Mike Gunzelman
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Shohei Ohtani just owned the Yankees on Monday night. At this rate, he’s on the path to own them financially as well.
During the seventh inning with his team down 3-1, Shohei Ohtani stepped to the plate against a Yankees pitcher named Michael King who for some reason was ordered to pitch against the star Japanese player in the latest questionable decision by manager Aaron Boone.
The result? A bomb and a bat flip followed by a fist pump by Ohtani that was the equivalent of spitting in the Yankees fan face, adding insult to [Aaron Judge’s] injury as the Yankees just can’t catch a break.
OHTANI’S FIST PUMP
Ohtani would end up tying the game at three a piece with his home run before the Angels would win it all in 10 innings as the Yankees are now officially in last place in the American League East.
Yes that’s right, the Yankees are at the bottom of the division with no hope in sight… unless of course, we’re talking about going out and getting Shohei Ohtani as the Angels are reportedly listening to offers.
YANKEES NEED CHANGES FAST
In the old days, former Yankees owner George Steinbrenner — who was passionate, vigorous, a prick and a fan all in one — would go out and spend the money to acquire all of baseball’s best. In fact, I’d say that if George was still alive right now there would be no doubt that Ohtani would already be on a plane to the Bronx. The bat flip alone would have pissed Steinbrenner off so much that he would have done and paid whatever it took for Ohtani to be wearing pinstripes and throwing his bat at other teams.
Unfortunately for Yankees fans, Steinbrenner’s son Hal is running the organization more like a business than as a win-at-any-cost entity. As a result, the team may not even be in the running for Ohtani making last night’s rare display of emotion by Ohtani all that much more painful.
Ohtani has already said all that matters to him is winning. He will either sign in FA with the Braves (the right choice) or the Dodgers (the easy one).
The Yankees may be in last place in the AL East, but let me add some context (and, for what it’s worth, I hate the Yankees):
The Yankees are 50-45 heading into tonight’s game against the LA Angles of Anaheim, Azusa and Cucamonga (that’s an old Jack Benny joke for those you out there under the age of 50). That record would have them leading the AL Central, which tells you how stacked the AL East is.
Tampa and Baltimore (yes, Baltimore) are pulling away from the rest of the division, with Toronto 6 games back in third place (but half-a-game up for the final wild card spot). The Red Sox are 8 games out, the Yankees 9. And all five teams in the AL Central are over .500 this late in the season.
So, yes, the Yankees suck, but let’s not conflate them with the Bobby Bonilla-era Mets.