New York Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner has admitted that he has been left “confused” by disgruntled fans of the franchise.
The Yankees have endured an inconsistent first few months of the Major League Baseball season. The team is 41-33 and third in the AL East behind leaders the Tampa Bay Rays and second placed Baltimore Orioles.
Some fans voiced their anger over how the season is panning out during the 3-1 win over the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday. After Josh Donaldson grounded a play with one base loaded at the bottom of the sixth inning, some fans at Yankee Stadium booed the players.
With the Yankees 11 wins behind the Rays at the top of the AL East, Steinbrenner has addressed concerns among the team’s fan base. The 53-year-old has admitted that while he understands the frustration among fans, he is “confused” by the current mood after it was put to him by radio host Michael Kay that fans are "very, very upset".
“I want to know what the vibe is out there, and I understand they’re upset,” Steinbrenner said on ‘The Michael Kay Show’ on ESPN 98.7 FM on Wednesday.
“I’m a little confused this year, being the third week in June, why they’re so upset. But they’re upset, and that’s going to get my attention, of course.
“Everybody just needs to know that we’re working hard on all fronts to get this back on the rails and start playing the way we were for a couple of weeks there in May.”
What hasn’t helped the Yankees of late is an injury to star Aaron Judge. The 31-year-old has missed the past 13 games with a toe injury, which he suffered while making a catch against the Los Angeles Dodgers on June 3 at Dodgers Stadium.
The Yankees have gone 5-8 in Judge’s absence, and Steinbrenner says that the team’s “ultimate goal” is still to win championships, which has not been achieved over the last few years. “[The mission statement] has not been adjusted. Our goal every year is to win a championship,” Steinbrenner added.
“I’ve been through this before with numerous people. Do I feel that the whole season is a failure when we don’t? No, I don’t. Because I’m not going to ignore when we win X amount of games and win a division, or win [an AL] Division Series. I’m not going to ignore that.
“But we have failed for many years to win a championship, and that is our ultimate goal. I went through this a lot in the offseason; I talked to a lot of you guys.
“And for all the reasons that I stated, I believe that (Aaron) Boone is a good manager and I believe that (Brian) Cashman is a good general manager.
“My family puts the resources in we can every year, and we strive to field a championship-calibre team. Sooner or later, that’s going to result in a championship.”
