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Otago Daily Times
11 hours ago
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Obituary: teacher and rugby pied piper
TUPPY DIACK There is a story told by long-serving Otago rugby manager and union president Des Smith that sums up rather well the magnetic pull of Tuppy Diack. The two elder statesmen of Otago rugby had been on a road trip to Queenstown and stayed for the aftermatch at a White Horse Cup game, so the hour was late when they headed home via the Pigroot. When they reached Omakau, Smith phoned the Dunback pub to be told, sorry, there was no chance of a quick drink and a bit of tucker if they called in at 11pm. "I've got Tuppy Diack, the former All Black with me." To which the publican replied: "Tuppy Diack. I've never met him and would love to have a beer with him." That is how two stalwarts found themselves having a feed of fish and chips and a yarn with yet another person who thrilled to the prospect of an audience with one of the great figures of Otago rugby. It illustrates how Diack, the first player to earn 100 caps for Otago and a one-test All Black, was something of a Pied Piper figure — in the most positive manner possible — in the rugby community. People sought him out for a chat, either to tap into his immense rugby knowledge or simply to soak up the mana of a man who gave back much more than he took from the sport. He was a wonderful player but he was also a coach, a mentor, a sounding board, an administrator and a near-constant presence on the sidelines of Otago University, Otago and Highlanders rugby. "Tup was a wonderful man and a true friend," Smith recalled. "He was an amazing rugby player but he was far, far more than that. He was kind, modest — a real gentleman. "He was so well respected wherever he went and gave his time to everyone he came in contact with." Smith recalls watching Diack "weave his magic on the wing" at Carisbrook before getting a taste of Diack's generosity. After scoring a couple of tries for Kaikorai and converting them himself, Smith was selected in an Otago second grade team and unexpectedly advised he would be handling the goal-kicking duties. He called "Mr Diack", who was teaching at John McGlashan College, and the former All Black promptly gave Smith an hour-long session on the intricacies of kicking rugby goals. Smith later served as Otago and Highlanders manager for eight years and recalls Diack barely missing a training session as an interested observer. "The players loved him being there, and he became part of our teams. His understanding of the technical side of back play was incredible." Diack served as Otago Rugby Football Union president in 2005, and he and Smith spent many an enjoyable Saturday heading around the region. "The people in the country just loved to see Tuppy. He was like a magnet in the clubrooms after the game. "Many of those people used to stand on the terrace or sit in the stand at Carisbrook and watch him playing for Otago." Diack, who died in Dunedin on May 16, aged 94, played six games for Southland in 1954 but was otherwise exclusively seen in Otago blue in provincial rugby. He played 101 games for Otago between 1951 and 1964 as a goal-kicking, strong-running winger who was described by late ODT sports editor Brent Edwards as the "pin-up boy" of the province. There were highlights aplenty, including a Ranfurly Shield victory over Wellington in 1957, helping Otago tame the Lions in 1959, three consecutive selections for the South Island, and 18 appearances for New Zealand Universities, including a famous victory over the 1956 Springboks. In 1959, Diack scored two tries and kicked two conversions and a penalty for the Universities side against the Lions, and when he kicked four penalties and a conversion in Otago's 26-8 win over the Lions, he finally heard his name read out in the All Blacks over the radio. Fate played a cruel hand when he was ruled out of the first test at his beloved Carisbrook with an ankle injury sustained in Otago's game against the tourists. "I was usually able to run off an injury but this one got worse," Diack recalled years later. "The pain was excruciating. It was the only major injury of my career, and it was a bit of a sad end to what had been a wonderful week." Diack got an All Black jersey and a framed photograph for being selected, but had to watch from the Carisbrook grandstand as the All Blacks beat the Lions 18-17 thanks to the boot of Don Clarke. He had intensive treatment on his ankle ligaments and was named in the team for the second test in Wellington, only to find another complication as he and Ralph Caulton were both specialist left wings. Diack drew the short straw to play on the right, Caulton scored two tries in an 11-8 win, and the Otago man did not play in the third and fourth tests as the ankle was still not right. He trained like a man possessed over the summer and regained his top-line pace, and it was a blow when he missed selection for the