Alex Verdugo calls out Blue Jays' Manoah for 'disrespecting' hitters originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Alek Manoah was one of the most electric pitchers in baseball last season. But one of his American League East rivals isn't a fan of how the Toronto Blue Jays pitcher conducts himself on the mound.
During an appearance on the "Baseball Isn't Boring" podcast with Audacy's Rob Bradford, Boston Red Sox outfielder Alex Verdugo said he's a fan of on-field celebrations in general but believes Manoah's antics cross the line.
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"If it's a genuine reaction and it’s for the boys, not directed towards somebody, then yeah (it’s fine)," Verdugo told Bradford. "Like, I’ll say it right now, I think Alek Manoah goes about it the wrong way; 100 percent I think he does."
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Verdugo specifically referenced Manoah's late-July outing in Boston last season in which he barked at Red Sox hitters Franchy Cordero and Bobby Dalbec after striking them out.
"You can find videos of him, footage of him in Triple-A going like this to hitters, last year, telling Franchy and Bobby like go sit, s--- like that and looking right at them," Verdugo said of Manoah.
"So it’s s--- like that just pisses me off. It’s not the way it should be played. It should be played like you’re celebrating it with your team, you’re not f---ing disrespecting another player who is -- at the end of the day we’re just trying to compete, that’s it."
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Verdugo is one of the most passionate players on the Red Sox and often celebrates after big hits or clutch catches. But the 26-year-old outfielder says celebrations should be directed toward your own dugout, not with the intent of showing up your opponent.
Manoah enjoyed a stellar 2022 campaign, posting a 16-7 record with a 2.24 ERA and 180 strikeouts. He's made plenty of enemies, though, and if he pitches during Toronto's four-game series at Fenway Park from May 1 to May 4, his matchup with Verdugo will be worth watching.
