Chris McMonigle didn’t know what to make of the Yankees hiring Sean Casey as their new hitting coach, especially considering the former big leaguer has no coaching experience.
But keeping it simple may help the Yankees, who have often been criticized for their complex, analytical approach, and C-Mac is open to the change being a benefit to a team that badly needs an offensive jolt.
“Maybe, with the veterans, it’s not necessarily about the ins and outs of the swing,” C-Mac said. “Maybe it’s not the kind of stuff Dillon Lawson did with the Yankees. Maybe it’s just about lightening up the room right now.
“The noise from the fans has been a thing since Aaron Judge was booed in the playoffs last year, and how Joey Gallo was treated, and how Aaron Hicks was treated, and Josh Donaldson. I think it’s overblown…but it’s something that’s inside this Yankee clubhouse that they’re aware of, and maybe it’s a little tight in there. Maybe they realize their struggles and how unhappy the fanbase is with the last couple years. Maybe the idea of bringing in someone not like Dillon Lawson, who has his head in a notebook…maybe it’s about a guy who has been through the experience of being a Major League Baseball player.”
Casey has been lauded for his infectious energy, and that may be just what the Yanks need during a prolonged struggle on offense, leading to Lawson’s firing after Sunday’s loss to the Cubs.
“Maybe it’s just about getting a guy in there who can loosen things up, have fun with the manager…have fun with the guys, someone who is used to being in the clubhouse…and letting them do what they do,” C-Mac said.
“I can’t tell you what Casey’s stance is on hitting and what his approach is or how he’s gonna get [Giancarlo] Stanton’s swing going…but when I hear this hire, I’m thinking it will at least change the mood.”
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
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