Worst season since 1992, Yankees can make changes, says owner

(New York) Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner said Wednesday that the New York team could make changes after suffering its worst season in nearly three decades.

“We will make some changes. Some will be more subtle than others, Steinbrenner said during Sportico’s ‘Invest in Sports’ conference. Some will be done at staff level, but not only. We could change the way we do things. We could change the way we communicate. »

The Yankees were excluded from the playoffs for the first time since 2016. The Yankees finished the campaign with an 82-80 record, their worst record since 1992. All this despite having a payroll of around $281 million, and that they had to pay almost 31 million in luxury taxes.

Steinbrenner said team officials met for three days last week in Tampa, Florida.

“The tone rose at times, but it was always done respectfully”, he stressed.

Steinbrenner notably asked leaders to “leave their ego at the door”. They mainly discussed player health, locker room culture, team performance and recruiting.

Steinbrenner’s father, George, purchased the Yankees in 1973 and Hal became majority owner in 2008. George Steinbrenner died in 2010. Hal Steinbrenner indicated that the team will remain in the family because his nephews or nieces may one day succeed him .

Alongside Steinbrenner, Yankees president Randy Levine said that, because of revenue sharing, the Miami Marlins and Tampa Bay Rays had to increase their attendance averages. He added that some clubs should stop “complaining and being depressed”.

“You can’t count on two teams in Florida averaging 15,000 spectators,” Levine added dryly.