All Blacks' 1960 tour of South Africa. "I was really disappointed to miss out. I thought I could have made a difference on that tour." Diack, All Black No 602, bowed out of top rugby aged 34 in 1964, having scored 53 tries and 706 points in 146 first-class games. Ernest Sinclair Diack was born in Invercargill on July 22, 1930. He was the eldest of four children to teachers Ernest (known as Charlie) and Molly Diack. The nickname emerged at the age of 10 months. Ernest junior had no pet name to distinguish himself from his father and grandfather (also Ernest). His father came home one day, looked in the baby's crib and said, "Poor little Tuppence hasn't got a name." And Tup, or Tuppy, stuck. When he was a toddler, his father — who played rugby for Southland, New Zealand Universities and Marlborough, and coached Southland to Ranfurly Shield success — was seconded to Havelock then Wellington then Koromiko, where he started school. At 7, the family shifted back to Invercargill for his father to teach at North School. Two years later, the family shifted to Napier, where Diack started at Napier Boys' High School, playing for the First XI cricket team as a third former. When Diack was 15, the family moved to Pukerau, near Gore, where Ernest sen was headmaster at Pukerau School. There were not enough bedrooms in the house, so Diack's bedroom was a tent with a wooden floor and wooden sides in the back yard. He finished his schooling at Gore High School, where he was head prefect, captain of the cricket team, vice-captain of the rugby team, athletics champion and regimental sergeant-major of the cadets. Diack stayed at Knox College to begin a teaching degree in Dunedin, but returned to Pukerau every holidays to work as a hay contractor and farmer's hand. The story goes that, while tossing bales of hay on to a trailer, he counted each one because he was paid a halfpenny for two bales. His total when he finished was over a million bales — a record which Southlanders say stands to this day. After graduating in 1954, he started a masters in history so he could continue playing rugby for his beloved Otago University club. He later played for Zingari-Richmond, and played his last game at the age of 39. While the legacy of his rugby career included four hip replacement operations and two knee replacements, the sport remained a great love. Diack was a New Zealand Universities selector for 13 years and coached an NZU team to Japan, he coached the Otago University Gold colts into his late 70s, and he continued to mentor student goal kickers at a club where he was more than just a life member — he was an institution. "I've always been involved with the University club, and working with 18 to 20-year-olds keeps you on your toes. You get all the bad publicity about students but I don't buy it." Diack was nearing the end of his school days when he met Margaret Potter, a farmer's daughter from Pukerau, whom he married in Gore on December 11, 1954. They bought their first home in Dunedin that same year, and both initially taught at primary schools, Diack at Caversham and his wife at Kaikorai, before sons Kim (1963) and Shane (1965) and daughter Philippa (1968) were born. The family settled in Forbury Rd, which was to remain their home for over 50 years. A passion project was Margaret's garden full of fuschias — some 150 different varieties, regularly shown off to gardening groups and passers-by — while many happy holidays and summers were spent at a crib in Otematata. His daughter said Diack found a perfect partner in Margaret. "They absolutely loved one another. Everybody tells me they were just such a team," Philippa said. "They had intellectual conversations. Dad read the paper, cover to cover, and they'd have good conversations about politics and about sport. Mum loved her rugby too. She understood the game. "He was a great dad. He was always keen to see us get ahead and do well, and he encouraged us academically and, particularly, with sport." Diack taught at John McGlashan from 1961 to 1988. He taught geography, social studies and physical education, spent 13 years as deputy principal, and coached both the cricket and rugby teams. Deerstalking and shooting — both black powder and smallbore — were interests outside rugby, and he also became a keen golfer. "You always hear about top sportspeople and their top two inches, and Dad was like that," his daughter said. "He had that mentality. He gave it everything he had." The Diacks had been happily married for 68 years when Margaret died in 2023. Tuppy Diack is survived by children Kim, Shane and Philippa, and grandchildren Libby, Morgan, Madison, Ruby and Charlotte. — Hayden Meikle
New York Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Why ‘there's no panic' about the Yankees' offense, especially Aaron Judge
