David Wells has never been one to hold back, but he certainly didn’t hold back while on the air at WFAN.
Appearing on WFAN’s “The Brandon Tierney and Sal Licata Show” on Monday afternoon, Wells spoke about wearing Babe Ruth’s 1934 hat during a 1997 game against the Yankees and called out Tierney for criticizing the pitcher for violating the team’s uniform policy.
“You’d be a great manager of the Yankees right now because you’re a yes man,” said Wells, 61. “You’d listen to everything they say.”
“No way. Stop it,” Tierney replied.
“You’re a yes man,” Wells said.
At that very moment, the tone of the interview changed from playful to defensive for the host.
“You say so, but I’m going to say I’m not,” Tierney countered. “If you knew me, you’d say so. By the way, your son Connie [David Cone] If you know me, just ask him. We’ve been talking about you. Just good things. Ask Connie if I’m a yes man. I can promise you I’m not a yes man.”
The three-time All-Star took the harsh remarks to heart but went on the attack, pointing out what he believed to be flaws in the logic.
“Okay, but if I criticize sooner, [taken] “You better take care of yourself,” Wells said. “Now you’re defending Joe Torre. Now you’re flipping the switch. We’ve got you!”
“I’m not defending Joe Torre,” Tierney responded. “First of all, I’m just providing some context. Second of all, I’m a fan. The reason fans love you is because you’re so imperfect. We’re having a good conversation, and I’m just exposing some of those imperfections. That’s all.”
Licata’s intervention seemed to work, and the eclectic Welles embraced his originality.
“I’m all for it. I think it’s great because it’s a good conversation,” Wells summed up. “I’ve done it my way and it’s worked for me. It might not work for other people, but it’s worked for me.”
The initial altercation began when Wells revealed that he had been fined $2,500 by Tore for wearing memorabilia during a game.
Earlier in the conversation, Wells emphasized his dislike for Torre, who he believed was the sole reason he was traded from New York in 1999.
“It was heartbreaking. Playing for the Yankees was a dream come true,” Wells said. “The Yankees meant the world to me as a kid. I got traded on the first day of spring training and my world was shaken. … I blame manager Joe Torre because he never liked me. He didn’t treat everybody the same and I didn’t think he was a great manager.”
Wells wore pinstripes for four seasons during his 21-year career, winning consecutive championships in 1997 and 1998 and pitching the fourth perfect game in franchise history on May 17, 1998.
Wells left the team abruptly in 1999, when he was traded to the Blue Jays for Roger Clemens, but returned to New York for two seasons from 2002-03.
Since retiring in 2007, Wells has not been afraid to speak his mind.
Just last month, the left-hander publicly defended former suspended Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer and revealed he nearly fought George Steinbrenner.
