Let us go back to April 4, 1998. The New York Yankees had just been swept by the Oakland A’s in their first series of the year, falling to 0-3 on the year. They scored just six runs in the series, falling to last place in the AL East. With a victory the following day, that marked the last time that the Yankees were in sole possession of the divisional basement.
This changed on Friday. The Yankees were defeated by the Rays 8-2, dropping their record to 5-8. That loss also sent the Yankees to the AL East basement, a place that they had not occupied by themselves in over 23 years.
New York Yankees hoping for repeat of 1998 season
Back in 1998, the Yankees were in the midst of their great run of success. Although they began the season with a 1-4 record, the team bounced back and proved to be a juggernaut. New York finished the season with a 114-48 record, sweeping the Padres in the World Series for the first of their three consecutive championships.
It was easy to envision that Yankees squad would shake off their slow start. With the Big Four in place, ownership that would spend whatever it took to bring in any needed players, and a Hall of Fame manager on the bench, it was simply a matter of time before they flipped the switch. That took all of six games.
The same confidence is not there this season. The Yankees offseason was geared towards getting under the luxury tax, as they added the likes of Corey Kluber and Darren O’Day rather than pay Masahiro Tanaka or Adam Ottavino. Yet, while the pitching may have several question marks, their 3.46 ERA is fourth in the American League.
Right now, the Yankees biggest issue is on offense. They have scored 50 runs heading into Saturday, 14th in the AL, and rank 13th with a .666 OPS. Only three regulars – Gary Sanchez, DJ LeMahieu, and Aaron Judge – have an OPS+ over 100. The lineup is not producing to their capabilities.
Frustration is palpable. Yankees’ fans threw baseballs on the field Friday night as the Rays shut New York down once again. Manager Aaron Boone ripped into his team’s performance following the game, as the Yankees made three errors, struck out 14 times, issued seven walks, and had just three hits.
Maybe this is the wake-up call the Yankees needed. Maybe now, seeing their normally even keel manager get that irate, the team will snap out of their malaise. At least, that has to be the hope. Otherwise, the Yankees could be in for a very long season.
For the first time in 23 years, the New York Yankees are in sole possession of the AL East basement. This should be a wake-up call.