Yankees’ Cam Schlittler shows leadership in response to question about frustration

Yankees’ Cam Schlittler shows leadership in response to question about frustration originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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The New York Yankees couldn’t get anything going on Monday night against the Tampa Bay Rays, and when you factor in how bad the defense looked, it’s never going to be a recipe for winning. It’s the harsh reality of Major League Baseball, and something the Yankees have failed to succeed in over the past couple of years. 

Had the Yankees been able to do more on both sides of the baseball over the past couple of seasons, we’d likely be looking at a team that’s already won a World Series. 

Instead, New York has failed to do so in pressure moments, something that once again became an issue on Monday night.

Certain players were impacted more than others, including Cam Schlittler, the Yankees’ right-handed ace, who didn’t have his best stuff but likely would have been in a much better position if the Yankees had made plays behind him. 

Instead, multiple errors raised his pitch count, and New York had to go in a different direction much earlier than it wanted to. Schlittler had every right to feel frustrated after the game, but he kept his composure and backed his guys, the right thing to do in a situation like this.

“I’m not disappointed in our defense. I’m not disappointed in the offense. Really just disappointed in myself,” Schlittler told reporters. “That’s baseball and those things are gonna happen. But I’ve got to be able to work through those. I wasn’t able to do that today.”

It’s interesting that he felt disappointed in himself, even though he was above average and did exactly what he had to do for the Yankees to win. 

That’s not to say Schlittler had his best stuff, as the Tampa Bay Rays really made him work. Still, he was above average and put his team in a position to win if they made the plays behind him.

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