Percival

	Vaughn

Don't disrespect Mo Vaughn's leadership.

That's precisely what Anaheim Angels closer Troy Percival did in a Los Angeles Times article published Sunday, and his comments triggered an expletive-filled rage from Vaughn when he heard about it, the New York Post reported.

"Let me say this: Who the (expletive) is Troy Percival?" Vaughn bellowed Monday morning when interviewed by the newspaper. "What has he done in this game?

"Has he led his team to a pennant? Has he ever (expletive) pitched in a big game that meant something?"

Vaughn quickly hit the roof when he heard that Percival said in the Times story, "We may miss Mo's bat, but we won't miss his leadership. Darin Erstad is our leader."

A handful of Mets teammates watched in astonishment as Vaughn began venting a stream of 35 expletives in about 10 minutes.

	“	I got hardware, I got playoff appearances, I got an MVP. I've been to the playoffs twice. What the hell has he done? ”
		— Mo Vaughn

"This guy talks so much (expletive), and he hasn't even done (expletive)," Vaughn said of Percival. "He has the right to evaluate and analyze people, but what the hell has he done to deserve that right?

"He hasn't done (expletive) to lead them anywhere. I got hardware, I got playoff appearances, I got an MVP. I've been to the playoffs twice. What the hell has he done? Who the hell is he?"

The more Vaughn reflected on the Angels, the more his frustration flowed. The 34-year-old, who began his All-Star career with the Red Sox, signed with Anaheim after the 1998 season but spent three injury-plagued years out West.

"I tried to be cool here. I tried to be nice of this whole situation concerning the Angels all the way around," Vaughn told the Post. "Ain't none of them done a damn thing in this damn game, bottom line.

"They ain't got no flags hanging at friggin' Edison Field, so the hell with them."

The Los Angeles Times article described how the Angels expected to fill last year's leadership void. Vaughn missed the year with a ruptured biceps tendon in his left arm, and Erstad struggled through a divorce. The article noted that some teammates were critical that Vaughn "dallied" in the clubhouse during a late-season fight with Cleveland in 2000. There was also an allegation from an unnamed source that Vaughn went to Angels president Tony Tavares to get manager Terry Collins removed a few years ago, going over the head of former general manager Bill Bavasi at the time.

"I went out there and played when I didn't have to play," Vaughn said. "That organization frickin' destroyed my arm.

"They did a lot of (expletive) that I never even spoke about, and all I keep hearing from these people is this and that.

"I kept playing, they had surgery on (the arm) and infected it again. I had to rehab my whole situation by myself. So the Angels, they better leave me alone."

Vaughn saved his worst for Percival.

"(Expletive) Troy Percival. He ain't done (expletive) to be talking about anybody," Vaughn told the Post. "And he's a (expletive) pitcher, too.

"You don't even (expletive) play every (expletive) day and you're sitting there talking about position players who play every day."

Percival said Tuesday that Vaughn misconstrued his recent comments. But Percival emphasized that Vaughn would not be missed because he didn't play last season.