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Reds' Phillips verbally blasts beat reporter in St. Louis
ST. LOUIS -- Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips verbally blasted a beat reporter for the Cincinnati Enquirer before Wednesday night's game against the Cardinals.
With media crowded in the visiting manager's office for Dusty Baker's pregame presser, Phillips came to the door and unleashed a profanity-laced tirade. Baker was in the process of discussing a shakeup of the Reds' batting order that moved Phillips from fourth to second.
"Hey, Dusty, the fat m----- f----- on the end (of the couch) is worried about my on-base percentage," Phillips said. "Why don't you tell him you're having me bat eighth though he is worried about my on-base percentage. Fat m----- f----- over there. Make him happy, Dusty. Fat m----- f-----. I'm tired of you talking that negative s--- about our team, dog. I found out your Twitter name now m----- f-----. It's a wrap."
The reporter, C. Trent Rosecrans, minutes earlier had tried to talk to Phillips in the visitors clubhouse about the lineup switch. After initially not commenting, Phillips went off on Rosecrans then, too.
In front of many of his teammates, Phillips said repeatedly he was tired of the negativity and to check his RBI total. Phillips ranks among NL RBI leaders with 95 but his OBP is only .310, which could be attributed partly to the fact he has been asked to be a run producer.
These types of dust-ups happen in the course of a season and might have been overlooked if Phillips had not interrupted his manager's presser. Baker was in the process of praising Phillips when the three-time All-Star came to the office door.
After Phillips was done, Baker said, "I ain't in that, man. That's between you and him."
Rosecrans replied, "That's between him and him."
Dusty: "That's even better."
Baker said Phillips came to him after Tuesday night's 6-1 loss and asked about changing the lineup. After Baker told Phillips there would be changes, Baker said Phillips asked if he could Tweet the news.
"I said yeah, go ahead. It's going to be news the next day anyway. Guys now like to Tweet."
You can follow Stan McNeal on Twitter at @stanmcneal or email him at stanmcneal@gmail.com.
