Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner shares who he blames most for struggles
Dec 11, 2017; Orlando, FL, USA; New York Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner during the winter meetings at Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
The New York Yankees have lost five of their last six games and are quickly falling out of contention, and team owner Hal Steinbrenner said there are a number of ways to fix that. The first one lies with the players.
Steinbrenner told reporters on Thursday that it has been “maddening” to watch the Yankees struggle this season. However, he said they have no plans to be sellers at the trade deadline. He also threw his support behind Aaron Boone when asked if the manager’s job is safe.
“I am aggravated, frustrated, angry. But that will not push me to a knee-jerk reaction,” Steinbrenner said, via ESPN’s Marly Rivera.
Steinbrenner added that everyone, including himself, has played some role in the Yankees being 8.5 games out of first place in the AL East. That said, he believes the “majority” of the blame is on the players.
“The majority of the responsibility lies with the players,” Steinbrenner said. “They are the ones on the field. The majority of the blame lies with them.”
The Yankees were wept by the rival Boston Red Sox twice this month. Boone recently snapped at a reporter over a question about the team growing complacent.
Steinbrenner said he is not opposed to exceeding the luxury tax if he believes it will help the team. The trade deadline is still a month away, so he may feel differently at that point. But as of now, he clearly is not going to entertain questions about punting on the 2021 season.
