Hunter Dobbins directed the blame squarely at his father.
The rookie Crimson Sox pitcher on Wednesday responded to The Submit’s bombshell that uncovered discrepancies in his story about his father’s historical past with the Yankees.
“The entire again story, it was stuff that I had heard rising up and seen photos of, from my dad,” Dobbins stated earlier than the Crimson Sox-Rays recreation at Fenway Park. “On the finish of the day, it’s simply from my dad and what I form of grew my love for the sport. On the finish of the day, I don’t go fact-check my dad or something like that.”
Dobbins made headlines when he informed the Boston Herald that he’d somewhat retire earlier than ever taking part in for the Yankees, explaining that his father, Lance, was twice drafted by the Bombers, signed after the second choice and was subsequently traded to the Diamondbacks.
However The Submit’s Joel Sherman reported that Lance Dobbins doesn’t seem as a Yankees draft decide for any season on Baseball Reference and that Yankees GM Brian Cashman — who has been with the group since 1986 — has no recollection of the Yankees ever drafting a Lance Dobbins.
Cashman additionally informed Sherman that the Yankees novice division checked their data and couldn’t discover something about drafting a Lance Dobbins.
Even additional, Joe Garagiola Jr. and Buck Showalter, who had been with the Diamondbacks in 1996-97, informed Sherman that they had no recollection of a Lance Dobbins.
MLB itself couldn’t discover a Lance Dobbins having performed at any stage with any of the league’s 30 groups.
Has Dobbins spoken together with his father to straighten out what actually occurred?
“Somewhat bit, probably not,” Dobbins stated. “My complete focus is on Saturday, on the point of face the Yankees. That is my first time within the massive leagues going through a crew a second time, not to mention back-to-back. In order that’s the place my focus is, one hundred pc. I think about we’ll discuss sooner or later or one thing like that. It’s been an even bigger deal than it actually wanted to be.”
Dobbins, within the Boston Herald story, additionally stated his dad and Yankees nice Andy Pettitte had been “actually good buddies.”
However Pettitte informed Sherman that neither he nor anybody he requested in his household remembers a Lance Dobbins.
When requested particularly about The Submit’s story, Dobbins tried to downplay its influence.
“Doesn’t faze me,” he stated. “Doesn’t hassle me. I like working with the media and all people right here. Everyone’s been nice. My focus is performing for the fellows right here within the locker room, for the followers in Boston. One thing that’s a couple of hours away doesn’t faze me.”
Dobbins stated he was not stunned at how a lot his feedback blew up.
He pitched 5 innings, gave up three runs and earned a win — the primary of his profession — in an 11-7 Crimson Sox win over the Yankees on Sunday.
He’s anticipated to begin on Saturday when the Crimson Sox host the Yankees at Fenway Park.
“It is a nice rivalry, two cities which have an extended historical past collectively,” Dobbins stated. “Something that’s within the information that goes with each of them is gonna flip right into a story. It simply provides to the sport, we simply must embrace it and preserve rolling.”
