New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Hicks has opened up in regards to the harsh experiences he endured throughout house video games all through his tough 2022 season.
“Baseball wasn’t enjoyable,” Hicks advised Chris Kirschner of The Athletic. “It was type of a kind of issues the place your workforce is profitable and that’s the last word purpose. That’s what’s enjoyable in regards to the recreation is having the ability to win the entire time. However once you’re not contributing, it type of begins to really feel such as you’re not doing what you have to be doing. I do know the participant I’m able to being and I wasn’t even near it. That’s simply the way in which the season went.”
Hicks was routinely taunted by followers throughout video games held at Yankee Stadium final season as he struggled on the plate. The 33-year-old slashed .216/.330/.313 with simply eight house runs and 40 RBI throughout 130 regular-season contests and was named in October as one participant impacted by an alleged “souring relationship between the Yankees and their followers.”
Just lately, Yankees slugger Anthony Rizzo defended Hicks amid rumors linking the Bronx Bombers with potential replacements corresponding to Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Bryan Reynolds. In the meantime, Hicks recommended to Kirschner he believed at factors final season {that a} commerce may benefit all concerned.
“I felt like I used to be making an attempt to power issues that I usually wouldn’t,” Hicks defined. “I used to be forcing myself to get large hits. I used to be forcing myself to swing out of the zone to do one thing to assist the workforce win. A variety of that received me into hassle. Basically, I simply misplaced my strategy.”
Hicks signed a seven-year, $70M contract extension with the Yankees forward of the 2019 season and, in accordance with Kirschner, will obtain veto energy relating to any commerce if he is nonetheless with New York come Aug. 8 through 10-and-5 rights.
Kirschner added that Hicks “is aware of it’s nonetheless a risk that he might get moved” at any level earlier than or after Opening Day.
