Tommy John: Billy Martin was a bigot

Tommy John was on the Dan Patrick Show today and had some interesting things about the two most famous managers he played for: Billy Martin and Tommy Lasorda.

Martin, John says, a great manager but he “was not a nice person,” he was a bigot and that he gave his players anxiety about coming to the park each day. Lasorda: maybe not the best Xs and Os manager ever — he credits Gene Mauch with being a great tactician — but says Lasorda was a master motivator who inspired his players:

Obviously both Martin and Lasorda had great success as big league managers. But it’s not too hard to pick which one you’d rather have in charge of your club.

Bonus: John talking about his namesake surgery:

Yankees first baseman Luke Voit exited Saturday’s game under less-than-ideal conditions after a 91.4-m.p.h. fastball caught him on the chin in the fourth inning. Following his removal, he passed the standard concussion protocol testing, though the Yankees will likely play it safe with the infielder over the next few days.

With one out and a runner on first, Voit stepped up to bat against Chad Bettis in the bottom of the fourth inning. He had just worked an 0-2 count against Bettis when the mishap occurred — a fastball that deflected off of his shoulder and met his chin. Voit took a few moments to recover, then took first base before he was eventually lifted from the game at the top of the fifth.

Prior to his exit, the first baseman went 0-for-1 with a walk. He was subsequently replaced by DJ LeMahieu, who shifted over from third to first base while Gio Urshela stepped in at the hot corner.

The Yankees currently lead the Rockies 11-5 in the eighth.