Myles Straw called Yankees fans the “worst fan base on the planet” in April, and the fans in The Bronx likely have only strengthened Straw’s belief in October.
The sellout crowd at Yankee Stadium booed Straw mercilessly every time he stepped up to the plate in Tuesday night’s 4-1 Yankees victory to begin the ALDS.
The boos, though, were comparatively kind. “Assh–e” cheers greeted the Guardians center fielder throughout, and he said he heard “multiple” jeers from fans that crossed the line.
“There were a few. I’m not going to say what they said, there’s no point,” Straw said after going 1-for-4 with a strikeout. “They were personal. It’s all good though.”
Straw became Public Enemy No. 1 in The Bronx on April 23, when he scaled the left-field wall to scream at Yankees fans whom he said were mocking an injured Steven Kwan. Kwan, the left fielder, had hurt himself attempting to make a catch against the wall in the ninth inning of an eventual 5-4 Yankees victory.
The April scene devolved from there, as fans in the right-field bleachers threw debris on the field, which led to Straw condemning the fan base.
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Some of the fan base responded, Straw had said Monday, with death threats over social media. He had said the threats did not irk him much, just as he shrugged off Tuesday’s chants.
“It doesn’t bother me. I’m just out there chilling playing center field,” Straw said.
Kwan also was on the receiving end of plenty of boos Tuesday. The left fielder said he could not decipher the screams directed at him in the outfield because he was wearing a PitchCom, but he clearly heard the fans when Straw, who made the game’s final out, came up to bat.
“I don’t know about me [but] it’s really unfair for Myles,” said Kwan, who added the two outfielders had discussed the heckling. “The guy’s just trying to do his job.”
Guardians manager (and former Red Sox manager) Terry Francona has said that the jeers could be taken as a compliment, which is how Kwan tried to interpret them.
“It’s kind of sucky, but it’s also a privilege to have that kind of happen in a game like this,” said the rookie, who homered in the third inning against Gerrit Cole. “It’s one of the biggest stages, so it’s kind of cool when something like that happens.”
