HEY CAMERON MAYBIN, YOU MISSED THE MARK WITH VOLPE

Former Yankees outfielder Cameron Maybin weighed in after Anthony Volpe's demotion and George Lombard Jr.'s promotion, urging fans to move on. He wrote:

"The kid grew up dreaming of being a Yankee, got to wear the pinstripes, and by every account gave that organization everything he had. That deserves respect. Be excited about George Lombard Jr. I am too. But why does that have to come with taking shots at Volpe? That's weird. It's always the people who've never competed on a stage anywhere close to that level who are the loudest tearing him down. Turn the page. Appreciate what Volpe gave, root for what's next, and stop pouring salt in the wound. Respect costs nothing."

Hey Cameron Maybin, this isn't personal against Anthony Volpe. The problem is that you're trying to make it personal when it never was.

Nobody is celebrating because Anthony Volpe failed. They're celebrating because the Yankees finally admitted they were wrong.

The organization spent years manufacturing a Derek Jeter type story around Volpe. They spotted a local kid on a high school field, fell in love with the narrative, and fast-tracked him through the system before he was ready. Why? Because there was already familiarity. Volpe's former summer coach, Matt Hyde, also happened to be a Yankees scout. Whether people want to acknowledge it or not, that relationship helped fuel an organizational belief that Volpe was destined to become the next great Yankees shortstop. Read HOW YANKEE SCOUTS LOST THEIR WAY IN THE VOLPE RECRUITMENT. Educate yourself.

The Yankees sold fans on the idea before the player had proven it on the field. That's not Anthony Volpe's fault. That's Brian Cashman's fault. Fans didn't reject Volpe because they disliked him. They rejected the Yankees' refusal to admit he'd been rushed. For years, the organization force-fed this experiment while fans watched a player trying to learn the hardest position on the diamond under the brightest lights in baseball.

So, when Maybin says we should appreciate what Volpe did for the clubhouse, it's a fair question:

What exactly did he do for the clubhouse?

The Yankees didn't win because of Anthony Volpe. They didn't become tougher. They didn't become more fundamentally sound. They didn't become champions.

What fans remember is years of inconsistency while the organization insisted everything was fine.

That's not personal. That's baseball.

Here's another thing. If you're a Yankees shortstop and have access to Derek Jeter, why wouldn't you bend his ear every chance you got? Maybe conversations happened privately, maybe they didn't, but Jeter said he "didn't know" Anthony and that's a red flag. Fans never saw that relationship blossom. If the organization was going to market Volpe as the heir to Jeter, then learning from No. 2 himself should have been part of the equation.

Instead, the Yankees pushed the image before the player was ready to carry it.

Maybin can defend Volpe all he wants, but he's defending the wrong thing. Fans weren't attacking the kid. They were demanding accountability from the front office that put him in an impossible situation.

Then the Yankees finally made the move everyone had been asking for. Volpe was optioned to Triple-A.

Ironically, even that has created another question.

As of August 6, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre manager Shelley Duncan confirmed Volpe still hadn't officially reported to the RailRiders. Yes, players are typically given up to 72 hours to report after being optioned, so there's nothing unusual procedurally.

But if you're determined to prove everyone wrong, why aren't you on the first ride to Scranton? Maybe there's a perfectly reasonable explanation. Maybe not. Still, it doesn't exactly scream urgency. If you want to be treated like a big leaguer, then go to work like one.

And that's why Maybin's comments miss the mark. This isn't about hurt feelings. This is about winning baseball games.

George Lombard Jr. takes the field looking confident, fearless and prepared. Win or lose, the Yankees already feel different. They look looser. They look more athletic. They look like they're finally playing baseball instead of trying to protect an organizational decision.

Anthony Volpe is probably a good kid. Most fans would agree with that. But the Yankees rushed him. The Yankees damaged his development. The Yankees refused to admit their mistake until fan pressure became impossible to ignore.

So no, Cameron Maybin. This was never personal. It was always business.

And Yankees fans weren't rooting against Anthony Volpe. They were rooting for the Yankees to stop pretending he was ready.

Stop trying to be provocative.