THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
ARLINGTON, Texas — All Texas Rangers chief executive Chuck Greenberg was trying to do was rile up his own fans. He got so into it, the team had to issue an apology — to Yankees fans.
"I thought Yankee fans, frankly, were awful," Greenberg told the local ESPN affiliate on Monday. "They were either violent or apathetic, neither of which is good. So I thought Yankee fans were by far the worst of any I’ve seen in the post-season. I thought they were an embarrassment."
Before Game 5 of the World Series on Monday night, the club issued the following statement: "Earlier today, in the course of praising the extraordinary support and enthusiasm of Texas Rangers fans, I unfairly and inaccurately disparaged fans of the New York Yankees. Those remarks were inappropriate. Yankees fans are among the most passionate and supportive in all of baseball. I have spoken directly to Hal Steinbrenner and Randy Levine to apologize for my intemperate comments. I would like to express again how proud we are of our fans and how remarkably they have supported the Rangers throughout lean times and now during this magical season."
The whole thing began with the Ben & Skin Show comparing the enthusiasm of Rangers fans in Game 3, which Texas won, and in Game 4, a shutout loss. Greenberg had posted something about it on Facebook, so co-host Ben Rogers decided to have him on the air to discuss it.
Maybe it worked.
Fans were loud and cheering every pitch in the first inning. Of course, having Cliff Lee on the mound in an elimination game, knowing this was the final home game of the greatest season in club history regardless of the game’s outcome might have helped, too.
