San Francisco Giants legend Will Clark is not happy with Boston media, especially Red Sox broadcaster Will Flemming.
The former Giants first baseman went on an expletive-laden rant about how East Coast media took his story about Rafael Devers no-showing him for a pregame coaching session out of context and out of proportion.
During Wednesday’s episode of his podcast, “Deuces Wild,” Clark lashed out at Flemming in particular, as it was a quote from the WEEI play-by-play broadcaster that sparked the drama.
“Will Fleming, you go (expletive) off, (expletive), all right?” Clark said. “You want to (expletive) take a conversation that we’re having and then blow it out of proportion because you’re a (expletive) East Coast piece of (expletive) reporter? (Expletive) off, all right? So, other than that, I’m cool.”
The rant stems from how media – primarily media that covers the Red Sox (like me) – has framed the incident involving Devers.
Co-host Eric Byrnes claimed that he and Clark were “just kind of playfully talking” and that the quotes were taken out of context.
In Boston, the focus has been placed on the fact that, when Clark volunteered to show up early to the field to help mentor the former Red Sox star at first base, Devers didn’t show up.
In Clark’s defense, there is some important context. Clark said that he understands why Devers didn’t want to go out there, considering the Red Sox were in town that weekend.
“He didn’t want to have to go through all that (expletive) in the Boston media and all that,” Clark said.
Clark also mentioned that Devers had fielded ground balls at first a few days prior and was “nursing some soreness.”
“So I showed up and he wasn’t there. It ain’t no big deal,” Clark said. “On top of that, it was optional batting practice. So he just decided that, ‘I ain’t gonna do it today.”
Will Flemming is the brother of Dave Flemming, who is in his 22nd season of calling Giants games. Clark said that Dave Flemming introduced him to Will when the Red Sox were in town.
As for Will Flemming, the Red Sox broadcaster clarified his side of the story on social media.
“Since the whole of SF seems mad at me, I just want to clarify again: I was repeating a story that one of the great Giants told on his own pod,” Flemming wrote. “I’m not trying to push a narrative or opine about the trade. No one has any ill-will toward Rafi, it was just time for a change here.”
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