Hal Steinbrenner says 'tough questions' possible if Yankees miss, fail in playoffs
Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner speaks at a press conference for the re-signing of Aaron Judge at Yankee Stadium on Dec. 21, 2022. Credit: Corey Sipkin
The end of the baseball season is more than four months away, but if it does not end well for the Yankees, their brain trust is going to have some explaining to do.
And that goes not only to fans, but also to the boss, managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner.
On ESPN New York radio’s “The Michael Kay Show” Wednesday, Steinbrenner was asked a question submitted by a fan as to whether there would be changes in the organization if the Yankees finish in third place and miss the playoffs. This is how he answered:
“I would say that if we can march into the playoffs with 90% of our intended team that we expected to be on the field every day - everybody's got injuries, but let's say 90% - and we don't perform well in the playoffs, I'm going to start asking the questions even then.
“If we don't make the playoffs - third place, fourth place, second place – I think this is a tough division, but if we don't make the playoffs and we're healthy the second half of the year and we start getting guys back and we get the team we intended to be on the field on the field, I'm going to be asking some tough questions.”
Those questions presumably would begin with general manager Brian Cashman and manager Aaron Boone, but Steinbrenner reiterated his current support for both men.
“I believe that Boone is a good manager and I believe that Cashman is a good general manager,” Steinbrenner said. “I'm not going to go into all those reasons . . . There are many. But we have failed. You can include me in that as well.
“My family puts the resources in we can every year and we strive to field a championship-caliber team. And sooner or later that's going to result in a championship.”
The Yankees entered Wednesday night with a 40-33 record, 10 games behind the Rays in the American League East. They have not won a World Series since 2009.
The hosts on the Kay show pressed Steinbrenner on multiple points of concern to fans.
Co-host Don La Greca said, “We deal with it every single day on our show – fans unhappy you have not won a World Series since 2009. You are the New York Yankees and have not had a parade down the Canyon of Heroes going on 14 seasons. But yet Aaron Boone, Brian Cashman have gotten extensions during that time. So I guess the overall question is: Are you happy with where your team has been over the last six years, and has the mission statement of championship or bust maybe been adjusted?”
Said Steinbrenner, “No, it has not been adjusted. Our goal every year is to win a championship.”
Steinbrenner said he understands fans’ frustration with the long drought but added, “I'm a little confused this year, being the third week in June, why they're so upset. But they are 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.”
Job One is getting healthy, starting with Aaron Judge. But Steinbrenner said other stars must pick up the slack.
“I said last week we needed some guys to step up, because we're missing a big player in Aaron Judge, and so far it hasn't happened,” he said. “I think we saw a glimpse of hopefully good things in one of them [Tuesday] night that got three hits [in Anthony Rizzo], but we’ve got to get back to scoring runs.”
As for the slumping Giancarlo Stanton, Steinbrenner said, “This is not going to continue. There's no way this is going to continue. He’s going to catch fire, and when he does can pick up a whole team.”
Neil Best first worked at Newsday in 1982, returned in 1985 after a detour to Alaska and has been here since, specializing in high schools, college basketball, the NFL and most recently sports media and business.