Losing is something we are not used to as Yankee fans. The Yankees haven’t been a below .500 team since 1992 and have missed the playoffs just once since 1995. Still, though, there are many times when many Yankee fans act as if the team is constantly losing. Those fans are, seemingly, never satisfied. Now, perhaps this is unfair to me. Rooting for a team is an emotional thing to do and when the team is losing, a lot of people overreact.
Despite my knowledge of that, there is still one thing that annoys me to no end: when people accuse the team of not trying simply because the team is losing. I noticed this sentiment because of a particular comment in the River Ave. Blues game thread last night, so I posed this question on Twitter:
How come every time the Yankees play poorly, a large number of people say they’re not trying?
I think throwing that accusation around is absolutely ridiculous. It may look like a team is not trying, but for a fan, watching from a couch or chair or bed or wherever has absolutely no idea what the effort level of the players is. Sometimes, we lose sight of the fact that baseball is essentially a game of failure. Whoever fails fewer times in the game is going to win. Of course, that’s a gross oversimplification but even the guy with the best OBP is going to fail six out of ten times.
We may lose sight o that because the Yankees tend to be very good at avoiding failing: they score a lot of runs, they don’t allow that many runs, and they win a whole heap of games each year. When they have games like last night, games in which the team looks terrible for one reason or another, many jump on the team for a lack of effort and say if they just tried harder, they’d be in the game. Those comments died down when Mark Teixeira hit a three run homer to pull the Yankees within two, but there were plenty up to that point.
After querying the above, I got a few responses I’d like to share:
Friend of the blog SteveH_MandAura said: Because with a $200+ million payroll they should go 162-0. Any loss=not trying
This is something else I saw–from the same commenter–in the River Ave thread. The Yankees, and baseball players in general, tend to get paid a lot of money. Because of that, we expect that they always do well and never disappoint. Well, that’s just not realistic, especially not in sports, and especially not in baseball. The response Steve is mocking is one I wish we’d never see, but sadly, we will a lot.
@EJGoose and @SteeeeveO expressed a similar sentiment: it’s easiest to explain the Yankees’ losses by saying the team isn’t trying. Their collective answer makes sense, and I don’t think either one of them supports it, but I still don’t buy it. The team isn’t showing a lack of effort or caring or trying: they’re just losing. I think that’s the simplest explanation we can give. 60 times a season, a baseball team is going to lose. Sometimes, those losses are going to look ugly. Who are we to say that the Yankees–or any team–are not trying?
At best, it is silly and irresponsible for us to assume the Yankees are not trying. At worst, it’s stupid, idiotic, and annoying.
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12 Responses to On Losing
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TIQ IQ
unfortunately these games bring out the worst in people and they blurt out things that i hope that they later regret. this yankee season is so different than most we have seen. even in the years 2005, 2007 and last year they started off slowly but had a roaring last two or three months. Of course those teams were quickly dispatched in the playoffs, but that isn’t the topic today. This years team has been (literally) mediocre since the end of July; aside from the 8 game winning streak that have looked really bad and it’s brought out the frustration in the fan-base. we used to maybe just yell at our TV sets now every outburst is right out on the internet for all and sundry to see. I agree. it isn’t pretty.
good article Matt.
unfortunaatelye it all starts with the man at the top..d.asf .. girardi,,,, the guy puts mo in with 2 gys on in the 8th when u know mo hasnt pitched all that well.. well look what happpens mo blew the save..,,,, what a surprist…, if the manager doesnt manage like hes actually trying to win the game how are the players supposed 2 react??? gusy arent held to a standard of practic by their boss how are theuy supposed to sty focused?? ,,,,,..,, girardi is writing his own dear joe letter this september… hope he enjoys managing in MUTTScago next year, . . . seriously tom kelly manages the yanks next year on a 3 year 41 mil deal or cashman gets sent to disneyland
See dude this is what I was trying to say to you yesterday. You rip on Girardi in every game thread. This post had nothing to do with Girardi and you still brought him up. lol
Not the same commenter. This is a parody of the guy you are talking about.
My bad, kinda funny though after you pointed that out and I re-read what was written lol.
you see this what i was trying to say ..you went from buddy to dude..when i ask or answer anyone comments , i respectfully call you by the name you log on with.. that other guy is very funny..when can’t defend his position ..he becomes forrest gump.. it does make the board fun though..
that’s pretty funny, i like it..remember what is said in jest, the truth is in there. i’m flattered by the way keep it coming..
I think part of what feeds the crazy fan reaction is the fact that the players are not gnashing their teeth and sitting in sackcloth and ashes when they lose. We frequently see them joking or smiling. Up to a point, this is the right way for them to handle losing. Baseball is a game of failures, and anyone who can’t stay loose during a 162 game season won’t be around long. Many fans don’t understand why the players aren’t as upset as they are.
good point..only so many paul o’niels around…
not trying and playing bad or hurt or slumping are very different..manny was not trying..jeter is just slumping..i feel the yankee players always try hard and 99% of all major league play hard..
If anything a tendency to try a little to hard at times plagues this team when they play as if they are almost having to live up to the expectations of 162-0 and you see players try and go out of their element trying to fix a small slump and fall into a crevasse it’s hard to get back out of. We all saw this with Alex in the postseason for a while, he wanted to live up to the contract and billing and tried so hard he caused himself to do more harm than good than last year he settles down just tries to play Alex Rodriguez baseball and the guy accomplishes everything he was trying to do from jump street.
Lack of effort on certain plays happens to a lot of players over the year (I don’t see it much with the Yankees) just ask Hanley Ramirez and BJ Upton if you don’t believe me but for anyone to say a team is losing because of an overall lack of effort or caring is almost as if to accuse them of blowing games on purpose and it’s highly irresponsible.
you can throw ardruw jones in there also, a super talent at one time, but always trotted if a ball got by him..great point about arod