When it comes to postgame interviews, anything that doesn’t rely on tired cliches going through the motions is greatly appreciated. There’s only so many times that reporters or fans (and probably the players and coaches themselves) can talk about taking things one day at a time, trusting their approach, going on to Cincinnati, or whatever the case may be. Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Pete Fairbanks is not one of those robotic soundbytes.
Fairbanks unfortunately gave up two runs to the Angels in the 9th inning holding a 4-3 lead and took the loss in a 5-4 defeat.
After the game in the locker room, Fairbanks to his credit faced the questions about his performance afterward. And with a look on his face that rivaled Ralph Wiggum when Lisa Simpson broke his heart in half, described his performance in anything but cliches. Instead, he described it as sucky. Really, really sucky.
Rays reliever Pete Fairbanks examines his outing tonight after the loss to the Angels. #RaysUp pic.twitter.com/O8CxNOjofp
— Bally Sports Sun: Rays (@BallyRays) April 18, 2024
When asked about his command, Fairbanks said, “No, I thought I generally sucked. I didn’t think it was a specific suck, I thought it was an all-encompassing type of suck. So, we’re going to try to rectify that but for right now I’m going to be pretty pissed about it.”
While you might initially laugh at Fairbanks’ brutal honesty, and he has a reputation for some brilliant postgame interviews, it was somewhat sad to see the pitcher become a little choked up as he asked the reporters whether they had any tips for him as he seems to have lost his stuff. He kept his sense of humor by saying he would sulk about it for exactly 16 more minutes before moving on. For the season, Fairbanks has allowed 7 earned runs in 7 innings pitched with an 0-2 record. Last year he led Tampa with 25 saves out of the bullpen and a 2.58 ERA.
