MLB fans waited more than a year to verbally abuse the Houston Astros over their cheating scandal, and some of that pent-up energy was released when the 2017 World Series champions faced the New York Yankees this week. Though, apparently at least some fans in the Bronx were unexpectedly censored.
David Taub, a Yankees fan who attended one of the games against the Astros this week, told Sports Illustrated that he showed up to Yankee Stadium in an “Oscar the Grouch” costume. That, of course, was a reference to the Astros banging on a trash can as part of their elaborate sign-stealing scheme. Taub said he was stopped by security when entering the ballpark and informed that he had to ditch the costume.
According to SI, Taub said a security guard told him “our policy changed” and that the Astros had complained to MLB about the behavior of fans in other cities. Taub said he was told MLB asked the Yankees to be a little more strict on fans during the series.
NJ Advance Media’s Brendan Kuty said he was told by a source that the Yankees were not contacted by the Astros before or during their series against them with any complaints regarding fan behavior. Officials from the Astros and MLB commissioner’s office also said they were unaware of any such complaints.
The Astros beat the Yankees in the 2017 ALCS en route to winning a title. It was later discovered that they employed an elaborate sign-stealing scheme during the 2017 and 2018 seasons. There were also suspicions that Houston cheated in 2019 when they again beat New York in the ALCS.
Plenty of Yankees fans still managed to find ways to let the Astros hear it, which you can see here. Still, if the Astros did complain rather than just taking their lumps, that will just give fans another reason to ride them even harder.
The Houston Astros are confirmed cheaters and deserve an asterisk. Send that message by wearing our Houston Asterisks T-shirt! You can buy it here:
Gleyber Torres accomplished something on Thursday that we probably will not see again this MLB season, and it was made possible by some inexcusable laziness from the Houston Astros.
With the New York Yankees trailing 5-3 in the bottom of eighth inning, Torres managed to score all the way from first on an infield single. The Astros had the shift on against Aaron Hicks, who stung a ground ball up the middle. Carlos Correa did a nice job of knocking the ball down, but no one was covering third base.
Torres recognized that third base was uncovered and kept running. He then quickly noticed that no one had covered home plate, either. He came all the way around to score, as you can see below:
Not only was that a horrendous defensive lapse from the Astros, but it came late in a game in which they were leading by two runs. In a series where they were already ruthlessly mocked by those in attendance, the Astros definitely didn’t need to give Yankees fans more ammunition.
Aaron Judge remains one of the biggest bargains in baseball, as his salary is just north of $10 million this season in his second year of arbitration. Despite that, the New York Yankees apparently considered the possibility of trading him — even if only for a brief moment.
In his latest ESPN Insider column, Buster Olney reported that the Yankees and Angels “very briefly” discussed the possibility of a trade that would send Judge to L.A. last offseason. Olney noted that the talks were “the lightest of flirtations,” but it is still significant that the Yankees did not immediately shut it down.
It’s unclear if the Angels discussed any specific players that would be included as part of a deal for Judge. From the way Olney made it sound, it is possible the talks didn’t even progress to that point.
No player is more popular among Yankees fans than Judge, so trading him would be a very tough sell. That said, he has battled injuries and there are likely concerns about that trend continuing. Judge has one more year of arbitration eligibility in 2022, but the Yankees will soon have to decide if they want to give him a massive contract.
If the Yankees believe Judge’s body will break down, they could revisit potential trades involving him this offseason or next year. Fans would certainly miss his towering home runs and the mentality he showcased in the playoffs last year, but it appears the 28-year-old is not considered off-limits, at the very least.
A 5-10 start is a crisis for the New York Yankees, but general manager Brian Cashman is staying the course.
Cashman on Monday praised the job manager Aaron Boone is doing with the team, giving him a vote of confidence despite the team’s start.
It’s likely too soon to make a major change just 15 games into the season, even with the Yankees struggling as they are. Fundamentally, there’s only so much Boone can do with several stars hitting below .200. He’s threatened to make some changes, but that’s probably the extent of what he can do right now.
The Yankees have lost five straight and have the worst record in the American League following Sunday’s loss to the Tampa Bay Rays.
The New York Yankees’ disastrous start to the 2021 season continued Sunday with a sweep at the hands of the Tampa Bay Rays.
The Yankees’ loss Sunday dropped them to 5-10, last in the AL East. They have lost five in a row, and have not scored more than four runs in a game since Apr. 11. All of it is enough to make manager Aaron Boone consider some changes to his struggling offense.
