CLEVELAND -- As I wrote in Saturday's editions, Topic 1A in the Yankees' clubhouse after Friday's 3-1 win over the Indians was CC Sabathia's stellar performance straight off the disabled list.
Topic 1B was the frightening pitch to the helmet Derek Jeter took from Cleveland rookie Corey Kluber in the second inning. The pitch nailed Jeter, partially cracking the bill of his helmet as it knocked the helmet off. Jeter was clearly angry by the drilling (left) but waved off trainer Steve Donahue and manager Joe Girardi as he went to first base and stayed in the game.
Take a look at the video here.
"It's scary when it's coming," Jeter said. "They said how are you, I said I'm fine. That was pretty much the extent of our conversation."
"I'm looking in his eyes," Girardi said. "Steve has a bunch of questions he has to ask. I'm just looking at him."
The Yankees, of course, were also looking at Kluber's motives. Didn't appear to be any even though Jeter doubled off him in the first and Kluber simply said it was an inside fastball that got away. The kid was all over the place the first three innings.
"Of course you're angry," Jeter said. "No one wants to get hit in the head. You do that, it can be something serious. I was upset. I don't think anyone throws at someone's head. I don't know the guy. I don't think he did that. He was throwing up and in so you've got to be careful. That's a dangerous area to be throwing."
"I thought he took it like a champ" said outfielder Nick Swisher. "Super scary. I heard it, kind of closed my eyes real quick because I thought he was going down. And then he's just kind of standing there and I was, 'Damn, what a champ. That didn't faze him at all.' But anytime you get up in that region towards the face, that's kind of off limits. I would like to think he just lost that pitch but that's nothing to joke around with. that could be super serious."
Asked if it him on the side of the helmet or the front bill, Jeter simply said, "You just hear a bang, man. Certainly didn't feel good. Of course it hurt. It was a 90-some mph fastball. It's gonna hurt. But there's no problem, so I'm fine."
---Mike Harrington
(www.twitter.com/bnharrington)
AP Photo: Manager Joe Girardi and umpire Fieldin Culbreth escort Derek Jeter to first base.
