Diary of a Yankees fan: There is new criticism of the team, yet another player from the championship era. It seems the Yankees and their leadership are critiqued almost daily. Tino Martinez, whom the team traded for to replace icon Don Mattingly, won four World Series with the team. He stepped into a difficult position and succeeded. Because of this, he should be listened to.
Martinez, a diary of a Yankees fan, joins several former teammates in criticizing the team. They include Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, and Joe Girardi. CC Sabathia has also criticized the team, as have several podcasters, and, of course, these articles. The loud voices make one wonder whether the leadership of the team will listen. Do you think the Yankees will acquire any free agents before the collective bargaining agreement expires on Dec. 1?
Diary of a Yankees fan #23: “The Bam-Tino”
Tino Martinez was given the nickname the Bam-Tino after his game 1 1998 World Series, which was a seventh-inning grand slam. That Yankees team, the diary of a Yankees fan, swept the San Diego Padres in the World Series, won 125 games, and is known as the greatest baseball team ever. We are very far from that, and Tino Martinez’s comments reflect this distance.
On Facebook, Tino Martinez said, “In my opinion, they don’t play team ball together, where they move guys over, where they bunt guys over, where they play good defense. Especially in October.” “Position-by-position, they have a great team,” said Martinez. “I just don’t think they play with urgency day-in and day-out. Every single day with fire, with energy. There are days they go out there and play sloppy and strike out a lot.”
The team leadership should listen to this man; he knows what he is talking about. If his comments are not acceptable, many other former players have said basically the same thing. The Yankees do not play as a team; they strike out too much, and they do not play so-called “small-ball.” We just saw, by the way, two teams that excel at small-ball play each other in the 2026 World Series.
The Object of the Game
It might be good to review what the object of the game is. People think the object of baseball is to score more runs than your opponent. People are wrong. The Yankees, Diary of a Yankees fan, seem to think the object of the game is to swing from your heels and try to hit the ball 800 feet. This is incorrect as well. Even a Yankees minor-leaguer knows.
The object of baseball is to accrue bases while preventing your opponent from doing so. That is why the game is called BASEball. The runs will come. A team needs to run like they stole something, take pitches, shorten swings, and try to get on base. When Tino Martinez says the Yankees do not play as a team, this is what he means. Help your teammates advance bases, even if you have to sacrifice yourself. This approch to the game just won the World Series.
Conclusion: You Are What You Eat
As we head into a potential wotk stoppage, the collective bargaining agreement in baseball expires on Dec. 1, the Yankees need to re-make their roster. They need to shed power hitting, strikeout generating, designated hitters. They need to acquire speedy, on-base machines. Unselfish players who are willing to sacrifice themselves. A team will play like the players on their roster, so in this way a team is what it eats. There is less than a month left to sign free agents, so get to it.
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