BOOING BILLY BUTLER

It’s still fresh in Yankee fans’ heads, the booing of Robinson Cano at last year’s All Star Weekend. Angry with Captain Cano for not choosing Billy Butler for the Home Run Derby, KC fans showered him with boos throughout the display.

They did not leave out Robbie’s father, either. Jose Cano was pitching to his son for the Derby, and KC fans got on him as well. All in all it was an excessive display of boorishness, far outstripping the slight to which Royals fans had taken offense.

Robbie denying that the booing had any effect was putting a positive spin on the situation. Watching the Derby last year, the KC fans made so much noise they drew my wife out from another room to see what was going on. She is not a baseball aficionado, but she could tell something far out of the ordinary was happening.

Now Butler and the Royals are in New York for a series. Yankee fans are sure to get on Butler. Watching the Derby last year was an enraging thing for Pinstripers. Our Yankee Blue Blood boiled with bile.

But should we boo Butler? After all, he may have been the reason the KC faithful rained vitriol upon Cano, but he didn’t actually commit any offense. It was the Royals’ fans not Butler himself.

 

Perhaps we should consider being the better fan base. What if we didn’t boo Butler? He was not selected for the Derby in 2013 either, so it could be argued that he is already paying for the KC debacle.

I have many years of experience cheering for the Yankees abroad. I have worn Pinstripes in many enemy ballparks. I have taken more than my fair share of abuse. At first, I would give just as good as I got. But soon enough, the game would be forgotten as I spent the whole time going back and forth with other fans. Even when I gained the upper hand in the heckling battle (I am very good at it, if I do say so myself), all it would do was encourage more enemy fans to gang up on me.

The best route was to rise above it. The lightest acknowledgement, humor, or a smile and a wave, was all it took.  Yankee Pinstripes emanate classiness anyway, so it was easy to come off as the better man.

What if this was tried on a larger scale? Everyone is expecting Yankee Stadium to unleash Hell on Butler. What if they didn’t? Can you imagine the headlines? It would be a statement and a half.

It would be similar to a mouthy guy hauling off and pasting a big strong dude in the face. Instead of crushing the little jerk, the big guy smiles, pats him on the head, and then turns and walks away. Sure he could crush the loudmouth easily. But he doesn’t need to. He looks stronger for walking away. There is more honor in that.

Yankee fans don’t need to boo Butler. We are better than that. We should just smile and walk away. We will look bigger, stronger, more honorable, and classier than Kansas City if we do.

I cannot help but anticipate the pride that would come if Yankee fans acted like nothing had happened at all. It’s as if saying, “Your abuse meant nothing, Royals. Bring it to the field. Play ball.”

 
  
Chad R. MacDonald
BYB Writer
Facebook: New York Yankees the Home of Champions
My Blog: ChadRants


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