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It is no secret that the New York Yankees‘ offense has been struggling as of late and co-owner and managing general partner of the Yankees, Hal Steinbrenner, let it be heard. He particularly went after the big-name players the Yankees got over the offseason, outfielders Carlos Beltran and Jacoby Ellsbury, and catcher Brian McCann. However, he did not leave out the fact that the rest of the lineup has been slumping as well.
Though Ellsbury’s numbers are down from his career average marks, he has been the most steady out of the three big offseason signings for the team. The team though has not been average. They rank 15th in the league in slugging, 18th in both batting average and on-base percentage, and 19th in runs scored. That is simply not going to get the job done for a team vying to get a playoff spot this October.
The most consistent offensive numbers have been coming from outfielder Brett Gardner, but first baseman Mark Teixeira does lead the team in both home runs and runs batted in and Ellsbury leads the team with 123 hits. The Yankees traded for Stephen Drew, Martin Prado and Chase Headley with the intentions of not only adding defensive depth, but to shake things up in the lineup and give the Yankees more run production.
Hal Steinbrenner put it perfectly for all those who have been watching the struggles:
“They’re professionals, and the talent is there. But they’ve got to step it up and they know that.”
We can just hope every member in the clubhouse was listening and took it personally in hopes of turning the season around for themselves and the greater good of the team.
Arthur Dowell is a Yankees writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @a24dowell, “like” him on Facebook, or add him to your network on Google.
