Yankees All-Stars got a taste of what’s to come in Philly: ‘They were booing the kids!’ | Klapisch
· Yahoo Sports
PHILADELPHIA — We can summarize Tuesday night’s All-Star Game in a few blunt thoughts: It was anticlimactic, dulled by super-human pitching, helpless hitters and too many made-for-TV gimmicks.
Cody Bellinger deserves credit for being named the MVP, but let’s not get breathless about it. The Yankees’ slugger lashed a two-run single in the first inning — and that was all the American League needed to win a 4-0 game that droned on and on and on.
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What I liked more was the Philly crowd. They were as savage (and interesting) as ever, booing anyone not wearing a hometown uniform.
The Yankees, naturally, were roasted, even though Bellinger and Ben Rice, two of their representatives, are the nicest guys in pinstripes.
No matter: The mere mention of their names over the public-address system evoked a primal reaction from the stands:
“Booooo!”
A Yankees fan wearing a jacket was abused, too. His crime? Being caught on the massive JumboTron in left field wearing a jacket adorned with the interlocking “NY” logos.
“BOOOOO!”
The Mets, helpless as they are and no threat to the Phillies in the NL East, were skewered.
Juan Soto was mocked after striking out in the first inning. And in the Mascot Red Carpet introductions — hey, we warned you about the gimmicks — no one was taunted quite like Mr. and Mrs. Met.
It gets worse. Even the kids shagging fly balls in Monday night’s Home Run Derby were booed if they missed or dropped a ball.
OK, at least that was for comic effect. No one in the crowd actually hated those poor youngsters. But the effect was nevertheless the same: The fans at Citizens Bank Park are like the Bleacher Creatures on steroids.
Good luck if you’re the sensitive type.
Fortunately for the Yankees, their contingent — Bellinger, Rice and Cam Schlittler — are not. The Yankees are heading to Philadelphia for a three-game series at the end of the month, already prepping for the hostile crowd that awaits them.
And the Yankees love it.
“They’re intense here, it was a nice little taste to see how they are,” Schlittler said of the fans. “I love the boos. ... When I saw they were booing the kids I thought, ‘This is going to be fun.’ I love the atmosphere. I feed off of it.”
Rice, who was torched during his introduction to the Home Run Derby, smiled and agreed.
“You wouldn’t want it any other way,” he said. “You know the Philly fans bring the passion. They’re not afraid to let you hear it. So to hear it (Monday) night and tonight, some pretty loud boos, it’s pretty cool.”
By the time the game was over, the Yankees were more amused than offended. There’s no real rivalry with the Phillies, who take greater pleasure seeing the Mets suffer in last place in the NL East.
The Yankees’ real arch-enemies are the Blue Jays, dating back to getting bounced out of the playoffs last October. That tension was renewed during the All-Star break. Schlittler was unhappy after learning Toronto manager John Schneider never considered starting him
Still, the young Yankees pitcher kept his irritation in check when asked about Schneider’s decision to start Dylan Cease, the Jays’ own ace.
“I can’t talk about it anymore at this point,” Schlittler said, even if he isn’t about to forget it, either.
The Yankees’ young ace is proving to be a hard-core grudge holder. It’s one of a growing list of reasons to take Schlittler seriously. He’s now added Schneider and the Blue Jays to his list.
However, one person in the American League clubhouse said Schlittler should’ve understood his opponents’ predicament.
“(Schneider) had a choice between the entire country (of Canada) hating him (if he didn’t pick Cease), or Schlittler hating him (if he didn’t pick the Yankees’ right-hander),” the person said.
“Not a tough choice if you look at it that way.”
Schlittler likely understands the logic. But he thrives on feuds. That’s what makes Schlittler such a ferocious competitor — he’s driven by negative energy.
Why else would Schlittler be intrigued by the Philadelphia fans booing him? He’s already counting down the days to when their fans make him a target.
Bellinger, on the other hand, was more amused than offended.
“That’s what makes Philly great,” he said. “They love their team. Coming in, it’s always a tough atmosphere. You just have to be ready for it.”
Bellinger was in a forgiving mood. The MVP award was a big part of his night’s work, but so were the back-to-back run-scoring singles by Bellinger and Rice in the first inning off Phillies lefty Christopher Sanchez.
That marked the first time two Yankees each drove in a run in the All-Star Game since 1962 (Roger Maris and Tom Tresh).
The timing couldn’t be better. The Yankees are taking on the Dodgers this weekend in the Bronx. It’ll be a definitive litmus test against the team with MLB’s best record.
Gerrit Cole will start on Friday. Schlittler will almost certainly start on Saturday, on six days’ rest. That’s what he was hoping for all along: no distractions, no meaningless assignments in the All-Star Game, just pure, fully-restored velocity.
And what will that atmosphere be like?
Take the booing in Philadelphia and turn it inside out. The Dodgers should prepare for the worst.
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