Yankees fans are the most vocal and their opinion matters. Amidst the Yankees’ impressive 6-3 comeback win against the Baltimore Orioles on Monday night, the fans in Yankee Stadium expressed their sentiments with boos. It began with jeering for Aaron Hicks, who was visiting the Bronx with the Orioles, and continued for players Josh Donaldson, and DJ LeMahieu, who have been underperforming.
However, the Yankees fans didn’t forget to cheer emerging stars like Anthony Volpe and committed contributors, such as Harrison Bader.
As the trade deadline looms closer, Yankees fans made their sentiments abundantly clear. They want both Donaldson and LeMahieu to perform or perish. Their boos are a signal for the team brass to consider bringing players to replace the duo.
A night of boos for Hicks
As the game commenced and Hicks assumed his position in left field. It reminded the Yankees fans of a previous unfortunate incident where he dropped a ball resulting in two runs being scored against the Yankees last September.
From the moment of his pregame introductions, throughout his first at-bat, during a tribute video in the second inning, and in each of his subsequent three at-bats, he was met with resounding boos from the Yankees fans. The chorus of boos persisted throughout the Orioles’ 6-3 defeat at the hands of the Yankees.
Hicks shared with The Post after the game that the reception he received was in line with his expectations. He acknowledged his eight-year tenure with the team, reflecting on the memorable moments he had experienced. Given the circumstances of this year and his return to face the boos once again, he admitted that it was just as he had anticipated.
Hicks mentioned that he reached out to Aaron Judge via text message following his collision with the wall and subsequent toe injury that occurred last month during a game at Dodger Stadium.
Sporting orange socks, cleats, batting gloves, and a fresh beard, he engaged in conversations with former teammates such as catcher Jose Trevino and outfielder Willie Calhoun during batting practice.
He expressed to The Post that he had already experienced playing in such an environment.
The sound of booing was not unfamiliar to him. He even posted the following message on his Instagram page.
Yankees fans turned the heat on Donaldson
Hicks wasn’t the sole recipient of boos from the Yankee Stadium crowd on Monday. Despite still being a member of the Yankees, Josh Donaldson faced the wrath of the sellout crowd during their 6-3 victory against Baltimore.
Although Josh Donaldson assumed the role of the designated hitter, the crowd’s disapproval echoed throughout the stadium following each of his three subsequent plate appearances, which resulted in two pop-ups and a groundout.
After making a lone start in Sunday’s doubleheader against St. Louis, he returned to the lineup for Monday’s game.
Donaldson entered the Yankees’ previous homestand mired in a slump, going hitless in his last 14 at-bats, including an 0-for-11 stretch over three games.
The Yankees remain optimistic that Donaldson’s promising underlying statistics from this season will eventually translate into actual on-field performance.
Donaldson came into Monday’s game with a meager batting average of .136 and a low on-base percentage of .191.
LeMahieu became the new target
LeMahieu, the former two-time batting champion, faced the disappointment of the fans as his recent performance has been far from impressive. Despite batting leadoff, he went hitless in four at-bats, contributing to his underwhelming .221 batting average. The absence of injured slugger Aaron Judge has left the lineup longing for offensive firepower.
During the Yankees’ seventh-inning rally, with the team trailing by a run, LeMahieu’s ground ball back to the pitcher lacked the necessary force, resulting in Isiah Kiner-Falefa, who had the potential to tie the game, being thrown out at the home plate. This led to an eruption of boos from the disappointed crowd.
Just moments after LeMahieu’s play, the Yankees managed to level the score with a bit of luck. On the second pitch following LeMahieu’s at-bat, reliever Yennier Cano delivered an 0-2 wild pitch that got past Gleyber Torres. As a result, Volpe seized the opportunity and dove across the plate to bring the game to a tie.
The game showcased the familiar characteristics of a Yankees performance: defensive errors in the outfield, mistakes on the base paths, key hitters struggling at the plate, and missed chances to capitalize. Additionally, Domingo German, who had been flawless until now, experienced a sudden downturn. Despite these setbacks, the Yankees managed to pull off a positive outcome in the end.
Volpe, who is currently riding a streak of hitting safely in seven consecutive games, provided the Yankee Stadium spectators with a reason to celebrate. His home run in the fifth inning, which sailed into the left-field seats, narrowed the gap to 3-1. Shortly after, Kyle Higashioka joined the party by launching another home run into the same area off Tyler Wells, bringing the Yankees within a single run.
In his first start following his remarkable perfect game, starter Domingo German displayed a similar sense of nervousness as a golfer who is still feeling the excitement of hitting a hole-in-one when stepping up to the next tee box. German’s outing lasted 4.1 innings, during which he surrendered nine hits and three runs (two earned) while recording five strikeouts. As he left the field, he was greeted with a gesture of gratitude from the fans, who had watched his historic performance against the Athletics from a considerable distance of 3,000 miles away, possibly struggling to stay awake due to the late hour.
What do you think? Leave your comment below.
Yankee fans show no class. They expect too much from their overpaid has-beens.