The Yankees’ summer training camp began with a terrifying scene. Masahiro Tanaka took a line drive to the head off the bat of Giancarlo Stanton. Stanton dropped nearly to the ground as soon as he saw his teammate collapse. It’s a situation no player, let alone a teammate, ever wants to be in.
After laying on the mound in pain for a few minutes, Tanaka was able to walk off the mound with athletic trainers at his side. He was taken to the hospital for a range of tests, including a CT scan, all which came back negative. Doctors diagnosed Tanaka with a mild concussion. Tanaka took to Twitter to address the situation.
“I appreciate all the support. I feel it a bit right now, but I’m all good. Going to try to get back on the mound ASAP! Thanks again for all the encouraging words!”
All things considered, Tanaka and the Yankees got off easy. Tanaka is in good spirits and should be back on the mound after his MLB concussion protocol. So why are his teammates angry?
The injury was filmed live by the YES Network, the Yankee-owned TV network, as part of the Summer training show. However the video that circulated widely on social media Saturday evening was a YES clip recorded by a local journalist and shared by an SNY account. Neither the YES Network nor the Yankees promoted any footage of the injury on their social media platforms. The Mets and Wilpons own SNY.
Aaron Judge and Gleyber Torres, two pillars of the Yankees organization, voiced their frustrations with media outlets for posting the footage on their platforms, allowing it to go viral.
“I get that everyone has a job to do but continuing to film and zoom in on someone hurt and down in the stadium doesn’t sit well with me! Doesn’t matter who it is, teammate, coach, or fan! Praying for Tanaka,” Aaron Judge tweeted.
Gleyber Torres said almost the exact same thing.
“I understand that people are doing their job and want to show everything we are doing, I understand that,” Torres tweeted. “But showing that exact moment that happened with our teammate does not seem right to us, we feel terrible to see the video in each part of social media. I understand that they have to write what happened but do not show that moment, Praying for Tanaka!”
At least four other Yankees players — reliever Jonathan Holder, outfielder Aaron Hicks, and infielders Tyler Wade and Luke Voit — shared the posts.
It’s understandable to recoil against a horrifying video of one of your brothers suffering a graphic and possibly deadly injury, especially at the hands of another brother. It is a completely rational viewpoint of someone who is in the trenches with Tanaka for 8 months a year.
In the same breath, it’s understandable to see why the media outlets posted the video. The video was newsworthy, aired on live television, and was witnessed by the Yankees writers and fans.
It is a fine line to tight rope on as a journalist and news outlet.
Knowing that Tanaka turned out to have just a mild concussion, I think the Yankees anger will subside quickly. But it was a reminder that the relationship between baseball players and media isn’t always sunshine and rainbows.
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