Yankees News: Adam Ottavino Says He Meant 'No Disrespect' with Babe Ruth Remark

Now that Adam Ottavino is a member of the New York Yankees, he has to reckon with the ghost of Babe Ruth. 

Per ESPN.com, the newest Yankees reliever told reporters during a conference call Friday that he didn't mean any disrespect when he said he would be able to strike out Ruth:                      

"I was surprised that it went so viral. But I saw when they put the quote out of context out there why people would get so upset. I mean certainly I probably used a bad example of the point I was trying to make: the evolution of the pitching in baseball over baseball history. And Babe Ruth's probably a name that I shouldn't have used in this example. But I've got a lot of flak for it, mostly funny stuff, like my uncle telling me that he can't go anywhere without hearing about it. Things like that. But I meant no disrespect. I'm a huge baseball historian and love the game, and it's not even something that can be proven anyway, so I find it a little funny."

Appearing on the MLB.com Statcast podcast last month (h/t ESPN.com), Ottavino said he "would strike [Ruth] out every time." 

Ottavino should have learned the invaluable lesson Ricky Bobby taught athletes. Qualifying your statement with a saying like "no disrespect" or "with all due respect" doesn't give you agency to make fun of one of the most beloved players of all time. 

In Ottavino's defense, though, Ruth would have been hard-pressed to find a reliever whose average fastball velocity was nearly 94 mph when he played from 1914-35.