Shockingly though, the fingers seem to be pointed in Yankees fans direction. According to NYDailynews.com one Yankee player said privately after game 4, “I really think the booing spooked a lot of guys. A lot of guys hadn’t been booed before, and they couldn’t believe how nasty it got in the stands.” He added, “A lot of guys were talking about it in the clubhouse. I was surprised by how much it bothered them. I really don’t think they ever recovered.”
If I played as horribly as the Yankees lineup did, I would be trying to deflect the blame too. Putting it on the fans wouldn’t be my course of action. No word yet on how they explain the poor hitting on the road. As I read this quote the only thing that runs through my mind is REALLY!!!! To play for the Yankee fans is not easy but it’s something you know when you signed the contract ….right? The biggest media market in the country with the team that has the most championships in all of sports whose logo is everywhere. The Yankees have converted Red Socks players into Yankees so as a player you should expect the fans to be tough on you if you stink up the place.
Take into account the Yankee roster of players who have contributed to the Yankee downfall. Now Alex Rodriguez is taking a lot of heat for his performance this post season, as if he is the only player currently struggling during the club’s rotten postseason. Robinson Cano went 3-for-36 (.083 STINK) and Curtis Granderson went just 3-for-29 (.103 STINK) with 15 strikeouts, so what is the deal with the hatred for the game’s highest paid player? Alex Rodriguez is the highest paid player in baseball and he played like crap doesn’t sit well with fans. The Yankees have bigger issues, how are they going to rebuild the franchise if they can’t trade Alex Rodriguez? While the Yankees have spent many hundreds of millions in payroll over the last decade, could this be the end of “buying” the talent, all because of an apparent very quick regression in some of their talent?
The Yankees have some payroll concerns:
- Alex Rodriguez, as mentioned before, is owed $114 million over the next five years.
- C.C. Sabathia is due $119 million (counting his $25 million 2017 option) over the next five years.
- Mark Teixeria is going to make $90 million over the next four seasons.
- Derek Jeter will make $17 million in 2013 and either $8 million in 2014 or a $3 million buyout.
- Rafael Soriano is guaranteed $14 million in 2013.
I say all of that to say this, No!!! You can’t rebuild the New York Yankees. Brian Cashman is in a situation where he needs to win, in a market and a fan base that wants to win. The Yankees do the same as they have always done, rebuild by reloading through free agency. They will acquire a top-tier or solid starting pitcher and a solid outfielder (Josh Hamilton), and they will end up back in the playoffs. But I hope that this time around they really groom the players in their farm system so that they can move up and be productive for the Yankees and not just trade bait.
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