The New York Yankees are in the midst of a historic regular season collapse and their fans are growing increasingly impatient. We’ve seen that throughout the season and again on Friday night when they took aim at outfielder Aaron Hicks.
Hicks struck out in each of his two at-bats and heard the boos after stranding a pair of runners in the third. But things only got worse from there.
In the top of the fourth inning with two outs and runners on first and second, Hicks dropped a routine fly ball near the foul line. It was ruled fair but Hicks didn’t seem to realize. He stood around as the Tampa Bay Rays circled the bases, sending two runners home.
At that point, the fans had had enough. They began showering Hicks with “Joey Gallo” chants.
Gallo, of course, was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers earlier this year after a disastrous stint with the Yankees. He struggled at the plate and in the field, drawing the early ire from fans.
Things got so bad for Gallo that he became reluctant to show his face around New York City.
When the Yankees returned to the field in the top of the fifth inning on Friday night, Hicks was replaced by Estevan Florial. That decision drew a standing ovation.
Aaron Hicks had seen his role diminish a bit following the team’s acquisition of Andrew Benintendi, but recent injuries thrust him back into the fold. But after Friday night’s ugly performance, the Yanks may opt to keep him on the bench for a while.
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