Managing Expectations

Managing Expectations

            The 2017 season is upon us and that means the return of Yankee baseball. As the Bronx Bombers return, youth is the common thread. Gary Sanchez, Greg Bird, Aaron Judge, Luis Severino, and Jonathan Holder are just a few of the young names that have made the Opening Day roster. The big three of these names consists of Sanchez, Bird, and Judge. Yankee fans have heard about them for years and they have given the fans a taste of what’s to come. This is a Catch 22 because production at the highest level, especially in New York, can cause a player to cringe in the big moments. With an illustrious history, Yankee fans expect these three to carry the team and that is just unrealistic.

            Gary Sanchez and Greg Bird combined for 31 home runs in their first seasons and they are being counted out for double that production combined. In reality, we must R-E-L-A-X as Aaron Rodgers would say. The Mets and Red Sox recent success makes Yankees fans want greatness ASAP but these kids are still growing. The young players that are in the majors and the others that are knocking on the door must be brought along slowly into the spot light. The 2017 Yankees should be viewed as a stepping stone year like a kindergarten student graduating to first grade. We as fans should not get on Judge if he strikes out in a big spot or if Gary Sanchez and Greg Bird combine for an error after a miscommunication. Instead we should just breathe and give them a mulligan.

            The first game of the 2017 season is a prime example for why we must temper our expectations. Gary Sanchez and Greg Bird did not register a hit and they made errors in the field. In the end its only one game, there are 161 more to go but more importantly they are years left for these guys so the next time a young guy makes a mistake just remember that Rome wasn’t built in a day. The Yankees will be back before we know it but for now lets let the kids grow without overreacting.

By: Warren Tobin