These New York Yankees have never been known to jaw back at opponents or show them up. This year, things seem a little different.
Let’s start by saying these are not your grandparents’ New York Yankees. These Yankees are young, brash and willing to take over the game of baseball.
But it didn’t start out that way. As Opening Day rolled around, the Yankees began the season a bit shy. They were timid, not showing a lot of fight or confidence in their skills.
Well, that all turned around right around the time Clint Frazier came back up to the team. A coincidence? Maybe. Regardless, whatever it was, the Yankees are showing some fire and the hunger to win.
Now those are the Yankees we like to see.
Take Monday night’s contest against the Houston Astros and the seemingly unbeatable Justin Verlander. While the Bronx Bombers didn’t have a repeat performance of Sunday afternoon’s home run fest, they still managed to get three runs off the ace.
The game itself had a playoff atmosphere, with the fans hanging on every single pitch and roaring at every hit. The fans felt it and clearly, the New York Yankees did too.
First, Brett Gardner got his mouth running after a base hit. No, it didn’t matter that he had just gotten on base to help set the Yankees up. What was more important was getting his feelings out, shouting to no one particular about his distaste for the shift.
Then, Aaron Judge decided a 1-1 tie was not good enough, launching an absolute missile to the right field seats to break the tie. As he rounded third base, Judge stared straight into the crowd and towards the Astros’ dugout and never broke eye contact.
Gardy was jawing earlier in the game aswell pic.twitter.com/UGVwYtw7Px
— Jomboy (@Jomboy_) April 9, 2019
This is not what they typically do, especially Aaron Judge. Judge has heard it all but seemed to be particularly fond of calling out his “fans” who were chanting about his overrated status. In an away ballpark, this is a bold move. This is a big mood.
And this is exactly the type of attitude these Yankees need.
Gardy tends to be one who will typically express his emotions, as he did earlier in the season after hitting a bomb against the Detroit Tigers.
Brett Gardner addressing his Twitter haters like.. pic.twitter.com/S90cYnvTgG
— Notar (@NotarSD) April 2, 2019
Do the New York Yankees want to be a team that everyone hates? At this point, maybe they do. It seems when they’re playing loose and with emotion behind their game, they start winning. That’s exactly what they need to continue doing down the stretch.
This all goes back to this season’s MLB campaign of “Let the Kids Play.” If these players want to show emotion and excitement over facets of the game, they should be allowed to. When Clint Frazier, a player may be counted out before the season even started, slugs two home runs and gathers four hits, he should be able to drop the bat.
Some will say that you can’t talk unless you’re winning. Regardless of the score, the Yankees showing confidence in their lineup and their pitching is enough to help provide a spark is perfectly fine.
Forget the “unwritten rules” of the game. The Yankees are showing life and some attitude behind their play and it’s making their team significantly better.
Of course, it’s still early. These high emotions can backfire on them with future ejections or suspensions. However, they’re just preparing for October baseball, right?
We’re not used to seeing these Yankees with a bit of life behind their game. The first few games were exactly the opposite but now that they’re throwing looks, getting excited and pimping home runs, they’ve got a brand-new look.
Win or lose, the Yankees have a right to show some attitude. No, they’re not dissing other teams or making fun of them. They are pumping themselves up with their own confidence. That is something that shouldn’t be a problem at all and it’s fun to watch.
The Bad Boys of the Bronx are out to play and they’re here to win. Let the kids play and the unwritten rules be broken because these New York Yankees are bringing the attitude on their world tour.
