New York Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner made headlines Thursday when a teaser to a YES Network podcast appearance included his desire to make Juan Soto a lifelong wearer of pinstripes.
With the Yankees off to an MLB-best 30-15 record after last season’s debacle, Steinbrenner also was asked by Jack Curry in the “Yankees News & Views” podcast what his message is to fans this season. He began by praising the work that took place in the offseason — a piece of it acquiring Soto and laying the foundation for a possible long-term relationship.
“We had a busy offseason,” Steinbrenner said. “We listened to a lot of people because last year was completely unacceptable, completely disappointing, and we made a good number of changes .... and we’ve also brought in some big-time players, and you know that trade for Soto, (general manager Brian) Cashman did a great job. That was a big deal.”
Then, Steinbrenner let fans know that there is only one end goal, even if it is a difficult one.”
“We are trying to do everything we can every year to put together a team that can win a championship. it’s not easy,” Steinbrenner said. “Competitive balance in this game is certainly greater than it was 10-15-20 years ago. That’s good for the industry but it makes it tough when you get in the playoffs, and you saw some of the teams last year ... got knocked out in the first round that nobody thought would that but that’s the nature of the beast. All we can do is put together the best team we possibly can and my family is always committed to it.”
Fans are anxious because the Yankees have not won a World Series since 2009. Last season’s 82-80 season that featured no postseason berth was unacceptable to a fanbase that has enjoyed 27 World Series. It also put the crosshairs on Cashman as the architect of these teams. Was he the right person to lead it moving forward?
The early returns after an offseason of reflection and change have been promising. But there’s a long way to go.
