Yankees Aroldis Chapman “Accidentally” Likes Post Calling Out Joe Girardi
Yankees manager Joe Girardi took a lot of heat for his decision not to challenge Lonnie Chisenhall‘s hit by pitch. Some of that flak “accidentally” came from closer Aroldis Chapman.
Being a major league manager is not an easy task. This especially holds true for Joe Girardi, manager of the New York Yankees. Every decision he makes will be put under the microscope, where his failures, and even successes, are second and third guessed. After all, anything short of a World Series title is considered a failure.
On Friday, a seemingly innocent decision led to disaster. Lonnie Chisenhall was ruled to have been hit by a pitch, when replay showed that the ball hit the knob of his bat. Had Girardi challenged the call, the Yankees would have been out of the inning. Instead, Francisco Lindor hit a grand slam, changing the game, and ultimately leading to a 9-8 extra inning victory for the Indians.
Naturally, following the game, the decision not to challenge the call led to a lot of second guessing. Girardi was called a variety of different things, most of which are not safe to repeat on a family friendly site. And, most of these would not garner any attention, except that closer Aroldis Chapman liked a post on Instagram calling Girardi an imbecile and called for his job.
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For his part, Chapman immediately removed the like once he realized the attention it received. He also immediately went into Girardi’s office and apologized for the “accidental” liking of the post, doing his best to clear the air and get in front of the issue.
Instead, this creates more questions. Chapman handles his social media himself, so he was the one to hit that like button. And he only removed the like when it generated a great deal of attention. Yes, he was upfront and honest in what he did, but the fact that he liked the post in the first place is concerning. With Girardi seemingly on a perpetual hot seat in New York, and his contract expiring after the season, this will only fuel speculation about his future.
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The decision to not challenge Lonnie Chisenhall being hit by a pitch came back to haunt the Yankees. If Aroldis Chapman’s social media gaffe is any indication, it may cost Joe Girardi more than the game.