Yanks website disturbed at Hicks instant success blame coaches and tout Oriole fix on day one.

[Gurgi]

https://yanksgoyard.com/posts/aaron-hicks-orioles-resurgence-is-real-enough-to-cast-doubt-on-yankees-coaches-01h2h01x8e00

His effort level? That was obviously not going to get better after he unleashed complaints about his current role before ... Game 3 of the 2023 season. Usually, that's the final step before a full shutdown. It occurred this year before the Opening Day bunting had even been taken down. Often, players who seem to be stuck in slow motion are wrongfully accused of not caring. With Hicks, it didn't seem too farfetched.

Despite the possible sandbagging, a return to 2018 form still seemed extremely unlikely. He didn't appear to be dogging it on a full tank. He had lost a step, in the field and at the plate. Possibly two steps. This early decline appeared to stunt his motivation and cause him to check out ... until he went to Baltimore, of course, and became a human energy drink from minute one.

So, who's to blame? Hicks? The Yankees' coaches? Combination of the two? Based on early reports, it ... really seems like Dillon Lawson (and Marcus Thames) and Co. deserve a degree of blame. Or do they deserve credit for their immaculate work in making Hicks look like a $10 million albatross?

After all, considering how quickly it all clicked into place with the Orioles, maybe the Yankees' hitting coaches were the ones sandbagging it for reasons unknown.

According to Hicks and the O's hitting coaches, the team reviewed his Yankees film and crafted an immediate adjustment. Hicks was told to begin from a more athletic stance. He decided to stand more upright. The rest is, apparently, history.

[Gurgi]

I honestly will never grow tired of hearing about the Orioles doing stuff right and fixing people.  After decades of our players getting fixed after leaving Baltimore these stories just warm my heart.   Now if we could just get Mateo back on track like he was in April.

[Billy F-Face3]

This is delicious... like an energy drink. I'll never get tired of going up on the Yankees.

I think this can also serve as a cautionary tale though. Orioles coaches should be aware of what caused Hicks to lose enthusiasm in playing for his team, and avoid that. Try to keep him engaged and content (and thus, productive).

[Flash- bd]

2 hours ago, Gurgi said:

I honestly will never grow tired of hearing about the Orioles doing stuff right and fixing people.  After decades of our players getting fixed after leaving Baltimore these stories just warm my heart.   Now if we could just get Mateo back on track like he was in April.

Mateo smashed two balls last night, tbf. Both ended in outs but very, very good swings. 

[Moose Milligan]

As always, **** the Yankees. Seriously, guys have been going there for years, seemingly over the hill and/or underperforming and all of a sudden they turn it around. They’ve also wasted way more money over the years than they have on Aaron Hicks. 
 

I love that he came here and we found something to rejuvenate him. I hope he goes off on the Yankees when we play them next. 
 

Two big middle fingers up at the Yankees and their fans for acting like this could never happen to them. 

[Baltimorecuse]

ANYTHING that causes Yankee fans to be miserable makes my day.  Bring back Billy Martin.  

[Too Tall]

Orioles Win - Yankees Lose!!! Ain't The Beer Cold!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Sports Guy]

Is there a dumber fan base than the Yankees?

First of all, if there were obvious adjustments and they missed it, that’s shameful by the team.

But it’s also a very small sample size and Hicks is healthy right now, something he has rarely been the last 3 years or so. That always helps.

More than that, this idiotic fan base and stupid management (of which I don’t blame that much on Cashman) doesn’t understand that buying a title just doesn’t work. Now, I realize they get to the playoffs a lot and win a bunch of games but there is a reason that once they get to October and play the best teams that they fail miserably. 
 

I at least respect the fact that they went with Volpe this year and so far, despite him being abysmal, are sticking with him and letting him take his lumps up here. They need to get more reliant on their farm system. Every single championship team in sports, outside of maybe the occasional NBA champ that trades/buys players and titles, is largely built from the inside.

Why franchises can’t figure this out is beyond me but I will sit back and not care when the Yankees reel in the “big free agents” because ultimately, it’s likely a contract that will fail.

[vab]

Never ceases to amaze how many fans jump to conclusions after, what, two weeks? I hope Hicks keeps this going but it's far more likely he'll regress much closer to the performance that got him DFA'ed. Let's just enjoy his hot streak while it lasts and hope Mullins can get back before Hicks really cools off. 

[Moose Milligan]

Seeing Volpe fail miserably is fantastic.

[Frobby]

Very enjoyable to read this, on multiple levels.  First, anything that makes Yankee fans unhappy makes me deliriously happy.   Second, I really do think our hitting coaches do an excellent job, both in the minors and in the majors.  

As to the “Hicks fix,” it’s worthwhile to note that he hit .353/.450/.647 in his last 7 games with the Yankees.  The timing of him being cut was something of a mystery.  In any event, he came along just when we needed him, and Elias is looking pretty smart for picking him up.  I’m sure he’ll cool off, but he has given us a boost at just the right moment while Mullins was out and Cowser was on the IL himself.   
 

[Moose Milligan]

If the Yankees are a dumb fanbase, we must be complete dolts because we got fooled by Mateo and a toe tap.  

 

[luismatos4prez]

Hicks is reminding me of Nate McLouth in 2012 right now.

[ShoelesJoe]

19 minutes ago, Moose Milligan said:

Seeing Volpe fail miserably is fantastic.

On many levels. 

Especially for the pundits who elevated his prospect stature waaaay above what he had earned simply because he was in the Yankee system. I hope nobody ever takes them seriously again. 

[OsFanSinceThe80s]

The best part of this is the Yankees are still paying Hicks until the end of the 2025 season and they have to pay Hicks $1M to buyout his option year for 2026.