Yankees Fans: It’s OK to Show Some Optimism Without Skepticism

Though Spring Training isn’t even a week old, there is plenty to be optimistic about for Yankees fans. Yet for every positive that comes out of camp, someone is usually pretty quick to cast doubt upon it.

Have we become so jaded as a group of fans, that the moment a member of the Yankees does something worthwhile, and a portion of us begin to praise it — is the exact moment when another contingent of the “faithful” throw shade like a solar eclipse?

I get that it’s easier to be pessimistic than optimistic — hell, I wrote a piece last month that drew on all the negatives of the makeup of this team. But in doing so, I also kept in mind that things could turn around a lot faster than expected.

Just yesterday, I wrote an article stating that I feel Yankees third base prospect Miguel Andujar reminds me of a young Adrian Beltre. Never once did I say Andujar IS or WILL become the player Beltre is. Yet, the usual comment or two rose from the Internet ashes exclaiming, ‘Just put him in the Hall of Fame, why don’t you!’

Can’t we just be happy that IF all goes right, that the organization MIGHT finally have a prospect to man the hot corner for the next 10 years or so! Would you rather stick with Chase Headley for the next two seasons? Or Ronald Torreyes? Or Rob Refnsyder? No, the answer should always be NO.

Why is it so hard to cast doubt aside and believe in the possibility that is the unknown? Of course employing Manny Machado would be much more of a sure thing in terms of All-Star caliber play and possible Postseason glory. But signing Machado after the 2018 season will be no simple task.

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Also, as good as he is at the age of 24, Machado comes with his own set of questions regarding his long-term ability to stay healthy. Committing $200M to anyone with even a minuscule amount of doubt involved is a scary proposition.

Now I’m not advocating that the Yankees steer clear of Machado — he’s obviously a special talent. But I don’t want to wait two more seasons to root for a contending team. I’m greedy. I want to win now! Sure, a lot needs to go right this season for the Yankees to reach the Postseason, but a lot went right for the Cubs in 2015 when they won 97 games and advanced to the NLCS. They too had a nice mixture of veterans and exciting young talent.

Take Greg Bird for instance, who belted two monster home runs on Tuesday. I’m ecstatic that the 2015 “super prospect” has taken a major step forward in his recovery from arthroscopic shoulder surgery. What’s the guy next to me say? ‘It’s only spring. Let’s see him do it in the regular season.’

Good grief! I know it’s spring, and that these games don’t count! But wouldn’t you rather the Yankees’ record stand at six wins and one loss instead of the other way around? Maybe it’s a defense mechanism. Or maybe some people are just so rotten to the core that they can’t see past their bad attitudes. Well, I don’t want any of that — you can keep it all to yourself.

All I’m saying is at some point it has to be tiring to constantly think of the worst case scenario. Will Masahiro Tanaka‘s arm stay intact? It has so far. Can Gary Sanchez avoid a sophomore slump? If anyone can, he sure looks the part. Will manager Joe Girardi correctly utilize his bullpen and put the best possible lineup in play? He’d better if he wants a contract extension.

Next: Severino Hurting His Chances at Making Rotation

No, these aren’t definitive statements because I don’t have the answers. And neither do you. But if we’re both fans of the same team, can’t we just root for the best possible outcome? I think we should.

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