NEW YORK — The 1908 New York Highlanders were an awful ball club. They finished in last place in the American League, 17 1/2 games behind the second-to-last-place team, the Washington Senators. Their hitting was atrocious, and their pitching was somehow worse. The 2025 New York Yankees found themselves in the same sentence as the 1908 Highlanders this week. Only twice in franchise history has New York had a seven-game span with seven runs scored or fewer. But despite the historically woeful weeklong stretch for the Yankees, they're unconcerned about the lack of offense and view it as a blip in a 162-game season. Advertisement 'I don't really feel like there's any major red flags in terms of what they're doing,' Yankees hitting coach James Rowson said before Wednesday's game. 'We just need to get a few balls to fall. I think we're hitting some balls hard and not getting some luck. We're probably not stringing them together quite as well as we were at one point. But that happens in the ebbs and flows of baseball. There's no panic. There's no worry from my side. I don't feel any panic or worry from our guys.' The Yankees' offense finally broke through in Thursday afternoon's game against the Los Angeles Angels. They scored seven runs, equaling their total from the previous seven games, and had 13 hard-hit balls. They snapped their scoreless streak at 30 1/3 innings Wednesday, and ended their six-game losing streak in Thursday's 7-3 win over the Angels. It was a reprieve from a truly terrible week. The lack of offense has received the most attention, but during this stretch the Yankees also made several base-running mistakes — which they did again Thursday with Austin Wells forcing Anthony Volpe to get picked off — and their lack of fundamentals has been in focus, too, with their inability to get bunts down in a few key spots. But it's the offense that has perplexed the fan base the most of late. A week's worth of games is a small sample to draw any meaningful conclusions from because one game can harshly skew the data positively or negatively. Before Thursday's game, as a whole, the Yankees had the second-worst average exit velocity in MLB during their six-game losing streak. Is that a sign the Yankees' offense is crumbling? Well, no. The larger sample of games shows the Yankees with the second-highest average exit velocity on the season. Their isolated power ranked second-to-last during the six-game losing streak. But on the season, the Yankees rank first. Advertisement Rowson understands the fans' frustration though. A lot of time and money gets invested in fandom. When the team isn't producing, fans will speak out. 'I always respect how the fans feel,' Rowson said. 'I respect that, because deep down, I'm a fan of baseball. I think it's because you care about the team and you want to see the team win. I completely get it and understand it. What I would tell them is that this is a good team, and we have good players. These guys are going to do what they normally do and not to get worried about it. Ultimately, this is a good group that's going to be there until the very end.' Aaron Judge in particular has struggled over the past week. He's in the middle of the worst stretch of his season, going 4-for-31 with two home runs, one double and 18 strikeouts. Judge had a monthlong stretch to begin last season in which he did not see results, yet ended up with the greatest season ever by a right-handed hitter. A down week shouldn't be too concerning considering his track record. During this stretch, Judge has noticeably struggled with expanding the zone. His chase percentage entering Thursday was at 36.8 percent, up from his season-long rate of 23.3 percent. He doubled in his last at-bat Thursday to finish the day 1-for-3 with a walk. 'He's the best I've ever seen,' Paul Goldschmidt said. 'He always has a chance to leave the yard. When he gets hot, watch out.' 'I do know this is the most dangerous man in baseball, and everybody else knows that,' Rowson said. 'His track record shows you he's going to catch up, and you're not going to be able to do these things forever, and he's going to do what he normally does. … I don't think he's worried about it at all. I know I'm not.' In baseball, whatever happens in one game doesn't necessarily carry over to the next one. The same applies for a week of bad baseball in a season that's now been nearly three months long. Before this losing streak, the Yankees had the best offense in the sport. It's certainly frustrating for fans to watch a week's worth of 1908 Highlanders-esque baseball, but nothing statistically suggests that the first few months of the season were a fluke, nor that this past week is who the Yankees truly are. Advertisement 'There's never been a year in baseball where you don't go have an up and down, and you don't have a rough at-bat,' Rowson said. 'You just kind of reflect on how the game has been for 100 years. It's been five or six tough games, but also know I fully expect this team to come back and do what you expect them to do. They're fully capable, and know that these guys are ready to go. 'These guys are not wearing it. They're not down. They just want to get going.'
