Sunday, October 14, 2012

Why Nick Swisher is right about the Yankee fans who boo their own

I wondered today if anybody was going to be the Eric Winston of the Yankees and call out those Yankee fans who have been booing their own players. Turns out that it was one-time fan favorite Nick Swisher, who is extremely unhappy that fans not only booed him, but blamed him for Derek Jeter getting hurt. MLB.com has the story. Some will say that Swisher made a real gaffe here in telling the truth about the way some of the fans act. I applaud him for doing so.

Here are some of his comments, courtesy of Bryan Hoch:
“That’s the last thing that I ever thought would be in this ballpark, that people would get on you that bad. Especially your home, where your heart is, where you’ve been battling and grinding all year long. It’s just frustrating, man. You never want to be in that spot. It’s not like you’re trying to go out there and do bad on purpose. It’s just tough, man.”
"It hurts. Sometimes I’m a sensitive guy and some of the things people say, man, they get under your skin a little bit."
He also said that "it might be nice to get out of here and get to Detroit and hopefully pull out some wins over there." So yeah, he's looking forward to getting away from the home field disadvantage that some of our fan base provides! Hoch said on Twitter that other Yankees were "looking forward to change of scenery." Lovely.

Swisher obviously doesn't expect to be back in the Bronx next year. He has gone from being perhaps the most fan-friendly Yankees (and one of the most beloved Bombers) to reportedly hearing very nasty comments, and reportedly even threats, about himself and his wife. And according to Newsday, Swisher said he was serenaded with "Na na, na na na na, hey hey hey, goodbye" in his final plate appearance.

Anyhow, I think Swisher has been horrendous in the playoffs, as he has been in every year as a Yankee. His defense was horrible last night, too. That being said, I would never boo him. And blaming him for Jeter getting hurt is idiotic. Why not blame Raul Ibanez for tying the game with a homer and going into extra innings? It makes about as much sense. Which is to say, no sense at all!

After hearing about Swisher, both my brother and Squawker Jon pointed out about Yankee fans being rude to Cliff Lee's wife. It's been mostly forgotten now, but Lee's wife being mistreated is undoubtedly why he turned down the Yankees' money. And given that Baltimore is on the rise, there is a very good chance that the Yankees will start losing free agents to them now. Why put up with the abuse and the negativity from Yankee fans, when in town like Baltimore, fans cheer, not boo, the home team? The Yankee fans who are booing Swisher and A-Rod and Granderson and Cano need a nice steaming cup of shut the heck up. I am sick and tired of these clowns making our fan base look bad. Enough!

What do you think? Tell us about it!


11 comments:

Rob J said...

On the list of Yankees who have been booed over the years, Nick Swisher is the least justified in complaining about it. He's played in 7 full postseason series with the Yankees and in he's batted above .211 in exactly one of them, a 3-game sweep of the Twins in 2010 in which he hit .333.

In the others?

.083
.150
.133
.091
.211
.111

He's 2-for-8 in 2 games vs. the Tigers this year, and his brutal defense that cost them Game 1. He's paid handsomely to hit a baseball, and he's failed miserably in the playoffs as Yankee. Should I give him a pat on the back because he's (allegedly) a swell guy? If you don't want to deal with criticism, go do guest spots on How I Met Your Mother for the rest of your life. Paul O'Neill had fans singing his name while they were losing a World Series game, so clearly we're capable of recognizing players who deliver when it counts.

And I didn't hear Swisher complaining when his Yankee uniform landed him a gorgeous wife. So he can eat it.

As for the rest of that crap, fans in Baltimore don't boo their players because they just remembered they had a baseball team there after completely ignoring the Orioles for more than a decade.


Graying Mantis said...

I won't miss Nick when he is gone. He has zero right to complain.

He should take a picture with Granderson and perhaps Cano because they will never be on the same NY team again after next week, if not sooner.

Subway Squawkers said...

Rob and Tony, I am well aware of Swisher's terrible numbers in the postseason. I mentioned them in the blog. That still does not justify booing him. I think Joba was a clown when he jumped on a trampoline, but I still wouldn't boo him.

Like I wrote earlier, I watched playoff games featuring every team this year. The Yankees were the only team I saw where there was effectively a home-field disadvantage because of all the booing. Why give the opposition an advantage?

Graying Mantis said...

I think the empty stadium in Game 5 against Baltimore and the first 2 games against Detroit tell us that the fans do not enjoy this team.

It has been building up for the past year or so. And the fans know this team is poorly constructed and most of all, boring.

I have been saying that all year.

Rob J said...

Tony is absolutely right, we're smart enough to recognize crap when we see it. This was always the way this season was going to end with the one-dimensional lineup they've got. I'm sorry, but standing around and waiting for someone to hit a home run is BORING when that's literally the only way they can score a run.

Granted, we (as Yankee fans) are spoiled by success, but I've watched less of this team than ever before because they simply are not enjoyable.

And the homefield disadvantage was created by the Yankees themselves, who decided they wanted to charge $1500 for the seats closest to the field and move the upper deck to the surface of the moon. When you combined that with a team not even a mother could love, there are your boos.

And again, if Swisher doesn't want to get booed, maybe he should try getting a few hits? Tino Martinez was booed right up until the point he hit a grand slam in the 1998 Series. That's just the way it is, and if Swisher is too sensitive to play through it or at least keep his mouth shut, let him go play for the Cubs. He can flirt with the girls in the bleachers all he wants while knowing there's no pressure or chance for them to win anything at all.

Uncle Mike said...

I think the fans are hoping the failures in general, not the individual players - A-Rod being an exception. These people are used to high-paying guys coming through, and not. Everybody's gotten booed.

Everybody, that is, except Don Mattingly, who did something unique: Played 14 seasons in a Yankee uniform and never won a postseason series. He never got booed - but he got replaced, and the winning began.

The right thing to do is to hang a banner that says, "A-Rod, Swish, Grandy, Joba, thanks for 2009, but it's time to go." Honest and fair, on both counts.

Uncle Mike said...

That should have read "booing" the failures in general. My "smart" phone outsmarted itself with the spellchecker. Sorry about that.

Gee, maybe an apology from the failing players would help. Or maybe Yankee Fans should look up Phil Esposito's interview in the 1972 Canada-Soviet "Summit Series."

Kelly said...

This is the first time in may years that I made no attempt to go to even one playoff game. It had nothing to do with prices, or lackluster play.

It's the fact that my fellow "fans" make going to a game a miserable experience. We've become what all the Yankee haters always claimed we were: spoiled, entitled, and cruel.

If the Yankees lose this series, hopefully most of them will stay away and going to a game can go back to what it used to be - fun!

David said...

Tony V said it best - this team stinks, I dont care what the record.

As for the Stadium - I can live with the "moat",the seats 100 miles back from the action, the prices, the lousy sight lines but I cannot accept is the utter contempt that the staff treats customers.
I dont care how many signs these idiots carry, they run the place like the fans are the enemy, a million rules, horrible service, no flexibility or accommodation. And yet when a fan get rowdy or violent - security (which used to be the one good thing after about 95) is no where to be found.

Sully said...

The Yankees had the best record in the American League and won the Division Series in a thrilling 5 games.

How much more punishment can Yankees endure?????

Lisa Swan said...

Thanks to everyone for responding! I will write a fuller response in today's Squawk.

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