thelesterlee
On Wednesday night, the Yankees were beat 3-7 by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim thanks in large part to Carlos Rodon pitching like he was in some meaningless charity softball where every runner he allowed on base was another $100 donated to the cause.
Rodon pitched 4.1 innings, giving up 4 hits, 5 walks and 6 runs, including 2 homers. Rodon was pitching like he wasn’t quite sure if he left the stove on at his house and it was on his mind all night.
But what separates this particular outing from his previous two starts this season—where he also pitched like garbage—was this interaction with the fans between innings:
Carlos Rodon blows a kiss to Yankees fans chirping him pic.twitter.com/fcquCS9Cb0
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) July 19, 2023
Nootttttt a great look from the guy who signed a 6-year $162 million contract this offseason only to immediately gut injured and then hurt himself even further every single time he tried to rehab the original injury and then when he finally makes his debut with a Yankees team desperately in search of stability, he goes 0-3 with a 7.36 ERA in his first 3 starts with the team.
Here’s what Rodon said after the game about his little kisses:
“I didn’t really pay mind to what was said, but a fan was angry, as he should be,” Rodon said. “I’m angry too. I’m angry with myself. I guess it was the best reaction I could give,” he said. “It’s better not to give a reaction, I guess.”
It’s very easy to hate Rodon for his strange reaction to his own failures.
Taunting fans who paid money to see you perform is an odd way to let out frustrations but as someone who is a massive sore loser, I get it.
When people respond to these articles negatively, 11 times out of 10 I am pissed and ready to research their personal lives and respond by mocking their dead relatives or something.
It’s very easy to be “classy” when you don’t have thousands of people telling you how much you suck with cameras constantly on your face as you fail at your job.
Now, I don’t want to completely let him off the hook for this because he’s a grown-ass man who understands his actions have consequences, especially when you elected to come play for a franchise you know has annual World Series expectations.
Like, no one made Carlos sign here. If he can’t take the pressure of being a Yankee then that is on him, not the fans.
But ultimately, I love Carlos Rodon blowing kisses to the fans after being the worst pitcher in all of baseball because it perfectly encapsulates the failures of the modern Brian Cashman-led Yankees.
Carlos Rodon has spent most of his career on the injured list. Brian Cashman refuses to prioritize availability as a player strength so he continues to acquire guys who have their own parking space at the local physical therapy center.
I can only imagine how many red flags were in Josh Donaldson’s medical history and now, after the team doubled down on the potential of his bat or whatever, he’s most likely out for the season because of course he is.
He’s been healthy ONCE in the last 4 years.
Cashman also completely lacks an understanding of player psychology.
I genuinely believe he doesn’t think there’s any difference playing in New York compared to other markets and never factors in just how mentally debilitating it can be for a guy like Sonny Gray to struggle in pinstripes and lose all confidence and how poorly fans will treat guys when they’re struggling.
Brian Cashman needs to know how players behave when they’re failing.
I don’t know if Rodon is typically a dick to fans but that’s something Cashman needs to be aware of prior to bringing him in front of a fan base that forgets nothing and will be on his ass for the rest of his life for this blown kiss.
But most importantly, Carlos Rodon coming to the Yankees and turning into a pumpkin just continues a recent tradition of players just falling off a cliff the second they join the team. Whether it’s prospects like Gleyber Torres or Gary Sanchez starting off looking like future Hall of Famers only to just end up being regular ass dudes or former great players like Anthony Rizzo or Joey Gallo or now Rodon suddenly forgetting how to play baseball when they move into this clubhouse.
Everything about the Yankees needs to change.
There needs to be a total overhaul of every coach, executive, trainer, chef, ball boy, field crew member and light bulb in the building. Everything needs to be renovated. The vibes are dogshit.
Carlos Rodon isn’t the problem.
He is one of the many obvious symptoms Hal Steinbrenner is choosing to ignore but his father’s Yankees are dying and all we fans get is $30 chicken fingers and blown kisses. Damn. Jeter’s one-night stands got better parting gifts than this.
So thank you, Rodon for blowing kisses like an asshole. You have put a much-needed spotlight on all of this organization’s failures.
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