Clint Frazier was widely praised for saying he would wear a mask during games throughout the regular season in an attempt to not just protect himself, but those around him.
But because this is 2020, he also drew criticism.
“It was interesting,” Frazier said Friday of the reaction. “I got a lot of positive feedback and I got a lot of negative feedback, as well, just from wearing the mask.”
Asked about the negative feedback, Frazier said, “It was social media stuff. I got called a sheep by some people.”
Frazier said he was unfazed by the simple-minded comments.
“It’s all good,’’ Frazier said. “Everybody is entitled to their own opinion, but with the situation we’re in, with how fragile this virus is for some people, I’m not too worried about the negative feedback because moving forward, I think it’s the right thing to do, to protect myself and others around me. We want to win the World Series and the way to do that is to be healthy.”
As for the praise he got, Frazier will take it, but isn’t putting much into it.
“As far as the maturity thing goes, I don’t really put much thought into that,’’ Frazier said. “There are a lot of people who’ve said things about me that don’t really even know me. It doesn’t really affect me, but if they think I’m growing up, I guess that’s a positive right now.”
Frazier has been limited for some of spring training 2.0 by plantar fasciitis and he’s unsure of how he’ll fit in once the season begins.
“I think it’s pretty natural to let your mind wander to those areas, but something I’ve learned the last couple of years is stop trying to play GM,’’ Frazier said. “I have a role. I don’t know what that role is.”
Aaron Boone is pleased the Yankees will be able to open their season Thursday at Nationals Park after there was concern the series would need to be moved out of Washington due to local coronavirus regulations.
According to local guidelines, players, coaches and staff would have to quarantine for 14 days if they were exposed to the coronavirus. Since spring training 2.0 started on July 3, eight Nationals players and one coach have had to enter the city’s mandatory 14-day quarantine.
The team was looking at two possible venues to play the 2020 season — its Class-A stadium in Fredericksburg, Va. and its spring training facility in West Palm Beach, Fla.
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“I didn’t put a lot into it,’’ Boone said Friday.
He talked to GM Brian Cashman Thursday and found out they would be heading to Washington, after all.
“It sounded like they worked through whatever issues they were having,’’ Boone said. “It sounds like it’s all systems go down there, which is good to hear.”
There was piped-in crowd noise during Friday’s intrasquad game at the Stadium and it was greeted with lukewarm reviews.
“Early in the day, I really didn’t like it,’’ Boone said. “It sounded like we were trying to tune an AM radio to find a station and couldn’t find it. I felt better about it during the game. It felt a little bit more natural.”
Gerrit Cole started the game and said: “It’s not the same. It kind of sounds the same if you’re in the zone and not paying attention. Yankee fans sound a lot better than that manufactured sound. The general energy of people in the stands was not there. There was a moment or two of it being normal. I wasn’t catching myself saying, ‘This crowd noise is brutal.’ I didn’t mind it. I liked it better than the music.”
Boone said not all of his players would go to Citi Field for Saturday’s exhibition game against the Mets. He counted Friday as a scrimmage and said most of the regulars would play three of those four games through Monday. Mike King will start Saturday with Zack Britton, Chad Green, Tommy Kahnle and Adam Ottavino also seeing action. Jordan Montgomery is scheduled to start Sunday’s game against the Mets in The Bronx, followed by Jonathan Loaisiga.
Cole said he was adjusting to the new protocols instituted due to COVID-19, but at least one still needs some tinkering.
“We have to work out the rosin-bag situation,’’ Cole said. “At one point, we had three or four out there [near the mound] and someone is gonna trip on one.”