New York, NY — During a postseason press conference, New York Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner made a splash by admitting that he was “partly jealous” of the Toronto Blue Jays’ all-around style of play. After losing to the Jays in the ALDS, Steinbrenner expressed his admiration without reservation, suggesting that the Yankees could learn from this approach in the future.
“I think balance in life is everything,” Steinbrenner said. “[The Blue Jays] not only hit a lot of balls, but they also slug well — they hit hard, especially upfield, not necessarily to break the wall, but statistically, if they do, they have a higher success rate.”
When asked if he wants the Yankees to be a Jays-like team — contact-hitting, solid defense — Steinbrenner half-jokingly replied: “I’m curious to see what their lineup looks like next season, and if they can maintain the high level they had this year.”
However, he also denied that the Yankees are all about home runs: “You can’t just be a homer team,” he said. “They (the Blue Jays) had a great year. They were better than us in a lot of ways — better sluggers, better hitters, better pitchers.”
Furthermore, Steinbrenner said he would refocus on some internal issues: “We’re going to do a better job of moving the bases, the baserunning has been a problem,” he said, referring to the lineup and strategy that will need to be tweaked for next season.
Steinbrenner’s comments immediately sparked a range of opinions among fans: some thought he was opening up to a more modern, “holistic” baseball philosophy; others suspected it was a way to reassure fans ahead of the trade season and the pressure to perform.
With this candid assessment, Steinbrenner seemed to send a clear message: The Yankees are not just pursuing pure power, but are considering building a more balanced team — but he is not completely abandoning the traditional “home run” style of play.
The change of direction — if it happens — would be an interesting step in the long-term plan for the New York team, both maintaining its identity and learning from the things that have helped the Jays rise.
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