New York Yankees Need to Wake Up Their Silent Sunday Bats

By: Jessica West Regan

After celebrating their opening two series’ of the season with W’s against the Detroit Tigers and Minnesota Twins, the Yankees left Boston deflated on Sunday night, adding a big L to their record books.

Dropping the first and third games of the highly anticipated first rival match-up of the year, the boys from the Bronx were disappointed in their performances—or lack there of.

Josh Beckett stunned the Yankees’ bats on Sunday Night Baseball, stranding DH, Jorge Posada at the plate all three times, as well as Mark Teixeira and a struggling Derek Jeter, who is batting a mere .206 so far this season.  After the game, both Tex and Jeter spoke to the press about the “challenges” they faced during Beckett’s outstanding performance, and his “great location.”

It seemed these challenges extended out to the whole lineup, as Beckett and his pitching crew held the Yankees to only two hits over nine innings.

More stunning was just how often the Red Sox managed to have runners on base, in comparison to the Yankees.  Beckett’s 90-92 mph fastball held the Yankees frozen in their cleats, looking too frightened of the speed and location to even take a swing.

In order to keep the momentum up and kicking in the dugout, the Yanks need to feel like they are doing as much as possible while facing a tough pitcher.  On Sunday, one after the other, they were leaving the plate looking tired and out of faith.   Base runners would have been the cure to this lethargy, providing some hope for a comeback in the tight game.

Although the season is young, it’s important that the bats make contact with the spiraling balls in order for the team’s spirit to remain high and in control of the games.  Once the energy is gone, the motivation is sure to follow, especially if the bats are sleeping during the most publicized rivalry in the major leagues.

Batting coach to the Bombers, Kevin Long, surely has some work to do regarding their stagnant swings, and should get started right away in order to triumph over the red-hot Baltimore Orioles this upcoming week at Yankee Stadium.

Otherwise, watch out for more lackluster attitudes from Yankee hitters as they shuffle back to the dugout defeated and dejected.