While listening to the Yankee game on Tuesday night in the car, Suzyn Waldman said that Reggie Jackson felt that the wearing the "Pinstripes were heavy." I was so taken aback by that comment and even a bit curious. How could Mr. October feel that way? He is Reggie Jackson after all. I dug deeper and came across an interview with Jackson back in 1977 which was reprinted in Yankees Magazine in 2017. "I've always needed support and needed people to like me or care about me, and when I was in New York, I had tremendous fan support. The first couple of months were tough, but once people got to know me, it worked out pretty well." The Pinstripes are indeed heavy for the new players on this Yankee team; sometimes I forget how the pressure of playing for the best franchise in all of sports can impact you.
With the number of new players coming from hometowns and other teams across the country, it is hard to adjust to the New York City lifestyle and the demands of playing for the Yankees. If Reggie felt the pressure, of course Joey Gallo, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, and even veteran Josh Donaldson need time to adjust to the new team in a big city where fans can be very unforgiving.
"When the focus and the demand for excellence increased or the need was there, I was able to concentrate and get things done," said Jackson. He also said he had to demonstrate that he was worth the big contract he was given, which added more pressure. After reading that part of his interview my mind went to Gerrit Cole, who has been dealing with his own anxieties, and is struggling to keep his emotions in check while he focuses on his craft and owning his role as the Yankee ace.
"Cole pitched to a 6.35 ERA in his first three starts and was knocked out after 1 2/3 innings on April 19 in Detroit after walking five and running up a pitch count of 68. Five days later, he blanked the Guardians on four hits while striking out nine and walking one before leaving with two outs in the seventh innings," reported NJ.com.
I grew up in New York City. I took public transportation, a city bus, to school through my elementary and high school years. I am used to traffic, noise, riff raff, arguments in the street, homelessness and criticism. Friends of mine from places outside the city were shocked coming to New York for the first time. It was a culture shock. But they did not have to perform on the biggest stage in all of baseball. And these guys from small towns, and small market teams have to pivot and adjust when transitioning to the Yankees. Anthony Rizzo is an exception—he brought the first World Series to Chicago since 1908 in helping his team win the 2016 championship. The pressure is there in Chicago. His only setback when coming to the team late last season was Covid.
Bottom line, there is so much emotion and discomfort when you are traded to a new team. You have to be onboarded, quickly and absorb the culture of your new clubhouse and then perform and prove that you are meant to be here. It has to be hard. I know Frank Sinatra says, "If you can make it there, you can make it anywhere." He was right, it is true. So the takeaway for this post today is that I have empathy for guys that come to New York from other teams. And I am going to be more patient with them as they adjust. The Pinstripes are heavy but the weight is worth it because you are a New York Yankee—a member of the greatest franchise in the best city in the world.
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--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Senior Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof
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