Hunter Dobbins threw a fresh grenade into the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry before he even let go of his first pitch.
The rookie playing for the favorite team of his childhood said ahead of his first start as a visitor in The Bronx on Sunday night that he would “retire” before playing for the Yankees — a comment that caught the attention of the Yankees’ resident trash-talker, Jazz Chisholm Jr.
“I just said, ‘We’re going to kick ass tonight,’” Chisholm said of the pregame message that he shared with teammates.
Dobbins inherited his Red Sox fandom from his father and told the Boston Herald that this first trip of the season to Yankee Stadium “is one that I’ve had circled for a long time.”
“I’ve said it before, that if the Yankees were the last team to give me a contract, I’d retire,” Dobbins added.
You can imagine the reactions of Yankees fans ready to boo the 25-year-old right-hander, who entered the game 2-1 with a 4.06 ERA.
You can imagine the reaction of Dobbins’ agent, who certainly knows that if his client pitches well enough early in his career to one day become a sought-after free agent then it’s good business to engage the Yankees in a bidding war.
But no imagination needed for the Yankees’ reactions.
“I don’t think I would ever say that. I feel like that closes doors,” said Chisholm, who has become a fan favorite since he was traded from the Marlins last season. “I like it, though. I like the competitiveness. I’m a huge fan of college baseball right now because of how they are — super competitive, super fiery, and I like that.
Dobbins told the Herald that his father, Lance, is a former Yankees draft pick who befriended Andy Pettitte.
He was hoping to hit a career-high on the radar gun Sunday.
“It adds a lot of spiciness,” Chisholm said. “You enjoy it. You are more locked in as a fan because you know what’s going on. I think it’s fun, at least.”
Manager Aaron Boone was almost at a loss for words when reacting to Dobbins’ anti-Yankees stance.
“He’s young. We’ll leave it at that,” Boone laughed. “I don’t think it’s a dig at our players. It’s an interesting comment as a player to make that, but I think it’s a comment of his love of his team.”
Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe grew up in New Jersey in the exact opposite situation — as a lifelong fan of the pinstripes.
Asked if the fan or player in him thought that was disrespectful, Volpe didn’t comment.
But the former top prospect must have thought at one point in his life about what it might be like to be drafted by the Red Sox instead of the Yankees, right?
“Be where your feet are,” Volpe said.
Chisholm is used to the reception that was expected for Dobbins.
He became Public Enemy No. 1 for Royals fans during a playoff series last October when he said Kansas City “got lucky” to win Game 2 of the series.
The Yankees return to Kansas City for the first time since then on Tuesday.
“I love that,” Chisholm said. “That’s the spiciness you need.”
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