That whole Yankees-Watch-The-2004-ALCS-Highlights-For-Motivation thing is no less mind-boggling a day later.
And yes, WFAN legend Mike Francesa is aware. From his BetRivers podcast following the Astros’ four-game ALCS sweep:
Get this straight: They actually used the Red Sox coming back in historic fashion against the Yankees, and expected that to be motivation for the Bombers. I mean, you can’t make this stuff up. When I first heard it, I thought it was a joke. This can’t be the way they approach leading this team and the direction they want to take this team in.
No, it is unfortunately a real thing. From MLB.com:
[A] video recapping (Kevin) Millar’s speech, Dave Roberts’ stolen base and Boston’s comeback from an 0-3 ALCS deficit to topple, yes, the Yankees, was distributed among New York players and coaches before Sunday’s ALCS Game 4 at Yankee Stadium.
(…)
(Manager Aaron) Boone said that the brief video was sent by Chad Bohling, the Yankees’ director of mental conditioning.
With talk of the ’04 Red Sox thick in the air, ESPN broadcaster Eduardo Perez placed a pregame FaceTime call to Hall of Famer David Ortiz, who offered Boone a few words of wisdom.
Again: What are are doing here? The idea that Boone allowed all of this to happen — or didn’t have the ability to stop it — AND voluntarily offered the information to the media? Ortiz had to have busted out laughing and called Pedro Martinez in amazement after he hopped off that call with Boone. What a mess. What a disgrace. These are the Yankees, for goodness sake. First they do that dumb light show thing with Nick Swisher during the ALDS. And now this.
I would love to see the group chat between Derek Jeter, Andy Pettitte, Jorge Posada and Mariano Rivera today.
James Kratch can be reached at james.kratch@xlmedia.com
