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Former Yankees Batboy Talks Jovial Jeter, Insecure A-Rod
By
Ben Yakas
Published Aug 7, 2011
Modified Aug 7, 2011
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By
Ben Yakas
Published Aug 7, 2011
Modified Aug 7, 2011
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While the Yankees are busy trying to figure out why CC Sabathia turns into Jaret Wright every time he faces the Red Sox, and waiting for Jesus Montero to rise from Triple-A to save them, a former batboy for the team is dishing on life behind-the-scenes at Yankee Stadium—including Derek Jeter's easy going nature, A-Rod's high-maintenance foibles, Hideki Matsui's inadvertent catchphrases, and Joe Torre's obsession with horses.
Because Luis Castillo (no relation to the former Mets player) was part of the last group of batboys who did not have to sign confidentiality agreements, he's written a memoir about his experience being a batboy from 1998 to 2005 called "Clubhouse Confidential." Below, check out some highlights from the book which were excerpted in the Post today:
- On Derek Jeter: Jeter, who nicknamed Castillo "Squeegee," comes across just as you'd imagine: immensely self-confidant, jovial, private, and wildly successful with the ladies. Castillo relates an anecdote about Bill Clinton visiting the Yankees a few months after he was out of office: "Players were saying, "Hello, Sir," and being polite as hell with him until Jeter -- in full uniform, on the way out to the game -- paused just long enough to say: "Hey, Mr. President, you staying out of trouble?"...The confused expression on Clinton's face said it all: Here was a man so shot up with confidence that even running into the president didn't make him miss a beat."
- On Alex Rodriguez: A-Rod irritated players because of how high-maintenance he was: "He required his personal assistant to position his toothbrush on a certain part of the sink, specifically the edge near the right-hand cold water tap, leaning with bristles up over the basin. The first time he ordered me to do this, I couldn't believe my ears when he said, 'And put some toothpaste on it.'" He would also brag about hitting home runs in the dugout, and he had Castillo lay out his clothes on a table in a very specific order so he could get dressed.
- On George Steinbrenner: There was a "Red alert" system for whenever The Boss came to the clubhouse: "You would see clubbies jump out of their chair and hang up the same piece of underwear six times." In addition, he also talks about pulling pranks on Steinbrenner, playing off his paranoia: "Yes, we were like a big family, and George was the father figure we all feared."
- On Hideki Matsui: At the end of team meetings before games, it was traditional for Joe Torre to ask Jorge Posada what the team was going to do, and he would in turn reply, "Grind it!" However, before Game 7 of the 2004 American League Championship Series (which the team would go on to lose to the Red Sox), Torre instead turned to Matsui. After a pause, he replied: "Kick ass. Pop champagne. And get some ho's."
- On Joe Torre: Torre kept the Off-Track Betting channel on in his office, and would excitedly talk with Don Zimmer about races. "Even during the rockiest and most difficult years of his being manager, Joe Torre was usually focused and kept his nose to the grindstone. There was only one thing that distracted him from work, however, and it wasn't women -- it was horses."
Tagged
a-rod
alex rodriguez
ballboy
baseball
derek jeter
george steinbrenner
gossip
joe torre
Yankees
Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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