There's no hard feelings about being traded, because I knew it was coming. I just don't see the respect. If you're going to try to show me up, that's just disrespectful. I never said anything negative about them. I just said what I thought we should do to win.... I've got a house phone, and my agent has a house phone. That's disrespectful for them not calling me, and I'm hurt by that. You represent the city and represent the team with class for all those years, but I just don't see the respect.... If you're trying to win a championship, you don't get rid of a closer you continually say is one of the best. If you want to win, you don't cut salary. That's just common sense.... If you claim to have the respect for a player and the love for him because he went out there and did everything and has been in the organization for a decade, you don't do that. You don't show him up. Winning's the ultimate goal, and when you don't win, this is what happens. Maybe I am a selfish ballplayer. Maybe I am selfish to want to win. When you have to pay somebody for being good and pay them in baseball terms, I guess that's wrong.
November 5, 2003 5:39 AM
