Stephen A. Smith demands immediate changes in New York after another Yankees failure
The Yankees have been eliminated once again, extending their World Series drought in the Bronx to 17 seasons.
S tephen A. Smith didn't hold back. After the New York Yankees were eliminated by the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League Division Series , the ESPN analyst said the franchise needs a major shake-up after extending its World Series drought to 17 seasons.
What is it, 17, 18 straight years without a World Series championship? Only one World Series victory is unacceptable. Here's the reality, and I'm not sitting up here personally calling for anybody's job or anything like that, but there needs to be change. I don't like doing that. Aaron Boone is a good man; he's a damn good manager. But at some point in time, did you get it done?
The official number is 17 seasons , dating back to New York's last World Series title over the Philadelphia Phillies in 2009 .
Smith struck a more measured tone on Thursday. One day earlier, he had said he expected Aaron Boone to be fired if the Yankees lost the series. This time, he stopped short of calling for Boone's dismissal, but maintained that the organization is in need of significant changes.
The Rays completed the sweep with a 4-3 victory in Game 3, after also winning the first two games. The Yankees never held a lead during the entire 27 innings of the ALDS , despite entering the series with momentum after sweeping the Boston Red Sox in the Wild Card Series .
Game 3 summed up the series. Víctor Mesa Jr. broke a 2-2 tie with a two-run homer off Max Fried in the sixth inning. Anthony Volpe appeared to answer with a game-tying two-run home run, but replay overturned the call because of fan interference, ruling it an RBI double instead. The Yankees cut the deficit to 4-3 but could not complete the comeback.
Tampa Bay advanced to its first American League Championship Series since 2020 . Meanwhile, the Yankees head into another offseason filled with questions, as their championship drought now matches the longest stretch in franchise history since winning their first World Series title in 1923 .
