Don't be surprised if you hear "Get Off Our Mound!" chants from Yankee fans Thursday.
Dallas Braden is ready for such venom - or whatever Bronx bravado might come his way.
The mouthy Oakland A's lefty is nfl jerseys
slated to start against the Yankees at the Stadium - the first time he'll face them since he and Alex Rodriguez feuded back on April 22, when A-Rod crossed Braden's mound in Oakland after an out, and Braden snarled "get off my mound!" at the Yankee third baseman.
Rodriguez responded in the press by mocking Braden's modest major-league accomplishments.
Braden has since pitched a perfect game - and even patched things up with A-Rod. But Bronx fans still figure to vent some vitriol.
"You guys wouldn't be New Yorkers, right, if that wasn't the case?" Braden said at the Stadium yesterday when asked if he thought he'd get an earful.
"That's part of the excitement. They've had a while to think of some good stuff, so don't disappoint."
Rodriguez and Braden haven't faced each other since that April encounter, and they won't Thursday, either, since A-Rod is on the disabled list. Braden was DL'd when the Yankees visited the A's in July.
The two did, however, make up on that Yankee road trip, even cooperating Indianapolis Colts jersey
on a charity T-shirt.
"It was a great notion on their behalf, a great idea as far as [Joe] Girardi was concerned to kind of put a positive spin on things. And it's exactly what happened," Braden said.
"And a lot of good people, a lot of good charities benefited from that. That's always a positive."
Actually, the Braden-Rodriguez feud initially got worse before it got better. Three starts after Braden faced the Yankees, he pitched that perfect game against the Rays. After that game, Braden's grandmother declared, "Stick it, A-Rod."
Still, last month, Braden gave A-Rod a "perfect game" poster and game ball as presents, and Rodriguez reciprocated by signing 10 "Get Off My Mound" shirts for charity.
Braden (9-9, 3.28 ERA) isn't disappointed he won't have the chance to face A-Rod this week.
"I don't put value on any one player in this game," the 27-year-old said.
"Each player is as important to me to get out as the next one. Nobody's a bigger out. Nobody's a better competitor."
Immediately after Mound-Gate, Braden ripped A-Rod, saying, "The Dallas Cowboys jersey
guy was tasting himself too much to apologize. I have a lot of respect for what he has done in the game, but I am disappointed to see the other side. ... He should maybe just watch his captain [Derek Jeter] a little more often."
Braden also warned that "there will be repercussions if it happens again."
Rodriguez, in turn, said, "I was a little surprised [that Braden warned him not to run over the mound] because I never heard that, especially from a guy with a handful of wins in his career."
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