It’s Time for Red Sox Fans to Leave Cam Schlittler Alone
Every time Red Sox fans come at Cam Schlittler, he responds by carving up their team. Maybe it's time to leave the man alone.
Game 1 of the American League Wild Card Round was another day at the office for New York Yankees ace Cam Schlittler.
For the sixth time in a row, including two postseason starts, he limited the Boston Red Sox to one run or fewer. Despite struggling with his pitch count, the AL Cy Young frontrunner pitched into the seventh inning, generating a career-high 24 whiffs, and striking out 10.
Including the postseason, Schlittler has a career earned run average 0.47. In the playoffs, he’s gone 14.1 scoreless, striking out 22 to just one walk. The Massachusetts native, and Northeastern University product, has embraced the villainy that’s come with his demeanor and performance, much to the chagrin of the Red Sox fan base.
Time and time again, he butts head with that contingent. That’s a choice he makes each and every time, and one that only has to backfire once to no longer justify the back-and-forth. However, it’s yet to backfire in six starts. Moreover, he’s just 25 years old. There’s no real reason to believe he won’t continue to get better.
Maybe not to the tune of that 0.47 ERA, but he still can stand to sustain velocity deeper into games. He’s also had moments of temporary lapses in command. It’s never cost him against Boston, but something that’ll make him even more dangerous should he rectify it.
There’s one thing for certain, however. Red Sox fans need to leave the right-hander alone.
He Clearly Responds Well to the Hate
The broadcast, namely Joe Girardi and Anthony Rizzo, mentioned a few times in Game 1 that Schlittler feeds off of the response he gets on social media. To date, there’s clearly no reason to suggest otherwise.
It’s ironic, however, to read Schlittler say he doesn’t pay much attention to it. Especially considering he had a back-and-forth within the last month. Be that as it may, this is essentially a good ‘ole fashioned standoff between the right-hander and Red Sox fans. Neither wants to be the party to stop.
Why would Schlittler want it to stop? He owns the Red Sox lineup, bewildering them in a new way with each outing. Thinking back to former Red Sox ace Curt Schilling before Game 1 of the 2004 American League Championship Series, he wanted to make “55,000 people from New York shut up.” Obviously, he didn’t in Game 1, but he sure did in Game 6.
That wasn’t even in the social media era, yet that quote holds so many parallels to this ongoing battle. Only difference, Schlittler gets to shut up millions of loud Red Sox fans and then taunt them on multiple platforms.
Social Media Brings Out the Worst in People
Schlittler commented last year that fans attacked his family on social media. Even without the burden of proof, how chaotic sports social media can get, it’s hard to assume he’s not telling the truth.
In general, social media is comprised of many volatile individuals who feel empowered by not having to face the target of abuse. Furthermore, many engage in that behavior under anonymity. The ones most public are not always the ones engaging in this behavior, but the constant public bickering empowers said individuals to contribute.
A lot of social media banter starts as harmless but tends to progress into something more severe. With each passing day leading up to Game 1, it seemed there was a new photo of Schlittler used to mock him.
Most of the banter is in good fun between a player and opposing fan base. But online beef can become addictive, and people will always look for new and creative ways to get under another person’s skin.
This Isn’t Even a Rivalry
The best comparison that comes to mind comes from Philadelphia 76ers superstar Joel Embiid regarding their rivalry with the Boston Celtics.
“This is not a rivalry … They always kick our (butt).”
Sure, this past spring, the Sixers finally dispatched the Celtics in the playoffs. But for years, that was not the case. Right now, there’s no rivalry between the Red Sox fan base and Schlittler. It comes off as the little brother who’s tired of losing, but instead of owning their losses, they resort to more childish behavior.
Fans are powerless in this endeavor, not to absolve the players on the roster. However, if Schlittler truly channels another beast in the face of social media scrutiny — the NBC broadcast mentioned several times in Game 1 — fans are certainly making life harder for the team they cheer for.
The 25-year-old is likely going to win the Cy Young, maybe Most Valuable Player, for a reason. He makes a lot of the best hitters in the sport look inept. But even as great as he is, he’s significantly better against Boston.
Villains make a rivalry more exciting. The Yankees ace is certainly that. There’s a little more juice going into every single matchup between him and his hometown team. That said, the rivalry is still between the two teams, all he does is beat the brakes off the Red Sox.
Become a Member of Just Baseball
Subscribe and upgrade to go ad-free!
* Save 25% by subscribing annually.
Written by