C.C. Sabathia throws serious shade at Mark Teixeira

C.C. Sabathia clearly wasn’t happy with Mark Teixeria’s comments about Robinson Cano. Then again, the Yankees ace wasn’t surprised, either.

It’s fair to say that Mark Teixeira isn’t the most beloved Yankees player of all time. His recent comments about former teammate Robinson Cano aren’t going to help matters.

Teixeira told reporters that he “didn’t want to get into too much detail, but he wasn’t surprised” to learn about Cano’s plight. In fairness to the former Yankee slugger, he also professed his love for Cano as a person in the same interview.

Teixeira’s decision to go on the record about Cano definitely didn’t sit well with current Yankees pitcher C.C. Sabathia. He was teammates with both players during their stints in the Bronx. The burly lefty told the Tiki and Tierney show that he wasn’t surprised at Teixeira’s comments “coming from him.”

Sabathia declined to really go into his feelings on the matter, but his ill will towards Teixeira is pretty easy to see. It’s unclear what happened to drive a wedge between the two Yankee stars but don’t expect to see them enjoying a friendly dinner together anytime soon.

The public spat between the two players will only continue to harm Teixeira’s reputation with diehard Yankees fans. For whatever reason, he doesn’t get much love from the team’s passionate fan base. Perhaps it was because he didn’t begin his career in New York, but it’s more likely because he never seemed to warm with life for the Yankees. It always seemed to be about the money for Teixeira.

Sabathia, in sharp contrast, is largely beloved by Yankees fans. He embraced the aura of being a Yankee right when he arrived. In some ways he’s been a disappointment for the team on the field for the majority of his career, but that doesn’t bother fans as much when a player seems to really identify with their favorite franchise.

Next: 5 pitchers the Yankees can target in a trade

Don’t expect to see any more social media fireworks between Sabathia and Teixeira. One has a season to worry about and the other has a lot of interests away from baseball these days. Only Sabathia will remain a Yankees favorite after his playing days are done. This little spat is an instructive microcosm of the difference between the two men.