Joey Gallo really does not want to talk about the Yankees.
The Bombers’ former hitless wonder clubbed a long home run for the Twins in their 6-1 win over his old team on Monday night in Minneapolis. And then he stayed behind closed doors. Literally.
[T]here’s no way Gallo didn’t see the beat reporters standing and waiting patiently at his locker for the entirety of pregame and postgame clubhouse availability on Monday.
Two full hours of access and Gallo didn’t go to his locker once. He sneaked out of the clubhouse after the game, making a conscious decision not to speak to the media.
“He doesn’t want to be newsworthy,” a Twins spokesman said after revealing that Gallo had departed, ducking reporters for a second time.
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Gallo understandably wants to forget his brutal time in pinstripes. But stunts like this will not expedite the healing process. Gallo likely would have been forgotten relatively quickly like other failed Yankees, such as current Twins teammate Sonny Gray. But his comical comments after last season’s mercy trade to the Dodgers, missing the Twins’ road trip to the Bronx while on the injured list and now this will ensure he continues to be nostalgically heckled for the rest of his career.
In fairness to Gallo: He has found himself a bit. He does not have a beach in Minnesota, but he does have 10,000 lakes. And six homers in 13 games to go along with a sparkling .243 batting average. What everyone believed has proven true: He was just a guy who could not handle New York and needed a fresh start in a smaller town. He must give Aaron Hicks hope.
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James Kratch can be reached at james.kratch@xlmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @jameskratch.
