it’s an ongoing thing in yankeeland. after the game, you speak with reporters. no ifs, ands or buts. you don’t get to disappear after a bad game because you’re not in the mood to communicate. the reason why this is mandatory is primarily twofold. players support the yankee brand mission by being accessible to those who keep them in the public conscience. players come to understand that accountability builds character, which leads to heightened awareness and the greater likelihood of future results. i say “come to understand” because it’s not second nature for everyone.
new players, like offseason pitcher acquisition rafael soriano, learn how things are done quickly. after a recent poor outing, soriano avoided the press. he had played in smaller markets previously (seattle, tampa, atlanta) and it wasn’t a strictly-enforced practice. the yankees brass immediately jumped on the opportunity to show soriano that the yankees do things differently, and soriano issued an apology the next business morning. brian cashman, yankees general manager, offered:
“dealing with the press is important, and it’s an aspect that’s important also on behalf of teammates.a lot of little things can add up to be a big thing down the line that nobody needs, especially him. it’s just something you have to deal with, for better or for worse, even if it’s not easy. the ones that really succeed understand there are necessary steps in the process that you can fail and move past it if you handle them properly.”
at a time when flight tendencies may be at an all-time high, it’s refreshing to know that there are places where accountability still matters — and where the practice has active purpose in informing and driving the overall business’ objectives on an everyday basis. you look at yesterday’s surprise retirement announcement by all-time great manny ramirez, after the revelation that he was caught for the third time with performance-enhancing drugs and faced a 100-game suspension, and you come to appreciate the power of accountability anew. players wouldn’t do some of the detrimental, self-centered and embarrassing things they do if they knew they couldn’t run and hide. that’s not to say that the yankees are perfect — but at least they aren’t being lazy about their business.
