Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips apparently took issue with something written recently by the stat-minded C. Trent Rosecrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer and went off on Rosecrans in the visitor manager’s office Wednesday evening at Busch Stadium with manager Dusty Baker looking on.
ESPN 101, a St. Louis-based radio station, just posted audio of the heated altercation online:
Here is our attempt at transcribing that exchange (with the requisite edits) ...Phillips: “Hey Dusty, the fat motherf***er on the end is worried about my on-base percentage. Why don’t you tell him to have me bat eighth with my on-base percentage.”
Rosecrans: “I don’t care about ...”
Phillips: “Fat motherf***er. Make him happy, Dusty. Fat motherf***er. I’m tired of you talking that negative sh*t on our team, dog. I found out your Twitter name now motherf***er. It’s a wrap.”
Rosecrans: “Wow, took you how many years? Congratulations.”
Baker: “I ain’t in that, man. That’s between you and him.”
Rosecrans: “That’s between him and him.”
Baker: “OK, even better.”
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UPDATE, 9:45 PM ET: The Cincinnati Enquirer has issued a response about the incident:
There was a situation that arose this evening prior to the Reds and Cardinals game involving our reporter C. Trent Rosecrans and Brandon Phillips.
Phillips took exception to our analysis concerning his on-base percentage and a follow-up tweet after being moved into the second spot in the lineup. It is a fair subject to consider, and one our readers would expect us to address.
While we are disappointed in Phillips’ reaction, we understand it is a pennant race and emotions are high during a crucial series with a heated rival. This isn’t the first time a player has lost his temper in response to a reporters questions and it won’t be the last. It is part of covering the team day-in day-out.
This will not affect our coverage of the team or Phillips. We plan on moving on from this and we hope Phillips does too.
