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He's a Yankee next year for sure no matter what happens in the World Series imo.
Doesn't bode well for the Rangers keeping this guy after the WS:
Cliff Lee's wife harassed in NY
Fans' treatment of Cliff Lee's wife at Yankee Stadium was ugly, but it might not have hurt the Yankees' recruitment of one of the game's top left-handed pitchers.
During the American League Championship Series games in New York between the Yankees and Rangers, fans were extremely rude to Kristen Lee, spitting and throwing beer in her direction and shouting obscenities.
But the treatment apparently did not change how the Lees feel about New York.
"I brush that off as fans being fans. You can't control 50,000 people and what they're going to do," Lee said Tuesday, the day before pitching Game 1 of the World Series for Texas. "There were some people that were spitting off the balcony on the family section and things like that, and that's kind of weak, but what can you do?"
Lee said what happened last week wouldn't have any impact on his offseason decision.
"No, I don't know the guy that did it. It could be anyone. Who knows? Who cares?," Lee said. "They're at home right now."
Lee's agent, Darek Braunecker, told ESPNNewYork.com that Lee's wife still likes New York.
"The story is not an issue to us," he said. "Her experience in New York is certainly a non-issue. She enjoys New York as much as anyone enjoys New York."
Lee helped Texas beat New York in the ALCS in six games. But there has been widespread speculation that the Yankees will make a serious run at signing Lee when he becomes a free agent after the season.
That didn't stop Yankees fans from harassing Lee's wife.
"The fans did not do good things in my heart," Lee's wife, Kristin, told USA Today. "When people are staring at you, and saying horrible things, it's hard not to take it personal."
She was sitting with other Rangers family and friends in the visiting family section at Yankee Stadium during the playoffs.
"Some people get a little alcohol in them and act inappropriate," Cliff Lee said. "There's so many people there you can't control them all. I know it's been made into a big deal, but that's really all it is, just two or three or four people just acting like fools, and 50,000, you can't group them all together. But there's always going to be a couple goofballs in the crowd that think they have a right to do that stuff."
In a text to ESPNNewYork.com, Yankees spokesperson Jason Zillo said that the Yankees are "not commenting."
On the flip side of Kristen Lee's bad experience in New York is her close relationship with CC Sabathia's wife, Amber. They have been close since Sabathia and Cliff Lee played together in Cleveland.
Cliff Lee and Sabathia are friends as well. The Sabathias and Lees already were discussing where the Lees should live when it appeared as if the Yankees were going to make a trade for Lee in July.
The Yankees are expected to make Lee their No. 1 free-agent target. He will likely receive a deal in the five-to-seven year range at $100 million to $150 million. It also could be Lee's final major contract; he turns 33 during next season.
Lee, acquired by Texas from Seattle on July 9, is getting ready to start Game 1 of the World Series for the second year in a row. Last year it was for Philadelphia, which traded him to the Mariners the same day the Phillies acquired Roy Halladay.
This time, Lee will get to pick where he plays.
"He has a chance to win here for a long time," Rangers teammate Jeff Francoeur said Tuesday. "At the end of the day, I think he's going to be between Texas and the Yankees. He'll wind up in one of those places."
He's a Yankee next year for sure no matter what happens in the World Series imo.
So sick that the Yankees rape the league the way they do.
I don't get it, what's the big deal? This city has 10 million people and because some bags insulted his wife he's supposed to justify that by rejecting the greatest franchise in sports history?
Do you honestly expect an irrelevant small market team like the Rangers to hold on to the league's best pitcher?
This will be Greenburg/Ryan's first chance to open the purse strings and show they mean business when it comes to keeping this team compe ive. I wouldn't judge them if they don't outbid the Yankees, but I also wouldn't be surprised if they made a similar offer.
As long as the Yankees aren't offering significantly more than the Rangers, I think Lee will stay here. He could achieve god-like status as a Ranger.
someone's ass is still chapped from that beatdown last week.
Since when have the Rangers been a small market team? They have been overlooked many years, mainly because they've never been a serious contender. Not because they play in a small market city like Tampa Bay, Kansas City, Cleveland or Milwaukee.
Even though the park is in Arlington, they have the DFW market. That's a top 10 market in the nation. If Lee goes to the Yankees, it won't be because the Rangers are a small market. It'll be because it's the ing New York Yankees and most players have no balls, sell out and get paid big money to play for them.
$120 vs $90 mil...as reported on the radio @ ESPN...
it. She could by a pretty nice umbrella/parisol/rain jacket for that extra 30 million...
I think secretly deep down the Yankee fans insulting his wife DOES bother him, and for sure her. I think she will have a big say-so in where he goes as well...
You think or hope?
Doubt she'll have much say to convince him to say no to the Yankees if the difference really ends up being anywhere close to $30 million. Plus as the article mentions, Cliff Lee's wife is pretty close with Sabathia's wife. I think they both know very well if he signs with the Yankees, the fans will pull a 180 and shower her with love (as long as Cliff Lee pitches the way he has the last couple years).
They're number 5.
Yeah, I saw five and six on a couple of different sites, so I just put top 10. Either way, if Lee leaves the Rangers it won't be because the Rangers are a small market. It'll be because the Yankees can shower him with money.
I hope some guy hawked up a dry sandwich inducing lugey and hawked right in her eye. that bas .
The Rangers are a small market team in a big city. They're the fourth to last in team payroll in the entire league.
Sure the DWF area is a large market, but apparently nobody cares about baseball there. Just the Cowboys, who's season is over with already and the Mavs, well, they're the Mavs.
This world series is going to be a one hit wonder for the Rangers and will be forgotten soon after by everyone except the Rangers fans.
Rangers have no pull and simply can't hold on to a player of Lee's stature. It's not as if he grew up in that city and was with the Rangers for 7 years. Lee has no attachment to the Rangers, just another mediocre team that he got traded to.
And the Knicks have the 5th lowest payroll in the NBA this year. That's not indicative of market size. Fact is the Rangers are in one of the top 5 market's in the nation. They are not a small market team, despite yours or other perceptions of them.
The rest is just your opinion.
Dude your asshurtness over the kicking the Rangers gave the Yankees is showing in every way.
Using the Knicks is a poor example considering they've been clearing cap space for several years to prepare for the 2010 off season and they still didn't use all of their money. Because, unlike the MLB there is a payroll cap in the NBA.
Fact is, Rangers have no pull and outside of Texas they have few fans. Creating no revenue.
Shouldn't you be worrying about getting swept by the Giants? Because I know I'll be happy this off season, you have nothing going for you after you lose this series.
Striking out Gay Rod to finish up a curbstomping of the Yankees is victory enough. Anything positive from the world series is extra credit.
No matter how long you live, you'll know you rooted for a team that got their ass beat by the ing Texas Rangers, the Clippers of major league baseball.
lol and using the Rangers is a bad example because Hicks was in serious debt and financial troubles before he ended up selling the team to Ryan and Greenberg last season. That's why the payroll is so low.
If you think the Rangers aren't a ideal destination, it's because players would rather play for one of the powerhouses in the MLB, hence the Yankees. DFW is still a top 5 television market in the nation. With one of the biggest metropolitan areas in the nation.
Ideal destination? Maybe not. Unpopular place to play among players as of now? Maybe. Small market? No.
You're confusing popularity of playing there among players of the league with market size.
But it's pretty obvious the underlying issue with you is that you're a Yankees fan and still not over the fact that you think a "small market team" raped the Yankees last week.
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