Clint Frazier's delayed response says a lot about his relationship with media covering Yankees

Tom Gatto

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Clint Frazier's delayed response says a lot about his relationship with media covering Yankees image

Here's a prediction: Clint Frazier will talk about the home run he hit Tuesday night in Toronto. The Yankees outfielder will be willing to share his thoughts with reporters about a positive contribution.

And if he's asked again about how he dealt with his nationally televised fielding miscues a couple days ago, well, he can let those questions go by, just like those batted balls did.

Why spoil the fair weather, right?

(UPDATE: Frazier spoke after New York's 4-3 loss. He also stared down a reporter who asked him whether he was extra-motivated Tuesday.) 

TWO MINUTES WITH . . . Frazier tells SN about bat speed, shoes and more

You might remember that Frazier created a storm in the New York area Sunday night by being a postgame no-show, unwilling to discuss his misplays in right field during a loss to the Red Sox. Tuesday at Rogers Centre, Frazier had no regrets about not being the type of standup guy the Yankees organzation wants its players to be. 

"I don't apologize for not talking," Frazier said, per MLB.com. "I knew the people I should have spoken to, I did, and that's where I went. I didn't feel like I needed to stand in front of everyone and explain myself. The plays were what they were. I sucked. I lost us the game. Everyone knew what I did wrong. That's what it came down to."

Frazier said his reticence also stemmed from his belief that the New York media have covered him unfairly since he came over from the Indians in the 2016 Andrew Miller trade and have portrayed him as a bad guy. He brought up past stories about his hair length, his supposed request for Mickey Mantle's retired No. 7 and his recovery from a concussion.

"I am confident 24/7, which is why I think people feel the need to knock me down," Frazier. "I know I don't fit the mold of what some of the past and current Yankees are like, and that may be why it's a little bit harder for me to navigate every day. I am trying to be myself in here. Sometimes it feels like people have an issue with me just being myself."

Just days ago, Frazier was telling reporters he was "in a good position" with the Yankees. He has become a regular while New York's top outfielders have been sidelined by injuries. The homer Tuesday was his 11th in 42 games this season.

His dealings with reporters this week shouldn't change that status in the near term, but the Yankees' outfield will be crowded once Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton come off the injured list. The team can roll with those two, Aaron Hicks, Brett Gardner and Cameron Maybin if they want.

Frazier can then get more reps (and do even fewer interviews) in Triple-A.

Tom Gatto

Tom Gatto Photo

Tom Gatto joined The Sporting News as a senior editor in 2000 after 12 years at The Herald-News in Passaic, N.J., where he served in a variety of roles including sports editor, and a brief spell at APBNews.com in New York, where he worked as a syndication editor. He is a 1986 graduate of the University of South Carolina.