It’s the End of the World As We Know It… But Hal Feels Fine?
-Gary Mastriano, Contributor
I know how this is going to sound, so let us get it out of the way right here…. Yes, I am a spoiled Yankee fan. My favorite team has been the most successful sports franchise of the last 30 years not named Tom Brady. So, any Yankee fan complaining about a mediocre season is always going to sound entitled, annoying, and stupid. Buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuutttt also- the Yankees are terrible and I am not happy about it!
Look- we (the spoiled Yankee fanbase) could probably take a losing season. That is ok. But it’s the delusion of the team and the messaging that they send out that makes us frustrated and angry. For reference, look across town at the Mets. They took a big swing this year, it did not pan out, and they waved the white flag. They sold off at the trade deadline, got back a ransom of young prospects, and I am willing to be in 3-5 years they will be a World Series caliber and winning team. Oh and by the way, they are closer to a Wild Card spot right now than the Yankees are!
The same Yankees that did NOTHING at the trade deadline. N-O-T-H-I-N-G! A playoff berth was still very much in contention at the time, and GM Brian Cashman added 2 relief pitchers at the 6pm trade deadline. Relief pitchers are always welcome, and have worked out fine so far, but the bullpen of this team was the only strength we had !This is a team without a left fielder, without a 3 rd basemen,without a healthy first basemen, with a superstar outfielder that has a broken toe and shouldn’t be playing (*but no one wants to admit that!) and with another superstar outfielder that hasn’t been allowed to play the outfield, hence why he can no longer run.
And that’s the problem- the Yankees are so afraid of losing ticket sales and TV ratings and clout, that they will never admit defeat. Even though manager Aaron Boone- who despite some bonehead pitching decisions, is not to blame for this collapse- continues to say that wins are within reach. Our Captain, whose left foot is being held together by duct tape and prayers, is telling us that we are a few good wins away from getting hot. They are just shilling to us. We, the hungry, spoiled, Yankee fans are expected to eat it up. And you know what? I still watch every Yankee game, read about them everymorning, listen to Talkin’ Yanks, and have looked up ticket prices for a game in September as recently as yesterday. So, maybe owner Hal Steinbrenner is right. Maybe no matter happens, I will spend my money, give this team my attention, and have hope. Keep feeding me non-sense and mediocre teamsmy pinstriped overlord, I will keep buying $18 and $60 parking spots. Let’s go Yanks.