For the last 20+ years, there has been an interesting debate amongst coaches, managers and athletic performance professionals. The question is: do athletes respond to more structure and team rules? Or, do they flourish more, only restricted by the rules of the game they are playing? Should coaches let athletes "be themselves" or should athletes "conform" to the team they play for? Believe it or not, this question goes ascends to the major leagues.
Each year, as the Major League Baseball trade deadline comes and goes, many fans are left disappointed, as they watch their favorite player or players shipped to a new city. These days, most of those deals are done to save a little money or to buy into the team's future with prospects.
Aaron Boone and the New York Yankees would rather forget this past weekend. Yes, losing two of three to a team that you handled at their place last weekend stinks. But, that certainly wasn't the worst of it for the Yankees manager. When your weekend is filled with questions about your team involving Tommy John surgery, struggling closer, blown saves and a racial comment, it's easy to forget that you have a 5 game lead in the American League East.
The New York Yankees take on the Chicago White Sox tonight at in Dyersville, Iowa in the long awaited "Field of Dreams" game. The game of course is a tribute to the baseball movie classic of the same name. Major League baseball originally wanted to play the game in August of 2020. The pandemic ended those plans. This is truly an event for the fans to enjoy and they needed to be in the stands.
"Design it, and they will buy." That's how the movie quote goes, right? Well, maybe not, but that's what the Yankees did ahead of the Field of Dreams Game.