Yankees recent play enough to warrant major concern

Name a Yankees player, coach or general manager that hasn’t underperformed at one point or another this season.

At this point, in the Yankees season, the blame for losing five consecutive games in the midst of a playoff chase is warranted across the board. However, someone needs to step up and stop the madness before losing a Wild Card spot becomes a reality.

The days of, “but it’s only July,” or, “he’s a rookie manager,” aren’t acceptable anymore. I’m also sick of people saying the Yanks have the third best record in baseball at 68-42. Going 18-20 in their last 38 games has allowed teams like Oakland (67-46) and Seattle (64-48) to threaten New York’s Postseason aspirations legitimately. 

While playing close to .500 ball may have been fine in the past, considering the blistering pace at which the Yanks jumped out to, the Red Sox refuse to lose and the Astros now have the second best record in baseball. Including the Bombers, all three clubs are predicted to win over 100 games, but even that may not be enough to march into October.

The loss of Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez has hurt the efficiency of the offense. But World Series contending teams are capable of finding a spark to keep going — a rallying cry that bonds the 25-man roster until the return of the big boppers.

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We all saw third base coach Phil Nevin lose his cool in the dugout last week, but was anyone in pinstripes listening? It certainly didn’t look so. Just guys meandering around, trying to avoid Nevin’s passion at all cost.

It can be argued that lighting a fire under players is more effective when it comes from an actual player himself. While C.C. Sabathia may still be the heartbeat of the team, he pitches once every five days. If you want a guy that lets his play speak for itself, there’s Brett Gardner.

A consummate professional that always hustles, Gardy isn’t the type to get in someone face’s to right a wrong. Gardy is more Jeter-esque than Paul O’Neil — a wild man that beat water coolers into oblivion. 

O’Neil would instill a bit of fear in young players — that they needed to own up to their mental or physical mistakes. However, he’d also teach the type of confidence that allowed that young player to go out and effectively make that same exact play the next time around.

Where’s the Nick Swisher’s of the world, able to keep a talented group of players loose even in the most trying of times? The Yankees were so quick to trade Starlin Castro, not re-sign Todd Frazier and demote Ronald Torreyes, that they didn’t stop to think how a slew of fresh faces would influence the balance and order of the clubhouse.

General manager Brian Cashman has assembled a talented but individualistic team with a rookie manager that is learning on the fly. For the Yankees to make something of this season (other than staying under the $197 million luxury tax threshold), which likely calls for at least a return to the ALCS, they’ll need a glue guy, a veteran unafraid to get his hands dirty.

Does that call for the promotion of Torreyes, the waiver trade of Curtis Granderson or even Todd Frazier? Maybe. All I know is that standing still, licking their wounds certainly won’t help make things get any better.