faced him? 2007? 2004?”
Russell Martin, who figured Francisco was joking, heard about it when he arrived at Citi Field.
“I don’t care,” he said. “We’ll see if we’re chicken when he gets in the game.”