As Derek Jeter continues his neverending farewell tour across the country, teams, players, managers and others are congratulating the future Hall of Famer. As Jeter rolled into Tampa over the weekend, Rays fans and a heavy contingent of Yankees fans repeatedly cheered for him and his team, especially after Jeter’s go-ahead RBI single in the 9th inning:
Joe Maddon did not appreciate the overwhelming reception:
It’s great that it’s sold out. And I understand that the people like Derek Jeter. But you’ve got to come out and root for the Rays, too, you understand. I mean, I totally understand what’s going on. But I’m not going to sit here and defend all of that noise in the Yankees’ favor in our ballpark. I’m not going to defend that. So we’re going to come out and root for the Rays. We’d appreciate that.
The reaction is not surprising, as Jeter owns a home in the area and the Yanks spring training complex is nearby. Unfortunately for Maddon, New York has one more visit to Tropicana Field this season, and the same fans that have been ripped as fairweather for years will likely provide the same reception to Jeter.
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[For the Win via NJ.com]
Photo Courtesy: Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images
