"It makes me feel like a piece of s**t, honestly" - Joey Gallo discusses the impact of New York Yankees fans' hatred, reveals players from other clubs 'reached out' to him
Mickey Mantle once said, "New York is the only place to play baseball," a line that Joey Gallo may disagree with. Mantle, the legendary New York Yankees center fielder, was referring to the coverage and attention players get when they play in the Big Apple. The media and press in New York, especially when it comes to baseball, is non-stop and can sometimes overwhelm players.
In a recent article by "NJ," Joey Gallo discussed his time in New York and the issues he faced with the fans. New Yorkers are known for being outspoken. Gallo has taken a lot of heat and abuse from fans and media during his time in the Bronx.
"It makes me feel like a piece of s**t, honestly," said Gallo.
We have to give credit to Gallo for even agreeing to an interview during such a turbulent period in his career. During the Q&A session, Gallo broke down how difficult life has been in New York.
"I don’t go out in the streets. I really don’t want to show my face too much around here," added Gallo.
Gallo mentioned that former teammates and players from other teams had reached out to him to stay positive during these trying times. It was evident to all that the fans were particularly tough on Gallo and blamed him for a lot of the team's shortcomings.
Holy shit this Q&A with Gallo is like the saddest thing i've ever read in my life https://t.co/VQwG7R7UNt
"Holy shit this Q&A with Gallo is like the saddest thing i've ever read in my life," - Gabe
Gallo acknowledges his time with the club may soon end, but he says he is ready to move on.
Joey Gallo has been heavily criticized by the New York fans and media during a poor 2022 season
The former Texas Rangers star has not been able to reach his previous highs since arriving in New York. There was a lot of excitement when the trade was announced for Gallo in July 2021.
Keep in mind that he had back-to-back 40-home run seasons in 2017 and 2018. He was also a two-time All-Star before joining the Yankees.
During a season where most Yankees are seeing the ball clearly, Gallo has struggled. Boone did his best to keep Gallo in the lineup and make adjustments, but it never seemed to work out.
Big props to Gallo, imo. Worst year of his career on the biggest stage in baseball. Didn’t hesitate to have this conversation. Hasn’t declined any of my interview requests this year. Has taken hard feedback in every way and was still vulnerable in this convo. Props. twitter.com/lindseyadler/s…
"Big props to Gallo, imo. Worst year of his career on the biggest stage in baseball. Didn’t hesitate to have this conversation. Hasn’t declined any of my interview requests this year. Has taken hard feedback in every way and was still vulnerable in this convo. Props." - Lindsey Adler
New York fans are tough on their ballplayers. With a history of stars like Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe Dimaggio, Mickey Mantle, and Derek Jeter, the bar is set pretty high. For some players, the media pressure and constant fan scrutiny is just too much to handle.