Rival Announcer Trashes Yankees During Astros-Blue Jays Broadcast
Despite reaching the World Series last year, the New York Yankees are an easy target for critics thanks to their erratic fielding, sloppy baserunning and head-scratching managing. For such an expensive and talented team, they typically endure long periods of mediocrity, such as their 18-29 stretch earlier this summer.
During that slump, former Boston Red Sox pitcher Jonathan Papelbon roasted his former rival on social media, criticizing them for “playing lazy and making a bunch of stupid mistakes…”
The Yankees have righted the ship since then, but they’re still catching flak, especially after getting outscored 23-2 by the Detroit Tigers over the last two days.
They’re even getting ripped in games that they’re not playing in. During Tuesday’s game between the Houston Astros and Toronto Blue Jays, Blue Jays announcer Buck Martinez blasted them in the middle of the broadcast.
“The Yankees, they’re not a good team. I don’t care what their record is,” Martinez said. “They have a lot of wild pitches. They make a lot of mistakes in the field. They don’t run the bases very well.”
It seems New York hasn’t learned its lesson after imploding during last year’s humiliating World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. For all of their talent and resources, the Yankees remain one of the most frustrating teams in baseball, frequently beating themselves and getting exposed by better teams.
They’ll be tested this weekend during a pivotal series at Fenway Park, which may decide the American League wild card race. New York has struggled mightily against the Red Sox this year, going 2-8 with a minus-18 run differential.
If the Yankees want to win their first championship since 2009, they need to start playing cleaner, crisper baseball before it’s too late. Otherwise, they’re likely headed for another disappointing October exit.