During the pre-game discussion for the all-star games on FOX, former Yankees player Alex Rodriguez approved the team’s new hitting coach, Sean Casey.
A-Rod supports the Yankees’ addition of Sean Casey as the hitting coach
Rodriguez highlighted Casey’s experience and success in the game, as well as his excellent communication skills, making him a potentially great long-term coach, according to Alex Rodriguez‘s remarks on the Fox Sports broadcast.
“I think good news is, it’s at least a name that we recognize, a guy that’s been around the game that’s been very, very successful. And Kenny’s [Ken Rosenthal] right, He’s one of the best communicators in the game, one of the most likable guys. I think long-term he can be a really, really good coach.” Alex Rodriguez said on the Fox Sports broadcast.
Alex Rodriguez gives his insights on the Yankees’ season
Alex Rodriguez also questioned the Yankees’ reliance on analytics and their departure from the traditional “hard school Yankee baseball” that has brought them 27 world championships. He suggested that if the team’s analytic approach yields poor results, it may be time to reassess their strategies and return to the core principles historically defining the Yankees’ success.
“My bigger question is the macro, if you’re the New York Yankees and you’ve won 27 world championships, and you go into this dive, analytics, and you’re 0-for-15, I would throw all that analytics in the garbage, and get back to playing hard school Yankee baseball, which for some reason we’ve divorced, and it’s just bad.”
The Yankees faced offensive struggles in the first half of the season, compounded by the injury to Aaron Judge. Even veterans like Anthony Rizzo and Giancarlo Stanton struggled to perform. With the addition of Sean Casey as the hitting coach, it remains to be seen how the team will fare and if Casey can make a significant impact that motivates the Yankees to retain him beyond 2023.
Before joining the Yankees, Casey worked as an analyst for MLB Network. The decision to dismiss hitting coach Dillon Lawson came after the team’s 7-4 loss to the Chicago Cubs, marking the end of the first half of the season. Notably, Casey, who is 49 years old, had previously played alongside Yankees manager Aaron Boone as a member of the Cincinnati Reds from 1998 to 2003.
I agree with A-Rod. I’ve NEVER been a fan of analytics. The Yankees pivoting towards analytics has taken them away from doing what they used to do as a team, Just hitting the damn ball. No launch angles or any of that 🗑️. Just freaking hit the damn baseball ⚾.