Hal Steinbrenner apologizes to Yankees fans for another early playoff exit

The New York Yankees entered the 2020 season with a new ace and high expectations. They didn't reach their goal of making it to the World Series, though. They were eliminated in the American League Division Series for the second time in three seasons. 

New York hasn't won a World Series since 2009. With another season ending in disappointment, Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner apologized to fans, saying they deserve more.

"I'm very disappointed, obviously," Steinbrenner said Tuesday on ESPN New York radio. "We invested a lot of time, energy, money into the team last offseason, and we all felt that we had a team that could win a championship and we failed to do that. We didn't even come close. So right now, at this point in time, all I can do is apologize to our fans. They deserved a better outcome than they got. Period. I mean, they just did."

The Yankees were favored to win the American League East this season, but a 5-15 slide in the shortened campaign helped propel the Tampa Bay Rays to the division title. 

New York was very dependent on home runs this season, scoring 156 of their 315 runs via the long ball, and the offense just wasn't consistent enough throughout the season. 

The Yankees roster was pummeled with injuries this season. Sluggers Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton were among the many injuries the lineup sustained this season, and those two could've made a big difference at certain points throughout the campaign. 

The Yankees rotation also was hit with the injury bug, too. Luis Severino was ruled out before the season began after undergoing Tommy John Surgery, Tommy Kahnle hit the injury list in August and also underwent Tommy John Surgery, and James Paxton missed time with an arm injury. 

New York had to rely on Gerrit Cole, who was strong for the most part, Jordan Montgomery and a mix of relievers through five games against the Rays, who boasted a rotation of Blake Snell, Charlie Morton and Tyler Glasnow. 

At the end of the day, the Yankees' woes may not be entirely their fault. However, they still need to figure out a winning recipe for the 2021 campaign, or fans will continue to get critical of Steinbrenner's team.