“There will be some things that I consider about shaking some things up, no question,” Boone said, via Bryan Hoch of MLB.com.
It’s hard to figure out what Boone could change, because his stars simply aren’t hitting. Four regulars, including Gleyber Torres, Giancarlo Stanton, and Aaron Hicks, are hitting below .200. Boone might be able to shuffle the lineup around, but if those guys aren’t going to get it done, the offense doesn’t have much of a chance no matter what.
One thing’s for sure: this old viral comment from Boone certainly doesn’t apply to this year’s team so far.
The New York Yankees sound encouraged that manager Aaron Boone could make a quick return to the team after receiving a pacemaker.
According to Yankees GM Brian Cashman, Boone’s leave of absence is expected to be short-term, and he could even return to spring training by the end of the week.
Boone described the symptoms that led to his decision to take a leave of absence in the team’s earlier statement.
Thankfully, this seems like a fairly routine procedure and indicates a quick return time. Based on this, it sounds like Boone expects to be back and ready to manage well before Opening Day.
The New York Yankees will be without their manager for an undetermined amount of time, as Aaron Boone is leaving the team to undergo a medical procedure.
The Yankees announced on Wednesday that Boone is taking an immediate leave of absence to receive a pacemaker. The procedure will be performed at a hospital in Tampa.
Boone underwent open heart surgery to replace an aortic valve when he was with the Houston Astros back in 2009. He said at the time that doctors discovered his heart condition when he was in college. Boone explained in a statement on Wednesday that he has been experiencing “mild symptoms of lightheadedness, low energy and shortness of breath” in recent weeks.
You can read the full statement from Boone and the team below:
MLB spring training is underway, with the regular season scheduled to begin on April 1. It is unclear how long Boone will be out, but we wish him a speedy recovery.
Jameson Taillon could be the next Pittsburgh Pirates player to be traded, and the New York Yankees reportedly have interest in him.
The Pirates have already traded Josh Bell and Joe Musgrove this offseason. Taillon is coming off Tommy John surgery and could be the next player to go.
MLB reporter Jon Heyman said on Saturday that the Yankees are among the teams talking with the Pirates about Taillon.
Taillon, 29, is 29-24 with a 3.64 ERA in his career. He’s pitched in MLB for the Pirates since 2016. 2018 was the first season he pitched a complete year — he made 32 starts and tossed 191 innings.
The Yankees have Gerrit Cole as their ace. Luis Severino is working his way back from Tommy John surgery, while James Paxton is a free agent. There are rumors that Masahiro Tanaka could go back to Japan.
Jordan Montgomery, Domingo German and Deivi Garcia are other pitchers who could fill out their rotation. Their interest in a talented pitcher like Taillon, who is only making $2.25 million next season, makes plenty of sense.
Yasiel Puig’s MLB career may be slowly taking him from coast to coast.
Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reported Monday that the New York Yankees are among the teams with interest in the free agent outfielder. Feinsand also lists the Boston Red Sox, Houston Astros, Miami Marlins, and Baltimore Orioles as other clubs with varying levels of interest.
Puig, now 30 years old, sat out the 2020 season after a positive COVID-19 test axed a deal that he was expected to sign with the Atlanta Braves. He hit .267 with 24 home runs and 84 RBIs between the Cincinnati Reds and the Cleveland Indians in 2019.
The Yankees make for an interesting potential destination. They have a crowded outfield on paper, but players like Aaron Judge and Aaron Hicks carry some perpetual injury risk. The Yankees also recently declined their club option on longtime outfielder Brett Gardner.
Puig has been dealing with some off-field issues in recent months as well. But it certainly seems like he will be back on an MLB roster in 2021.
Once one of the most feared hitting catchers in baseball, Gary Sanchez appears to be wearing out his welcome with the New York Yankees.
According to Dan Martin, Ken Davidoff and Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the Yankees are at least open to a possible Sanchez trade. The team is willing to listen to offers for the catcher, though the team is unwilling to get rid of him for whatever it can get.
Sanchez has never been a great defensive catcher, which is what made his offensive numbers cratering such a concern in 2020. He hit just .147, and was replaced as starting catcher by Kyle Higashioka once the team made the playoffs.
The Yankees would be selling low on the 27-year-old catcher. Still, he’d likely attract interest, as he has a solid record of hitting for power and being a dangerous hitter. It wasn’t that long ago that the Yankees were actually rebuffing trade interest in him.
