In the bottom of the first, Aubrey Huff homered off of Joba to give the O's a 3-1 lead. As Huff trotted past first he shouted and pumped his fist in an exaggerated way. Then as he crossed the plate, perhaps fearing that his first gesture had gone unnoticed, Huff performed the routine again as his teammates smirked.
This was a response to Joba's habit of fist-pumping after getting big outs (a common display of emotion for many pitchers, but for reasons we can all guess, it upsets people when Joba does it).
So what did the Yankees do? Well I know what I would do. First, I'd hit the next batter and pump my fist. When I got the third out in the inning I'd turn to the O's dugout, thrust my hips forward and grab my crotch, shouting "$%@# my *&$%ing @%#$!"
Good thing I'm not pitching for the Yankees. The pitchers didn't retaliate. The hitters didn't retaliate. The team reacted as champions do. They did nothing but simply win the game. Joba's focus intensified and he didn't give up any runs after that (nor did the relief). The Yankees pulled ahead in the 7th on Damon's home run. And Mariano secured the series win.
When asked what he thought about Huff's gesture, Joba paused for a moment and said, "I didn't see it." A perfect answer. Yankee players have to get used to this sort of thing from the opposition, and Joba handled it like a true professional. I think this is the day he earned his pinstripes.
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