Was Kevin Long Truly To Blame For The Yankees’ Hitting Woes?

Just as the Steinbrenners agreed to a new contract with Brian Cashman, the heads began to roll. First base coach Mick Kelleher, who for some reason was sent packing, while Rob Thomsen remains, makes everyone scratch their heads. The Army was growing with disenchantment with hitting coach Kevin Long, and there was a collective cheer when he was finally let go late this past week. 

More from Yankees News

• Yankees add to championship core with Wilmer Difo signing
• Aaron Judge’s ‘breadcrumbs’ showed he was never leaving Yankees, has more moves in mind
• Yankees analyst Cameron Maybin projects surprise landing spot for Gary Sánchez
• Yankees swipe intriguing minor-league FA lefty flamethrower from Braves
• What does Carlos Rodón’s new jersey number mean for Domingo Germán?

How quickly fans and team officials forget what Kevin Long brought to the Yankees. The team scored runs in droves and hit home runs at an epic pace on Long’s watch. He was even the hitting coach that “fixed” Curtis Granderson upon his arrival in the Bronx. Long, the self-titled “Cage Rat” by all accounts, lived to work with hitters, going to extremes at times to fix what was wrong.

Unfortunately for Long, he was going to be the sacrificial lamb for the past two season’s of Yankees hitting futility. Did it have anything to do with the Yankees “choosing” not to bring back Nick Swisher, Russell Martin, Curtis Granderson or Robinson Cano? Did it have anything to do with Alex Rodriguez being injured and then suspended? Derek Jeter missing most of 2013, and never returning to form as a 40-year-old this season? What about Mark Teixeira‘s recovery from wrist surgery? Is all of that Long’s fault? As the old saying goes…”You can’t make chicken salad out of chicken s**t.”

Kevin Long can only play the hand he is dealt. His work ethic never wavered. The players under his tutelage did. Tex is not the same guy Long inherited back in 2009. He is nothing more than Carlos Pena. He’ll never be what he once was. Odds are long that the Yankees ever see a solid season from Carlos Beltran either. Was Brian McCann‘s solid second half and bounce back September all because of McCann, or did Long continue to work hard to correct the slumping catcher’s poor plate approach?

In reality, this roster is flawed. It is packed with over the hill, oft-injured, and underperforming talent. Much like it was never Joe Girardi‘s fault for filling out the lineup card the way he did each day, the blame cannot be placed strictly on Kevin Long. It wouldn’t matter if Don Mattingly, Tino Martinez, or the great Charlie Lau was given these hitters. They simply aren’t going to hit. Blame whomever you wish, but don’t be surprised if by the end of 2015, Girardi is looking for work, along with the rest of his coaching staff, and the Yankees’ offense appears to be more like this year’s San Diego Padres than they are the Bronx Bombers of an earlier era.