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More on booing and Javier Vazquez

Posted by Chris H. at 5:00 pm 3 Responses »
Apr 162010

On Wednesday, in his second start of the year, Javier Vazquez nibbled a bit too much and, when it was all said and done, the right-hander gave up four earned runs over 5 1/3 innings to the Angels. It wasn’t a bad start, by any means, but it wasn’t a good start either, as Vazquez, who had a very effective Spring Training, is struggling with his pitch command now that the regular season is underway (he has given up twelve earned runs in two outings). While that is a problem, the tide will eventually turn, and Vazquez will demonstrate why Brian Cashman obtained him (twice).

Yankee fans, however, appear to have soured on Vazquez rather quickly, booing him yesterday after he gave up just two earned runs, although I suppose lingering doubts from his last stint in pinstripes six years ago remain and spurred the jeering (or at least made it easier for some to boo). To that, and to those fans who booed, I say, get over it, as what occurred in 2004 has little bearing on what will occur now. Rather than scolding fellow fans as some already have, all that needs to be done is a quick recitation of the number 16.5. That is how many wins above replacement Vazquez has been over the past three seasons (2007-2009) and should tell you enough about his talent (only six other pitchers – Sabathia, Halladay, Lincecum, Haren, Greinke, and Beckett – have been more valuable). Sure, I have noted this in the past, but, given Vazquez’s shaky start and fan reactions to it, I figured it was necessary to mention once more.

Basically, my point is, let’s not Chan Ho Park him (i.e., condemn him prematurely). Let’s give Vazquez a real chance.

Photo by Getty Images

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No booing for A-Rod?

Posted by Chris H. at 4:00 pm 6 Responses »
Oct 022009

From Ted Keith (SI):

In fact, there are only two questions remaining for the team with the best record in baseball: Will Alex Rodriguez finally show up in October after batting .143 with 18 strikeouts in his last 16 postseason games? And how long will it take Yankee fans to boo him this postseason if he doesn’t? One at-bat? Two

This A-Rod theme is old, isn’t it?

Based on what I’ve seen this season, both inside and outside of the ballpark, it seems that fans have changed their ways in relation to Alex Rodriguez. For whatever reason, I can’t really imagine them booing this year. Maybe it’s because the Yankee lineup features an assortment of expensive tools and high priced weapons, so it’s not all on A-Rod. Maybe we’ve realized that he has a fragile psyche and booing hasn’t helped him in the past, therefore, we’ve opted for the nurturing parent model rather than the strict father (shout out to George Lakoff).

Or, perhaps I’m just imagining things. Hmm…

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Discussion: Booing Ortiz

Posted by Moshe Mandel at 3:57 pm No Responses »
Aug 062009

Steve at Was Watching asked the following question, and I think it deserves some discussion:

There’s been some debate about how the Yankees fans should receive David Oritz in the Bronx for this current big series.

I suppose it depends on whether you went to the “People who live in glass houses…” school or grew up in the “Eye for an eye” camp?

Me? I’ll be at the game on Friday, and, to be honest, if it’s late in the game, and the Yankees have a big lead, I suspect that I’ll join the mob in derisive sing-song…as long as the chant is clever, good fun, tasteful, and not obscene. Otherwise, I’ll probably lay low…

I can see both sides. On the one hand, it may be hypocritical for Yankees fans who have been cheering A-Rod all season to suddenly pose as the moral compass of the game and rip Ortiz. On the other hand, Red Sox fans at Fenway have been making Boston an uncomfortable place for A-Rod to play for a very long time. Maybe it is time for Yankees fans to do the same for the Red Sox, and some inventive chants and intense booing might be a decent first step in that direction. Personally, I would not participate in chanting about steroids, but I might take part in a few “1918″ chants. What about you? Where do you stand on this issue?

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Discussion: The Fan's Sense Of Entitlement

Posted by Moshe Mandel at 1:00 pm No Responses »
Jul 262009

As Alfredo Aceves trudged off the mound yesterday in his first poor moment in front of the Yankee Stadium crowd, some boos could be heard throughout the new ballpark. Aceves has been a rock for the Yankees, and some fans have credited him for spurring on the renaissance of the bullpen since early May. The idea that Yankees fans would boo a guy who has been so important to the club seemed ridiculous to me, and was a bit embarrassing.

It seems that Yankees fans have developed a certain sense of entitlement, believing that it is their right to see a win every day and a championship every season. When the masses are not satiated by a victory, they turn nasty, going so far as to boo the players that have made the club one of the best in all of baseball. This is an awful development, and one that has been percolating ever since the team stopped winning championships in the early part of this decade. The discussion question is as follows. Does purchasing a ticket give you a right to cheer or harangue whoever you so choose? Should the fans who booed Aceves be embarrassed by their actions, or is it a fan’s right to boo any player who does not perform up to expectation on a given day? Chime in below.

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The Booing Of A-Rod

Posted by Moshe Mandel at 11:32 am No Responses »
Jun 042009

Thank You for Smoking divx Last night, Alex Rodriguez had a fairly rough game. After an RBI single in the 1st, he grounded into a DP with the bases loaded to end the 3rd, struck out with one out and a runner at 3rd in the 6th, and K’d with a runner on first in the 8th. After each of the last three at bats, Alex got booed. Quite frankly, the Yankees fans in the Stadium booing him and the ones cursing him out on message boards last night should be ashamed of themselves. The club has gone on a tear since his return. While some would point to the fact that the pitching has improved, it is hard to deny the fact that as Nick Swisher and Robinson Cano slowed down, the Yankees did not miss a beat. In regard to last night’s game in particular, Alex drove in the first run, yet got booed in his next at bat. And Pettitte was awful last night and Derek Jeter went 0-4, yet they heard no such reaction.

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Yankees fans are incredibly fickle when it comes to Alex, taking the “what have you done for me lately” nature of the current fan culture to a ridiculous extreme. Every at bat that comes with runners on is an opportunity for the fans to sharpen their axes and prepare to rip Alex should he fail. Since returning, he has been excellent in high leverage situations, but to no avail. He has no margin for error with the fans, an impossible standard in a sport where great players fail all the time.

If Alex fails once again in the postseason, boo all you want. He is here to win titles, and he has not come through in the postseason thus far. But to boo him now, when he has been a significant force in driving this club to the top of the AL East, seems petty and vindictive. It is time to treat Alex Rodriguez like a Yankee.

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