The Texas Rangers lost in walk-off fashion to the New York Yankees in the first game of a doubleheader Sunday, and Rangers manager Chris Woodward was very salty about it.
Gleyber Torres hit a solo home run to right in the bottom of the ninth in a 2-1 Yankees win. The ball looked to be a no-doubter, at least in Yankee Stadium.
Still, Woodward was not pleased. After the game, he delivered a quote, blaming the short porch for the home run and calling it an “easy out in 99% of ballparks.”
“It’s a small ballpark. That’s an easy out in 99% of ballparks,” Woodward said after the game. “The wind wasn’t helping today, obviously. 3-1 count, (Rangers pitcher John King) is one guy that, you put him back out there, you go, okay, he’s not going to give up a homer. Just happened to hit it in a Little League ballpark to right field.”
Yes, right field at Yankee Stadium is a notorious short porch. However, Woodward’s criticisms are not backed by data. According to Statcast, the ball traveled a respectable 369 feet, and would have been a homer of 26 of 30 stadiums.
The Rangers lost a tough game, and Woodward’s frustration at that is understandable. He just sounds bitter here, though, and it’s not the first time he’s sounded needlessly cranky over something an opponent did.
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