MLB Apologizes to Yankees

[RandBalls Stu]

"We recognize that we should have done more in the recent series in Minnesota. It will not happen again."

Image courtesy of © Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

In a rare move for Major League Baseball, the league issued a formal apology to the New York Yankees on Thursday.

“We recognize that we should have done more in the recent series in Minnesota, and it will not happen again,” read the statement. “What’s done is done, and for that we’re culpable. We will learn and grow from this.”

Despite shellacking the Twins by a score of 12-6 on Wednesday, the Yankees lost the season series to Minnesota four games to three. It’s the first time the Twins have done that since 2001. This unconventional result resonated throughout the baseball world.

“Obviously it’s not what you want to see,” said Commissioner Rob Manfred. “We have umpires. We have a replay booth. We have the means to tilt the scales of baseball justice towards the necessary result. That didn’t happen this week. We own that.”

After the Twins stunned the Yankees by taking the first two games of a 4-game road series in the Bronx earlier this month, New York starting pitcher Domingo German was allowed to pitch with an array of gunk on his hands in the third game of the series. The Yankees cruised to a 6-1 victory while the umpires ejected Twins manager Rocco Baldelli for being correct. After New York gained a split the following day, league sources say that many thought the message was sent.

“(The Twins) had their fun, but enough is enough,” said a source with knowledge of the league’s thinking. “Party’s over, mom and dad are going to be home any minute.”

Instead, the Twins cruised to victory in the first two games of their Target Field series versus the Bronx Bombers. Even with Wednesday’s blowout, the damage was done and left many looking for answers.

“Total amateur hour,” said a source in the Yankees front office. “We’re banged up all over, which is when you expect the league to have your back. Juice the baseballs. Throw out the starting pitcher for being insolent. Postpone the game until September. There are solutions everywhere and it’s frankly stunning to me that MLB would let those two quote unquote ‘games’ happen without intervening. It’s unfair. The apology is too little, too late. Unprofessional.”

It doesn’t get any easier for the Yankees, as they travel to Texas for a 4-game series against the Rangers. Due to the size of the Dallas market, the league says they have no plans to screw Texas over.

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[Nine of twelve]

I confess I'm a bit taken aback by this article, but in a good way. I always thought RandBalls Stu only wrote satire. Who knew that he could also do quality investigative work and report the truth? I'm impressed.

[Doctor Gast]

I'm flabbergasted! 😵 

[tony&rodney]

Reminds me of how much Matt Lawton laughed in an interview when talking about what the strike zone looks like playing against the Yankees versus what it was when he played for the Yankees. Funny stuff Stu. 

[Seth Stohs]

One member of the Yankees traveling party, under condition of anonymity said emphatically said that "the league, the umpires, and others involved needed to Tighten... It... up!!!"

[DocBauer]

I talked to a UPS driver at work today who is a baseball fan, who is close friends with a driver for Fed Ex, who let it be known that a truck with engine problems resulted in a too late delivery of "Yankee/Judge balls" that were supposed to be used in the recent series. 

Further rumor has it that the "ball boy" has an uncle who is a Yankee fan and has a few debts to take care of and said balls were supposed to be passed on to Twins pitchers to help better balance the series, and it's outcome.

It's unclear if any umpires were from the NY area, or directly involved.

But then again, it's all heresay.

[Boswell]

Seems that Rocco must have gotten a directive from Manfred that Buxton, Polanco and Taylor needed to sit on Wednesday.   And to be sure to leave Maeda in the game long enough to get properly hammered. 
 

“Yessir.  Sorry to disrespect the Yankees by questioning German a week ago Saturday.   I’ll be sure to sell my team down the river on Wednesday.”

[glunn]

Thanks Stu. This one was particularly hilarious.

[BobAzar]

"umpires ejected Twins manager Rocco Baldelli for being correct."

 

[Otaknam]

Excellent satire! With the Twins having a chance to sweep the hated Yankees Rocco decides to give Buxton and Polanco a day off. The only surprise is that he didn’t sit Correa too. Baldelli has worked out a schedule in advance to rest players, which makes some sense given the long season. But when you have a chance to sweep the Yankees for once in two decades, it is time to rethink that strategy. Why sit someone who is crushing the ball? 

[ziggy]

Sadly, the article sems to close to the truth to be satire.

[LewFordLives]

At a minimum the league should have brought in Phil Cuzzi to help out the umpiring crew.

[goulik]

On 4/27/2023 at 9:05 PM, DocBauer said:

I talked to a UPS driver at work today who is a baseball fan, who is close friends with a driver for Fed Ex, who let it be known that a truck with engine problems resulted in a too late delivery of "Yankee/Judge balls" that were supposed to be used in the recent series. 

Further rumor has it that the "ball boy" has an uncle who is a Yankee fan and has a few debts to take care of and said balls were supposed to be passed on to Twins pitchers to help better balance the series, and it's outcome.

It's unclear if any umpires were from the NY area, or directly involved.

But then again, it's all heresay.

Well my Amazon Delivery driver told me that a Grub Hub Delivery driver told her that the MLB Scheduler in charge of Umpires was fired. Turns out no one on the umpire crew was from New York!! Instead they scheduled 

Chad Whitson, Dublin Ohio
Bill Miller, Valejpo, California
Rob Drake, Pennsylvania, Indiana
Roberto Ortiz, Cagua, Puerto Rico

The scheduler blamed it on Rob Drake saying “If he’s claiming to be from two different states, I assumed he was New York Mafia”