BOSTON -- It was supposed to be a festive occasion, in which Derek Jeter's New York Yankees teammates were to present their captain with gifts to express their respect and gratitude just moments before he would take the field for his final game at Yankee Stadium.
But before the gifts could be bestowed, manager Joe Girardi had a message he wished to deliver to his players.
It was not a fond farewell to Jeter, but a scathing critique of the Yankees' 2014 season, in which he expressed his disappointment with their failure to reach the playoffs for a second straight year, the first time that has happened in more than two decades.
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Joe Girardi called out multiple members of the Yankees for being overweight or for not being "hungry" enough, according to sources.
According to clubhouse sources who were present for the critique, and backed up by interviews with more than a half-dozen players, most of whom spoke to ESPNNewYork.com off the record for fear of angering their manager, Girardi chided some players for being overweight and others for not being "hungry" enough.
One source described Girardi as "angry," and said he even took a brief timeout to allow the players, led by CC Sabathia, to present Jeter with the original painting of The New Yorker's Sept. 8 cover depicting the shortstop waving goodbye, and an expensive watch, before returning to Part Two of his tirade.
"It was a speech the likes of which I've never heard him give before," said the source, who was in the room during the meeting. "It's something he probably should have said back in spring training."
Yea, I am worried about the Yanks in the near future. Beltran comes in out of shape. Ellsbury didn't like having to hit 3rd. McCann was shellshocked in his first season in NYC.
Sure injuries have played a part but the team DID quit...
