Alex Rodriguez was alternately cheered and booed, mostly booed. Fans chanted for Mariano Rivera while other Yankees pitched instead.
Last night Yankee fans were more schizophrenic than usual. After hitting a long hard single to left center Rodriguez was cheered. The ball was hit hard enough to be a double and Rodriguez instinctively ran hard out of the box and made an aggressive turn at first, which caused him to slam on the breaks and scamper back to first when the ball was returned quickly. Rodriguez would have tried for a double before his two hip surgeries but you could see the fundamental hustle still in him, something sadly lacking in teammate Robinson Cano who has two healthy hips.
Later in the game Rodriguez was cheered when he batted again then booed for hitting into a double play; then again. I addressed this a couple of days ago.
Sunday, August 11, 2013
Why boo the your own players?
But what of the people at Yankee Stadium who booed one of their own? Are they biological and/or figurative descendants of the assholes who have booed Yankees over many decades? Here is a partial list.
Joe DiMaggio - because he held out during the depression for more money than Lou Gehrig
Mickey Mantle - for not being Joe DiMaggio
Roger Maris - for not being Mickey Mantle
Reggie Jackson - for being Reggie and not Thurman Munson
Alex Rodriguez - for being A-Rod and not Derek Jeter
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Booing Rodriguez has two aspects:
1. Yankee fans are booing one of their own.
2. If these fans really feel strongly about Rodriguez being unethical, then they should boo him all the time. His success or failure on the field should not be a factor.
In either case booing one of their own players hurts their team. Which brings us to fan conduct unbecoming. With uncharacteristic good judgement and fortitude Yankee manager Joe Girardi decided to, as he phrased it after the game: give Rivera a day, presumably a day off. This was obviously Girardi's recognition that Rivera was in meltdown mode, having blown all three save opportunities in the previous five days.
In those three games Rivera pitched four innings, throwing this many pitches: 31, 27, 23, total 81. In his previous appearance in San Diego four days before the first blown save in Chicago Rivera retired the side in order on 9 pitches with one strike out (SO).
In the four innings of the three blown saves Rivera allowed 7 hits, 5 runs, 1 walk, 2 SO, 3 home runs. His ERA increased from 1.56 to 2.44.
Rivera was saved in the two blown saves in Yankee Stadium by Brett Gardner who had two walk off game winning hits, a single and a home run. Without Gardner's heroics Yankee fans at last night's game might have shown more sense.
Rodriguez Has Added Noise, if Not Production
By JORGE ARANGURE Jr.
Published: August 12, 2013 in The New York Times
When Boone Logan went out to the mound to start the ninth inning, a section of fans began chanting, “We want Mo.” The chants continued when Dave Robertson took over for Logan, and they intensified when Robertson allowed an inherited runner to score and then issued an intentional walk that loaded the bases with one out.
“It’s not easy to pitch when they’re chanting, ‘We want Mo’ when you’re warming up,” Robertson said. “You have to just deal with it and finish the game.”
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As with harassing Rodriguez, don't these Yankee fans want the Yankees to win? Why treat your own players as if they play for the other team? Why add more pressure?
Logan and Robertson pitched well enough and they saved the game. But what poor judgement by many of the Yankee fans.
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