Chuck Greenberg Was Right

Here is what Rangers owner Chuck Greenberg said on the “Ben and Skin Show” on 103.3 KESN:

“I think our fans have been great. I think particularly in Game 3 of the World Series they just blew away anything I’ve seen in any venue during the postseason. I thought Yankee fans, frankly, were awful. They were either violent or apathetic, neither of which is good. So I thought Yankee fans were by far the worst of any I’ve seen in the postseason. I thought they were an embarrassment.”*

*The boldface type is my adjustment.

First of all, I don’t think anyone would disagree an owner shouldn’t publicly rip an opposing fan base. However, was the Ranger’s owner really that inaccurate?

It’s impossible to generalize as a whole which team’s fans were ‘better’. I’m not even sure what ‘better’ means. I guess, lets use supportive. But seeing as Texas was coming off their first playoff-series victory ever and riding an arm who at the time was putting up a historically phenomenal postseason and being called Texas’ ‘savior’, is it unreasonable to suggest they were more excited, and therefore possibly more supportive, than Yankees fans? Not at all. Yankees fans have been there before and I don’t know if that matters or if that can cause a sense of apathy prior to the World Series. It simply isn’t unreasonable to suggest. But every team is going to have certain sects of followers classified as ‘violent’ and/or ‘apathetic’. The Philadelphia Phillies have both pukers and pukees.  The Padres Petco Park has fans dressed as monks and drunk hecklers. I hear the Pirates have fans too. The real key to this quote is the last word; embarrassment.

This is a harsh accusation and shouldn’t be made publicly but if you believe reports surrounding the treatment of Cliff Lee’s wife in Yankee Stadium, embarrassment sums it up pretty well. Lee’s wife was greeted by spit, beer, and obscenities all flung in her direction. The Yankees fanbase is far too large to condemn due to the actions of a few but as a Yankees fan executive, or anyone associated with the organization, I would imagine it feels pretty embarrassing. Cliff Lee is one of the biggest targets of the Yankees offseason plans, and while he’s saying this incident has no bearing on his decision where to sign this winter, I’m not sure I buy it.

According to the USA Today, his wife said “The fans did not do good things in my heart. When people are staring at you, and saying horrible things, it’s hard not to take it personal.” Only time will tell whether or not this has an effect on the uniform Lee wears next season and even then, we may never truly know his motivation. But if I were a Yankees fan and this incident ends up costing the Yankees one of the best starters in the game, I’d feel pretty ‘awful’ and ‘embarrassed’.

Rhino