After giving up two late runs Saturday afternoon to the Minnesota Twins, blowing a one-run Yankees lead in the process, lefty reliever Phil Coke couldn't get to sleep later that night. But it wasn't because he nearly cost the Yankees the game. That, it turns out, was the least of his problems. According to Jack Curry, Coke's current living conditions aren't quite what you'd expect from a New York Yankee, even one with 4.60 ERA and 1.15 WHIP.
Coke lives beside a movie theater and a parking lot in Edgewater, N.J., and it was boisterous there on Saturday night. Plus, there was another issue.
“I don’t have anything covering my windows,” Coke said.
Welcome to the not always glamorous life of a major league rookie. Coke tried to solve his window problem after Saturday’s game. He drove to a store and bought drapes, shades, sheets and other household items. He brought everything to a register and was charged $600. Then Coke had a new problem.
“They rejected my bank card,” Coke said. “They were swiping it too fast. They swiped it about 14 times.”
With each swipe, Coke grew more agitated. The line behind him grew longer. He said he thought a few people recognized him as a Yankee. Agitation turned to embarrassment. Coke supplied a second credit card.
“They did the same thing with that one,” Coke said. “They swiped about 12 years of life off that magnetic strip.”
Coke said his latest paycheck was available on his first card, which, for a player who makes $403,000 a year, means there was considerably more than $600 available. Still, it was repeatedly rejected. Eventually, Coke paid with cash. But Coke only had $50 so he returned the larger items, which included anything that could have covered his windows.I like Coke, but it serves him right for living in New Jersey. Take it from me, Phil: nothing good will ever come of living next to a movie theater in Bergen County. Nothing.
