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Joe Maddon rips Rays fans for cheering for Yankees’ Derek Jeter

New York's Derek Jeter got lots of love from Tampa Bay fans over the weekend.
(Steve Nesius / Associated Press)
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Derek Jeter really got the home fans worked into a frenzy Saturday night.

And he wasn’t even playing at home.

The soon-to-be-retired New York Yankees shortstop has been seeing plenty of love everywhere during his final season, and Tropicana Field in Tampa Bay this past weekend was no exception.

Saturday’s game was only the second sellout of the season for the Yankees’ American League East rival Rays, and it was no secret why so many people attended.

Throughout the game the crowd of 31,042 vocally expressed their appreciation for Jeter, who drove in the eventual game-winning run in the top of the ninth. Rays Manager Joe Maddon said it was the loudest he’s heard an opposing stadium’s crowd cheering for Jeter this season.

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And Maddon wasn’t too happy about it.

“I understand that the people like Derek Jeter,” Maddon said of the Yankees’ captain, who has a home in St. Petersburg. “But you’ve got to come out and root for the Rays too, you understand? I mean, I totally understand what’s going on. But I’m not going to sit here and defend all of that noise in the Yankees’ favor in our ballpark. I’m not going to defend that.”

Twitter: @chewkiii

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