Stop listening to the computers.
That’s ex-Yankee Clint Frazier’s advice to the Bronx Bombers should they want to end their 16-year World Series drought.
“They will not win the World Series if this f–king analytical car is driving it. They won’t,” Frazier said recently on his “Life After The Show” podcast.
“And the reason that they won’t win it is because they do dumbass s–t that they didn’t do during the regular season because they get cute and they want to make a crazy move.”
There has been plenty of discussion about why the Yankees have won just one World Series game over the 16 years and the team’s analytical approach has been often cited.
While it’s almost universally agreed that analytics help teams, some have wondered if the Yankees are too reliant or if they apply the data in the right way.
Frazier, who played for the Yankees from 2017-21 and has been critical of the team since his exit, cited Game 2 of the 2020 ALDS as a prime example.
The Yankees held a 1-0 series lead and started rookie Deivi Garcia for one inning before going to veteran J.A. Happ, who bombed in the 7-5 loss.
The Bronx Bombers ultimately lost the series in five games.
“For instance, we’re in the middle of the 2020 playoffs and we’re playing the Rays, and Deivi Garcia is the guy that they say is gonna pitch the game. They do that because the Rays are another analytical team and know that they’ll put a huge lineup out there that’s full of left-handed hitters,” Frazier recalled. “Righty pitcher, left-handed hitters, we’re gonna get crazy. We’re gonna try to fool the Rays. Deivi’s only gonna face a few batters, we’re gonna take him out, we’re gonna bring a left-handed pitcher in. They’ve got a full left-handed lineup. We’re gonna shock the world. Didn’t happen. We’ll just leave it at that.”
Frazier noted the effect that type of backfiring move can have on players’ morale.
“So when that happens, as a player in the locker room, to know that we just went the entire season to get to this point and they got cute, and they tried something that they didn’t try during the regular season in the playoffs in a moment that’s extremely crucial and it backfires,” Frazier said, “and every player’s sitting there thinking, ‘What the f–k just happened? What the f–k?’ That’s why they won’t win these games in the playoffs if they’re doing s–t like that.”
Until the Yankees win a title or should they stunningly change their operating strategy, the team’s reliance on analytics will continue to be a discussion.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
