The Yankees Complaining About Minute Maid Park's Roof Being Open And Exit Velocity Home Run Luck After Last Night's Loss Was An Embarrassment
Here’s something that’s going to surprise some people. I don’t hate the New York Yankees. I also don’t hate Aaron Boone. Does he rank up there among the elite managers in baseball? Noooooo but I don’t think he’s actually as bad as some make him out to be. He’s done a serviceable job as their skipper up to this point and the Yankees are not eliminated. They’re down 2-0 going back to New York with Cole and Cortes lined up to start. Anything can happen.
The one thing I truly respect about Yankees fans is that they are unwilling to accept mediocrity. Good. Hold your team to a high standard. Life is too short to wait for your team to turn things around slowly. But last night, following a one-run loss in Game 2 of the ALCS, I found the Yankees excuse train to be a low point for a proud franchise.
Here’s the truth, the Yankees were, according to the numbers, a bit unlucky in the first two games of this series. They had hard-hit balls that resulted in loud outs, while the Astros found some good fortune. Alex Bregman’s home run probably wouldn’t have been a home run under different circumstances. Who gives a shit? Here’s the thing about analytics. Over a 162-game season, those percentages are going to play out. But over a 5 to 7-game playoff series, you make your own luck. And we’re talking about the New York Yankees. Whether you love or hate them, this is the most recognizable brand in professional baseball, and you can’t blame the fucking roof being closed for why you lost a baseball game in October. They struck out 30 times in two games. I’m going to go out on a limb and say that ain’t a Minute Maid Park problem. That’s a Yankee problem.
The Yankees are too proud of an organization to pull that shit. What’s the next excuse? High tide? Was there an unforeseen chicken pox outbreak that no one knew about? I get it, baseball is cruel, and October is even more brutal. But you can’t claim to be the evil empire while simultaneously blaming a fucking retractable roof for why you lost a playoff game.
It’s not out of the realm of possibility the Yankees will come back and win this series. They’re a more formidable team than people let on, but to have multiple people, including their manager, essentially play the victim card is a rough look. And to the credit of the Yankees fans at this fantastic company, they’ve acknowledged how bad of a look this is. They better pray that they come back and win this series, or else they’re going to have a tough time living those comments down.
