Yankees fans ignore MLB analyst's calls for patience regarding Aaron Hicks: "He should be getting booed serving McDonald's burgers"
Since the end of last season, things have gone from bad to worse for Aaron Hicks. The New York Yankees outfielder is now getting booed by hometown fans.
It all began when the Yankees traded to acquire outfielder Harrison Bader from the St. Louis Cardinals at the August trade deadline. Hicks, who had been a Yankee since 2016, delivered a career-worst 2021 with an equally poor 2022.
Although Aaron Hicks has never been a high-average player, his average hit a new low in 2021, when he slashed just .194/.294/.313. So far in 2023, Hicks has hit .136/.174/.136, a pretty bleak slashline if there ever was one.
His three strikeouts in three at-bats against the Minnesota Twins on April 16th epitomized his struggles. After fans booed the 33-year-old after each strikeout, sports writer Jon Heyman came to Hicks' defense in a recent piece in the New York Post.
Yankees promise (threaten?) to give Hicks an opportunity while Stanton is out. So Yankees fans, please give him a chance!
nypost.com/2023/04/17/yan…
"Yankees promise (threaten?) to give Hicks an opportunity while Stanton is out. So Yankees fans, please give him a chance!" - Jon Heyman
Although Heyman acknowledged the downsides of Hicks, including his mammoth $70 million contract, he urged patience with the outfielder. Yankees fans, however, do not have much patience to spare.
@JonHeyman He should be getting booed serving McDonald’s burgers.
@JonHeyman Give me a break Jon. Were you at the game Sunday? Fans don’t boo when he comes to plate. They boo after he strikes out. And louder each time- but he gets a fresh start with every at bat. All he has to do is NOT strike out and look awful while doing it. Until then- BOOOOOOO
Following his failure to appear in the Yankees' opening day game against the San Francisco Giants, Hicks reportedly complained to Yankees manager Aaron Boone on account of his limited playing time.
@JonHeyman Hicks is playing golf
@JonHeyman Nothing worse than asking fans to tone down their booing when a player is so bad for so long. And saying Hicks has been bad is almost a compliment. He’s been historically abysmal. Insinuating that toning the boos down would somehow help Hicks and the Yankees is pathetic.
@JonHeyman This is Year 8 there’s been enough. Imagine paying hard earned money to see Aaron hicks. Disgusting
This, predictably, only made fans angrier at Aaron Hicks. Many fans believe that young rookies, such as Spencer Jones and Oswaldo Cabrera, or other players like Willie Calhoun should be given preference in the outfield positions.
@JonHeyman hes had enough chances
@JonHeyman Why does Hicks get that opportunity. He’s done literally nothing to deserve it. I’d rather Calhoun get more at bats
@JonHeyman Hicks hasn’t belonged on this team for a very long time.
@JonHeyman A chance? He’s had two years of chances
Likewise, former journeyman Franchy Cordero has been an explosive force for the Yankees offense. Cordero, who sat on the Boston Red Sox bench for most of the 2022 season, has four home runs in 10 games this season. For Aaron Hicks, the ascent of Cordero is yet another nail in his coffin.
Aaron Hicks may not be able to recover from this low
At the age of 33, Hicks still has some baseball left in him. While he may never hit 27 home runs as he did in 2018, he is still an asset for a team. The New York Yankees fans' passion is sometimes so palpable that they may fail to see the value in having a player like Hicks around. Unfortunately, it may be too late before the hordes of Yankees fans realize that.