Gary Sanchez Apologizes For Lack Of Hustle, But Yankees Fans Are Getting Fed Up With His Apologies
Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez is again putting up the kind of offensive numbers that reinforce why he is quickly becoming one of the best backstops in the game. He’s been an all-star, won a Silver Slugger, and his defense is slowly improving. For the most part, he makes all the necessary plays and some that really impress. His scouting reports always point to having good instincts on the field, and an upside that can make him a perennial all-star. Why is it then that Yankee fans are getting tired of hearing Sanchez apologize?
The answer to that question is that Sanchez apologizes a lot. He apologizes for throwing a sucker punch in a fight. He apologizes for saying the wrong things out loud. He apologizes for being late. He apologizes for not hustling. The not hustling thing is where fans are getting fed up. After Sanchez failed to hustle on two plays in last night’s game, he apologized again. While it can’t be said for certain his lack of hustle cost New York the game against Tampa Bay, it sure did look bad according to ESPN, and his failure to clearly call signals behind the plate at the beginning of the game cost them another run. In a 7-6 loss, the failure cost the Yankees a run by being lazy calling signals, and another by being lazy running the bases, prompted Sanchez to apologize yet again.
This is a bad look for Gary Sanchez.#yankees
https://t.co/D1rHpASids— Robert Flores (@RoFlo) July 24, 2018
At 25, these are the kind of mistakes Sanchez should have left behind him. Physical errors happen. Players do their best to avoid the mental ones, but errors born of laziness are the ones that teammates, coaches, and fans have trouble forgiving easily. Deadspin reported that Yankees manager Aaron Boone hasn’t said whether or not he will bench Sanchez for his lack of hustle, but it would not be an unusual move for any manager to make. For Boone, seeing Sanchez apologize yet again for loafing may prompt a Bull Durham moment.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnIaqAsnSxU
Sanchez has again promised to learn from his mistakes and work hard to not repeat them, but fans may have heard enough of that by now, especially when they are blaming him for falling one more game behind the Red Sox. Fans are showing their frustration with Sanchez not only at games but on social media where many are asking how much longer do they have to wait to see him hustle?
What Gary Sanchez did to end the game was lazy but when you factor in he jogged after a wild pitch in the first inning it’s downright pathetic. He needs to be sent to the minors to send a message. #yankees #garysanchez #NewYork #MLB
— G (@Ehighbball52) July 24, 2018
The support for the idea of sending Sanchez to the minors rang a bell with fans on several Twitter threads, but despite the anger over his lack of hustle, fans were split almost 50/50 on whether or not it is time to trade him. While the Yankees can’t move him right now, this off-season could be a different story, and this wouldn’t be the first winter that fans have called for him to be moved, no matter how talented he is.
