LoDuca v. The Fourth Estate, 2007

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

You can see Horwitz giving Pauly a talking to afterward. "Now Paul, will this make the press more curious? Or less?"

] Lo Duca lashes out BY KRISTIE ACKERT and JERRY BOSSERT DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITERS Paul Lo Duca, who found himself in the gossip pages last year in stories about gambling and relationships with young women, is again getting unwanted attention for his off-the-field escapades. Yesterday could have been a nice day for the Mets catcher after success at the race track, but Lo Duca got into a heated verbal confrontation with a reporter before the Mets' game against the Braves at Shea. Guts Game, a filly partly owned by Lo Duca, won the second race at Aqueduct yesterday, and Lo Duca was pictured in the winner's circle with a woman. When he was asked in the clubhouse for her name, Lo Duca erupted. "That's my life," Lo Duca shouted. "That's my personal life. That's none of your business. How would you like it if I went to your house and took pictures of your wife?" When reminded that he is a public figure, and was pictured in a public place, Lo Duca inched closer to the reporter. Lo Duca was held back by Mets public relations director Jay Horwitz and Julio Franco came from across the clubhouse to get between Lo Duca and the reporter. "I can't take her out, is that what you are saying?" Lo Duca said. The confrontation lasted about three minutes before Lo Duca left the clubhouse. The catcher, who missed Thursday's game with a sore right index finger, was in the lineup last night. Lo Duca, who owns Guts Game in partnership with Little Red Feather Racing, along with ESPN's Kenny Mayne, first had to sweat things out at Aqueduct, the connections waiting out a stewards' inquiry before Guts Game was declared the official winner. "It's part of the game," Lo Duca said. "I've been taken down before in my life." Once the official sign came on, there were smiles throughout the winner's circle, especially for Lo Duca. "I've won 12 or 13 races in my life but this is the first one I've ever seen live," Lo Duca said. "It's pretty neat. I've had a lot of seconds and thirds and some run-outs, but she's a nice filly. I really feel she's going to be a stakes-winning filly." Guts Game will get that chance in the $100,000 Bouwerie Stakes at Belmont Park on May6, the day after the Kentucky Derby.

[metirish]

Yeah LoDuca is a public figure at a public race but the reporters might show a little class right there and not ask that question.

[A Boy Named Seo]

Lo Duca also could've smiled and said cooly, "Sorry, I'm going to keep my personal life personal" instead of yelling at the dude if that account is correct.

I guess they don't call a guy Captain Red-Ass for nothing.

[metirish]

Yes,LoDuca might have shown a touch of class himself,anyway of what interest is it to anyone who was with Paul,was the guy who asked a baseball writer?

[A Boy Named Seo]

The guy probably worked for Page 6 for all we know. It's nobody's business and the only interest I have is that a tryst with another teenager will make my crappy Lo Duca-trolling-the-18-and-over-club jokes relevant for another year. Redass needs to chill a little, though. People are going to ask him invasive questions that may be none of anyone's business. If that's the case, tell them so and move on. No need to get all Bonilla on them.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

Yeah, LoDuca needs to chill, preferably on the DL iff last night's game is any indication of his fitness following the index finger thingy. Whoever was asking him questions was only doing what he was assigned to do.

[Guest Edgy DC]

I like the over-protest.

"Who was the girl in the winner's circle, Paul?"

"I CAN'T TAKE HER OUT.. IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING?!!"

"How's the finger, Paulie?

"ARE YOU SAYING I'M TAKING STEROIDS?! OUT WITH IT!'

"Nice duds today, Paulo."

"I'M GOING TO BLOW UP THE WHOLE FUCKING BUILDING. THAT'S WHAT'S BEING INSINUATED HERE, ISN'T IT?"