February 22, 2018
The New York Yankees have won the World Series an incredible 27 times since 1903. The next closest team, the St. Louis Cardinals, have won 11 World Series.
If you Yankees GM Brian Cashman, he'll have you believe his pinstripes are an underdog this year. Sure, why not? It worked for the Eagles, right?
Are the Yankees underdogs? That's what their GM says, what this Daily News cover pokes fun at and what we think is hogwash. https://t.co/ZqhORw5Zjq pic.twitter.com/ZMvayHb7t6
— Big League Stew (@bigleaguestew) February 22, 2018
In the midst of an arms race with the Boston Red Sox, who won the AL East last year, Cashman told the New York Post the Yankees are playing catch-up despite advancing deeper into the playoffs. He actually called the Yankees "The Little Engine That Could" in an appearance on ESPN yesterday.
“They are the American League East champs so we are not on equal footing,’’ the Yankees’ general manager said Wednesday during a team workout at George M. Steinbrenner Field. “We were a wild card. They are the American League East champs and we are not. We are not on equal footing until we take it away from them.’’
The Yankees and Red Sox perennially have two of the highest payrolls in baseball. They are considered marquee landing spots for free agents and ideal places for great young players to re-sign and spend their entire careers. Only in a world limited to these two teams could either of them be considered much of an underdog.
And the Yankees, by the way, added Giancarlo Stanton their lineup — you know, the NL MVP who led league with 59 home runs last season. Aaron Judge, who won AL Rookie of the Year for the Yankees, came in second with 52 home runs.
Eagles' O-lineman Lane Johnson, the guy who propelled Philadelphia's postseason underdog narrative, isn't buying it.
Real original #fakenews pic.twitter.com/wDQG75zKpq
— Lane Johnson (@Lanejohnson65) February 22, 2018
And neither are Eagles fans.
I think we can all give the Yankees & the New York daily News a - 25 for creativity & originality 🙄 pic.twitter.com/uwJ9jvoOVE
— John Frazier (@Eaglefan12) February 22, 2018
Yankees + the New York media always coming up with original ideas. pic.twitter.com/yfyWUpy8jy
— EaglesFlyersPocono (@Milford236Eagle) February 22, 2018
Name me a yr when the Yankees were actually underdogs... I’ll wait https://t.co/aqPr9DcWDR
— Eric (@yourbestally) February 22, 2018
I mean I overcame my childish BOOO YANKEES HOW DARE YOU SPEND MONEY jealousy but maybe don’t act like underdogs either
— collusion is the friends we made along the way (@StartKyleOrton) February 22, 2018
If you were to look up the opposite for underdogs, it would be the Yankees.
— Shaiful Kashem (@ShayKashMoney) February 22, 2018
Nothing makes me become the worst version of myself quite like New York Yankees fans claiming they're the underdogs after adding Stanton.
— Owen R. Smith (@inanedetails) February 22, 2018
"The Yankees are underdogs" might be the worst baseball take I've seen this year. https://t.co/GyBBXV0jKv
— Snowtorious (@SnowtoriousCSL) February 22, 2018
When you hear that people are calling the #Yankees underdogs. pic.twitter.com/NCS3N4QKIp
— Russ (@russelljoseph55) February 22, 2018
On what planet are the Yankees and their Zillion dollar payroll the underdogs?
— PLennon (@PaulieL1) February 22, 2018
@Yankees Top 10 in projected 2018 payroll, 2nd in your division... you're not underdogs. You're just dogs. pic.twitter.com/vxoJ8xzx65
— Bernie Kenzakowski (@bernieapk) February 22, 2018
The Yankees cannot ever be underdogs
— brock lesnar (@JakeSnyder12) February 22, 2018
To be clear, this isn't about claiming the Eagles are the only team worthy of the underdog designation. It's just an emphatic rejection of the Yankees ever being an underdog. They are baseball's Goliath. They should embrace that to the grave and stick to selling hot dogs.