Now that's what you call a meltdown. It must have been interesting watching that scene unfold.
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/2007/07/01/2007-07-01_proctor_all_fired_up-1.htmlProctor all fired up
Reliever burns uniform, gear following latest flameout
BY KRISTIE ACKERT
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER
OAKLAND'S TORCHING of Scott Proctor yesterday was nothing compared to what the Yankee reliever later did to his gear.
About 45 minutes after yesterday's loss to Oakland - in which Proctor was charged with three runs on three hits in one-third of a inning - the pitcher set fire to his glove, uniform, spikes and other items, outside the Yankee dugout.
"I burned everything, the whole bit," Proctor said as he left the Stadium. "I've done it before when things have gone bad. When I needed a change."
The Yankee bullpen has been in desperate need of change lately, and Proctor's performance yesterday was more of the same.
"It's certainly a concern," Joe Torre said. "When you go to the bullpen, you want to make a plan and pretty much know what to expect. We certainly didn't get what we had hoped for or expected from either Proctor or (Mike) Myers."
Torre turned to Proctor to relieve starter Kei Igawa with the A's up 4-0 and one out in the seventh inning. Proctor gave up back-to-back singles to Jason Kendall and Shannon Stewart before getting Mark Ellis to fly out to left field. Nick Swisher then doubled to score two runs, and Torre removed Proctor for Myers.
The lefty specialist walked Jack Cust and then allowed an RBI double to Eric Chavez - a run charged to Proctor - before Torre went to Luis Vizcaino.
"I initially wanted to get Vizcaino up," Torre said, "but I said we needed to get Proctor back out there. He made it tough on himself, giving up a couple of hits."
It was the fourth bad outing in a row for Proctor, who was Torre's go-to reliever in the beginning of the season. He has given up six runs on 10 hits and three walks in his last 4-1/3 innings. Last time out, he walked three batters in the ninth inning, including the winning run, against the Orioles on Tuesday.
"Maybe they're just dead tired," pitching coach Ron Guidry said of Proctor and Myers. "We abused them the first month and a half of the season."
Proctor's frustration was obvious even before his burning ceremony. He said he would understand if Torre had lost confidence in him.
"I wouldn't trust (myself) right now the way I am throwing," Proctor said. "It's pretty pathetic."
