NEW YORK, NY – The New York Yankees portray themselves as the highest of the high when it comes to being a first class organization. If the 2023 season has taught us anything about this team it taught us when adversity looms the Yankees showed their true colors.
The team with the #2 payroll in the MLB started printing up World Series tickets back in Spring Training. Their pipe dreams busted as the months went by. Million dollar players made costly errors, base runners would get picked off while others would not hustle towards home plate.
Night after night they would send their messenger, who they masquerade as their manager, out to the podium to meet the press. His response to the audience would be one excuse after another. There was absolutely no accountability as the Yankees franchise would lead the league in ignorance.
On this one night before a game against the Detroit Tigers, the Yankees showed what vultures they have become by putting several of their players on waivers. Outfielder Harrison Bader was one of those players, and he found out about his status from a sports show on the television screen inside of the clubhouse. Bader’s reaction were the words, “What does waivers mean?” The world renowned franchise not only didn’t inform their previous year’s playoff hero of its plans, but they also let the ANALytical crew, that they employ, put Bader’s name in the starting lineup for that night’s game. Their actions spelled, “Hold it down for us until we get rid of you!” The next night was the same thing as Bader was in the lineup again.
The Cincinnati Reds finally came calling and snatched Bader up to help them in their playoff run. The Bronxville born Bader was teary-eyed as he said goodbye to his hometown team. Bader took advantage of his short tenure in pinstripes, where he appeared on sports shows promoting the Yankees brand and showing his face to the youths of New York during charity events and many other non-publicized appearances. At the end of the day the Yankees just didn’t care. They hung the free-agent out to dry. Two stints on the disabled list and a hitting slump was enough for the storied franchise to silently utter the words. “Get Lost!”
They could’ve tried to trade him for another player or let him go as a free agent and possibly receive a draft pick from whoever signed him, but no they just kicked him to the curb. With other players that were more deserving to be shown the door, it was the good guy that got dogged.
In the year that the Yankees couldn’t handle adversity it wasn’t only Bader that got stroked, it was also the fan base. The Yankees announced that a ticket price increase will go into effect for the 2024 season. Go ahead suckers, burn up the phone lines and renew your seats to watch a team that simply doesn’t care what you think.
