MLB radio host questions Yankees' team culture: "You are not the New York Yankees when you trot that bum Aaron Hicks out on the field"
The New York Yankees battered everyone in their path en route to a 99-win campaign in the 2022 MLB season. As a result, fans of the team thought that they would be able to enjoy similar success for years to come.
However, as we enter the third month of the 2023 season, the Bronx Bombers have not given fans a reason to cheer as loudly as they did last year.
With a record of 15-15, Aaron Judge and Co. have fallen to the bottom of the AL East. Despite cruising to their 20th franchise division title last year, it looks unlikely that the team will even be able to squeeze out a Wild Card appearance as things stand.
Although general fan dissatisfaction is palpable, a popular New York Yankees radio host took it a step further when he addressed his fans on Monday.
BT crushed the Yankees in an epic rant today, and nobody was safe:
"Hal can't shine his dad's shoes"
"You are not the New York Yankees when you trot that bum [Aaron Hicks] out on the field"
bit.ly/3AJMA3a
"BT crushed the Yankees in an epic rant today, and nobody was safe: "Hal can't shine his dad's shoes" "You are not the New York Yankees when you trot that bum [Aaron Hicks] out on the field" - WFAN Sports Radio
Speaking on his WFAN show, host Brandon Tierney took direct aim at the highest levels of the organization. Owner Hal Steinbrenner, who inherited ownership of the team from his father George in 2008, was on the receiving end of Tierney's emotional criticism.
The radio host's criticism of the ownership came on the heels of the Yankees' humiliating 15-2 defeat at the hands of the Texas Rangers on April 30. New York has now surrendered 117 runs while scoring 118, giving them a +1 run differential. The spread was nearly +300 last season for the team.
Another central target of Tiernan's tirade was outfielder Aaron Hicks.
Tierney slammed the team and manager Aaron Boone for continuously attempting to insert Hicks into the lineup despite some unbelievably weak performances this season. The 33-year-old, who still has at least two seasons left on his $70 million contract, is only hitting .156 this season without a home run and only one RBI.
The New York Yankees have to deal with a resurgent AL East
Nobody could have predicted an unbelievable 23-6 start to the season for the Tampa Bay Rays. However, there's no denying that the New York Yankees appear to be a shell of themselves.
Their division now features some starker competition than before. In addition, the Yankees themselves have dropped some key games that they would have won easily last season.
They are now 22nd out of 30 teams in total runs scored, a key part of their worrying start to the season. Things need to change quickly or the 2023 MLB season could become a monumental embarrassment for New York Yankees fans.