Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner says he’s ‘a little confused’ by fans’ anger with team’s early struggles
Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner said he’s “a little confused” with fans expressing frustration with the team in the third week of June during an appearance on the Michael Kay Show.
The Yankees entered Wednesday on the heels of a victory against the Seattle Mariners, but are currently sitting in third place of the division and clinging to the final Wild Card spot in the American League.
“I wanna know what the vibe is out there and I understand they’re upset,” the owner said Wednesday on the Michael Kay Show. “I’m a little confused, this year, being the third week of June why they’re so upset. But they’re upset and that’s gonna get my attention, of course.”
The Yankees entered Wednesday 10 games behind the first-place Tampa Bay Rays in the division. The team is in a three-way tie with the Houston Astros and Los Angeles Angels for the final Wild Card spot. Steinbrenner’s team has lost six of their last 10 games and recently suffered an ugly series sweep against the rival Boston Red Sox.
During that stretch, the Bronx Bombers have been in an offensive slump with Aaron Judge on the injured list. The Yankees have failed to score more than three runs in seven of the last 10 games.
Despite that tough stretch and the team’s early struggles, the owner said “nobody” is on the hot seat.
He reassured general manager Brian Cashman, manager Aaron Boone and hitting coach Dillon Lawson are safe. The owner expects that the Yankees will get on track once star players, like Judge and Carlos Rodon, return from injury. But, Steinbrenner said he’ll begin asking “tough questions” if the team doesn’t perform well in the postseason.
“I would say that if we can march into the playoffs with 90 percent of our intended team that we expected to be on the field every day, 90 percent, and we don’t perform well in the playoffs, I’m going to start asking the questions even then,” the owner said. “If we don’t make the playoffs... and we’re healthy the second half of the year and we start getting guys back and we get the team that we intended to be on the field, then I’m going to be asking some tough questions.
“We’re gonna be fine. People can call me delusional, but these guys are just too good.”
The owner believes that his top-end players, like Giancarlo Stanton, Anthony Rizzo and DJ LeMahieu, will end their slumps and contribute to winning baseball in the Bronx.
“There’s no way that Stanton and Rizzo aren’t going to start hitting, and the others as well,” Steinbrenner said. “I’m sure. I think we’re going to be fine. I believe we’re going to be fine. People can call me delusional for saying that, but these guys are just too good.
“I saw how good we could be those two weeks in May when Judge came back from that first injury. We can be a force.”
