This weekend, the New York Yankees celebrated the Old Timers Day, where legendary shortstop Deter Jeter marked his debut. David Wells, a former Yankee pitcher who also happened to be a member of the Bombers’ 1998 championship team, marked his presence. However, Wells stole the limelight by going absolutely bonkers with his criticism.
He first began his rant with the New York Yankees’ 2023 season downfall. David Wells, known for his candid nature, defended underfire general manager Brian Cashman and instead pinned the blame on the players. Wells also called out the team for being overdependent on analytics. Not only that, the pitcher slammed a leading sports apparel company for their alleged “woke” culture.
David Wells Calls For Stricter Action Against Underperforming Yankee Players
On Saturday, the focus of attraction quickly shifted from Old Timers Days to David Wells’ unexpected rant. While addressing the media, the former World Champion was asked to share his thoughts on the New York Yankees’ ongoing struggle. He started off by defending general manager Brian Cashman. He believes that it’s always the managers and coaches who end up facing the heat. While in reality, the team’s downfall is a result of players’ underperformance. Further, the pitcher urged Cashman to send a strong message by making bold decisions. He urged the GM to demote the non-performing players to minor league on an immediate basis, irrespective of their payroll. “Send that son of a gun to Triple-A or Double-A and send him a wake-up call,” said Wells.
David Wells opines that players of this generation are being babied, especially with the introduction of analytics. The former pitcher is not a great fan of analytics as he believes it’s ruining the players’ game and robbing them of their identity. “These guys don’t have free will to be themselves. They’re having an identity brought to them,” added Wells. He says a player should be asking questions to figure out his areas of struggle. Not everything has to be spoon-fed. The pitcher recalled his time with the club, where analytics was not a thing. Wells says their motto was to win by fielding the best nine guys on the roster. These numbers stuff make the game more complicated than what it is in reality.
Former Yankees Pitcher Slams Nike For Their “Woke” Culture
David Wells first grabbed headlines when he stepped onto the field for the Old Timers Day tradition with a tape on his uniform. Apparently, the pitcher had tapped the NIKE logo. When asked for the reasoning behind the move, the former World Champion continued with his rant. “I hate Nike, they’re woke,” said David. It didn’t end here. The pitcher further refused to drink Bud Light beer.
Apparently, the company had faced backlash after a transgender influencer was seen promoting the drink brand. David Wells refused to further elaborate on both these topics and left it up to the media to interpret his actual intentions. But one thing is certain: the former Yankees pitcher has invited a storm with these controversial comments. He will certainly come under scrutiny in the near future.