Wednesday, October 27, 1999

Yankees boycott Gray

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Game 3 hero stiffs NBC reporter in Rose protest

The Associated Press

Chad Curtis blows off Jim Gray. (AP photos) | ZOOM |

        NEW YORK — New York Yankees outfielder Chad Curtis, hero of Tuesday night's World Series game, refused to answer questions from NBC reporter Jim Gray in protest of Gray's contentious interview with Pete Rose Sunday night.

        Although Gray apologized to baseball fans before Tuesday night's game, the Yankees weren't in a forgiving mood and decided to boycott Gray. When Gray approached Curtis after the game to ask him about his game-winning home run in the 10th, the left fielder made the team's feelings plain.

        “Tell us about that pitch,” Gray asked.

Yankee fan's sign says Gray is wanted for verbal assault on Rose. (AP photos) | ZOOM |

        “I can't do it,” Curtis responded. “As a team, we kind of decided, because of what happened with Pete, we're not going to talk out here on the field.”

        Curtis then added, "I do want to say that was for you, Grandma" and he walked away.

        Gray shouted after Curtis, “Don't you want to talk about your home run?” but Curtis did not turn around.

        “It's not a personal thing with me and Jim Gray,” Curtis said later. “It's a thing the team decided. A lot of guys were pretty upset with the way he talked to Pete.

        “What happened there was that the story all of a sudden became bigger than the person, and that should never happen. The team made a decision not to talk to (Gray) on the field. Fortunately or unfortunately, I was the guy that had to say it.

        “I understand he issued some type of apology, but it was more to baseball than to Pete. I have no idea whether he's guilty of this or that, but that was a special day for Pete and we feel he should've allowed him to have that day.”

ANGRY AT NBC?

Express your outrage at Jim Gray's interview at:   • programming@nbc.com   • Our Reds forum   • feedback@ majorleaguebaseball.com   • Fire Jim Gray and Apologize to Pete Rose Boycott Web site

        In its postgame report on CNBC, reporter Craig Sager, who had been covering the Braves' dugout, moved over to the Yankees' side of the field to ask the questions instead of Gray.

        NBC was deluged by complaints from fans Sunday night after Gray's interview with Rose at Turner Field in Atlanta. It centered on Rose's lifetime ban from the sport for gambling, and came minutes after he returned to a major league field for the first time in 10 years as a member of baseball's All-Century team.

        NBC does not plan any changes in its coverage despite the boycott, said spokesman Ed Markey.

        “Jim Gray will be back tomorrow night in the Yankee dugout — same assignment as tonight,” Markey said after Tuesday night's game.

        Markey added that the network expected the Yankees will talk to Gray for Game 4.

       

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Reds Stories

Yankees boycott Gray Gray apologizes to fans, not Rose Watch Gray's apology at msnbc.com Selig: Rose ban remains, no matter what fans say Rose's agent: Pete was set up Watch the interview at msnbc.com McKeon, Reds may work out deal

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