Today I’m going to make claims with zero data to support my theories – which I usually try to avoid – but I’d bet a large sum of money I’m correct.
I’m not on social media as much as I used to be (Blue Sky is the only app you’ll find MBP on nowadays) but I have interacted with hundreds and hundreds of Yankees fans online since MBP’s inception eight years ago.
And here’s how a plurality of Yankees fans reacts after every loss in which the Yankees blew a lead:
- What happened in the first six innings is irrelevant – it had no impact on the game’s outcome, so ignore it.
- Blame the blown lead on Aaron Boone, regardless of the main cause of the blown lead (poor pitching, bad defense, poor luck, or a combination of all three).
If the batters didn’t hit and scored fewer than four runs, it doesn’t matter.
If the manager has spent the better part of the past eight seasons very successfully mixing and matching bullpen parts that are mostly other team’s castoffs, it doesn’t matter.
If the Yankees blow a lead after the sixth inning, it is Aaron Boone’s fault.
Yesterday was a great example of this behavior, because here are the facts:
- Yankees batters only scored two runs in seven innings against a pitcher who is among the easiest to hit hard in MLB.
- Five Yankees relievers combined to allow three runs over nine innings.
- In the eighth inning, Tampa Bay batters in order, did this: Ground ball, walk, strike out, bloop, ground ball, fly out, ground ball. That led to two runs.
Yankees fans: Aaron Boone sucks! Mark Leiter Jr. sucks! (insert head shake emoji)
Here’s the reality:
Mark Leiter Jr., of whom I’ve been critical, has been very good thus far in ’25 – going to him in the eighth was not a bad move. Yesterday he certainly wasn’t “good”, but bad luck and bad defense did far more harm to the Yankees than Leiter.
Since 2018 under Boone, the Yankees bullpen has always been good, and it’s always been made up predominantly of other team’s castoffs. Boone has routinely mixed and matched well far more often than not, but never receives credit for such.
To wit, nine innings of three run ball from five relievers is a great job by the pitchers and the manager and coaches.
Two runs from the offense is not going to get it done in nine cases out of ten – the fact that it was against Zack Littell was abominable.
Look, I’m not going to tell you how to “fan” – I was frustrated yesterday afternoon too. But being frustrated isn’t an excuse to ignore reality and say ignorant things.
I doubt the weather will cooperate, but first pitch is scheduled for 1:35. Will Warren for the Pinstripes and Taj Bradley are the scheduled starters.
Did I miss something? Let me know in the comments, or yell at me on the “My Baseball Page” on Blue Sky.
Recommended reading: “Luckiest Man: The Life and Death of Lou Gehrig”.
Want to support MBP? If you’re an Amazon shopper, use any of the product links on this page to take you there. If you make a purchase – any purchase, not necessarily the product you clicked on – Amazon might make a tiny donation to MBP. Or…
Buy me a coffee?
If you like the blog and would like to see more of it, feel free to buy me a coffee. I prefer the bougee stuff, but I’ll take a Wawa if you’re buying. (Shrug.) It may not seem like much, but every little bit goes a long way toward keeping the blog rolling – thanks in advance!
$1.98
mybaseballpage.com 