Many in the Yankees’ lineup had complained of an unusually brutal experience while playing at home, according to Andy Martino of SNY.TV.
Even during an interview with Mark Berman of Fox 26, Astros’ special advisor Reggie Jackson too admitted that “sometimes the stripes get heavy” in an apparent reference to how the Yankees have to deal with big expectations from fans.
It is not a new feeling to be tired of having unrealistic expectations and the anger that comes with not meeting those expectations. Even Mr. October could feel how heavy it was. But even before the Astros swept the Yankees in the ALCS last weekend, the team’s locker room and the front office had noticed that the outside energy felt as furious as it has in a long time.
Why wouldn’t Aaron Judge, who was booed in the playoffs after setting an American League record for home runs, want to play in sunny Los Angeles or familiar San Francisco?
And if you’re a free agent and you talk to friends who are already on the team, why would you want to go through what they say?
You won’t find any Yankee players who are willing to criticize fan culture in a quote, despite others learning about this from being with the team during a tough month.
First of all, this is not a criticism of people who are upset and angry because they can’t cheer for their team in the World Series. After winning their division and getting 99 wins, it’s a fact that the team is surprised by how many bad things are being said about them. These feelings could affect the roster in real ways.
This week, more than one Yankee player has told his agent that last weekend’s game at Yankee Stadium was tougher than usual. Many of Aaron Judge’s teammates found it hard to believe that fans had booed him. Even a hard-to-get-along-with and poor performer like Josh Donaldson became more likable to himself because of how loud the jeers were.
Many people in the organization were surprised by how fans and the media reacted in the days that followed. Even rivals were surprised. One longtime executive texted to say that “the crazy ideas about Cashman and Boone. I know it’s the World Series or nothing, but they’re so spoiled.”
The difference between how the industry and fans see Cashman and Boone are especially striking. Rivals think that Cashman is one of the best sports executives, and they say that Boone will become a highly sought-after free agent as soon as the Yankees fire him. Other GMs and agents don’t understand why fans dislike these two.
But Cashman and Boone can handle it. They won’t leave until Hal Steinbrenner tells them to (which isn’t likely, but we’re still waiting to hear, and there are no guarantees).
The Yankees know that the real problem is how the toxic environment affects the players. That’s one reason why the front office likes how positive Boone is when he talks about players in public. The team thinks that players get enough criticism from fans in the stadium, social media, and traditional media. It is the job of the modern manager to create a place where people can get away from all of that.
Cashman and his staff think that Boone is the right person for that job. We’ll see if they still have the power to make that choice.
This problem was made by the Yankees themselves a long time ago. George Steinbrenner often said that a season is a failure if it doesn’t end with a championship. Derek Jeter and others picked up on this idea, and it has come to define the Yankees brand.
Now, that brand feels like it’s crushing the clubhouse itself. Players don’t want to play for the Yankees more than I’ve ever seen. The team needs to figure out how to change the message and tone, which might be hard to do after all these years.
Do you agree that fans’ expectations are weighing on the Yankees players?
(Source credit: SNY.TV)