Otago Daily Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Holes in Fiji coach's claims
Mick Byrne. Fiji coach Mick Byrne claims the New Zealand Rugby contracting system is preventing a couple of Highlanders from playing for the Pacific nation. Byrne told the FijiVillage website he was effectively hamstrung from selecting Fiji-eligible players from Super Rugby teams as their contracts stipulated they must remain eligible for the All Blacks. He said he had brief chats to Highlanders winger Jona Nareki and fullback Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens, and claimed both had expressed some interest in playing for Fiji. But his claim about the contracting system has some holes in it. The five New Zealand clubs in Super Rugby are actually allowed to nominate up to four players who are ineligible for the All Blacks. That has, for example, allowed the Highlanders to contract the services of the likes of Freddie Burns (England), Rhys Patchell (Wales) and Martin Bogado (Argentina) in recent seasons. Australian veteran James O'Connor is playing for the Crusaders despite still remaining very much eligible for the Wallabies. While most leading Fiji-eligible players would naturally lean towards representing the Drua, an ersatz national side, if they wanted to play for a New Zealand club, and the club wanted them and could prove there was a positional need, it is unlikely there would be an issue. A factor to consider is that NZR pays the wages of the Super Rugby players. Naturally, they would prefer the vast majority of them were eligible for the All Blacks. In the case of the Highlanders' outside backs, both would understandably be welcomed by Byrne, and would add real quality to the Fijian national team. It could be a moot point, though. Both Highlanders men — one of whom, Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens, is literally at a training camp with the All Blacks coaches this week — are understood to be eager to play for New Zealand. If circumstances change, especially if there is a carrot of playing at a World Cup, they could easily switch allegiance to Fiji but remain with the Highlanders. Nareki was born in Fiji but has spent most of his life in New Zealand, growing up in Whanganui, attending Feilding High School and representing New Zealand at under-20 level as well as sevens. Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens was born in Christchurch to a Fijian mum and a Dutch dad.
RNZ News
3 days ago
- Sport
- RNZ News
NZ Rugby says it isn't blocking Pacific heritage players from representing island nations
Jona Nareki in action for the Highlanders during a Super Rugby Pacific match earlier this year. Photo: Jaye Grieshaber/ActionPress Professional rugby players contracted to New Zealand-based Super Rugby clubs are free to choose which national team they wish to represent, New Zealand Rugby (NZ Rugby) has confirmed. The union made the comment following claims from the Flying Fijians head coach Mick Byrne that some Super Rugby contracts include clauses requiring players to remain eligible for the All Blacks, limiting their ability to play for Pacific Island nations. During a local radio talk show on 11 June, Byrne raised concerns that two Highlanders players - Jona Nareki and Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens - had expressed interest in playing for Fiji. Mick Byrne Photo: ©INPHO/Ben Brady Byrne, a former assistant All Blacks coach himself, said the players could not wear the white jersey due to certain clauses in their Super Rugby Pacific contracts restricting them from representing their country of heritage. "This is probably going to be controversial because I am working on something at the moment," he said on fijivillage Straight Talk With Vijay Narayan. "There are Fijian players that wanna play for us, unfortunately they can't. Their contract in New Zealand does not allow them because it says they need to be available for the All Blacks. "That holds us back because players are saying they would like to play but we cannot actually sign them." According to him, all players playing in New Zealand at the moment, regardless of their nationality, were available to play for the All Blacks - whether they are from Tongan, Samoa, Fiji, or any of the European countries. New Zealand can pick players from four or five different countries, he added. He is hoping the NZ Rugby can agree to free up Pasifika players to play for their countries of origin, especially if they have not been selected for any New Zealand team after four or five years. "We just like to have our Fijians play for Fiji," he said. "At some stage, it would be great for [NZ Rugby] to say, 'he is not going to be an All Black so we will actually release him'. And that would be a really good for NZ Rugby to do for Fiji: to be able to release a couple of players that they have not picked for five years [or] probably will not pick for the All Blacks. "It would be great for them to say they can play for Fiji and still honour their Super Rugby contracts because that's the thing the players are worried about if they come and play for us they might not get their Super Rugby contracts honoured." Byrne said he was in the process of negotiating and discussing the issue with NZR, adding that he understood a lot of the players chose to go and play for the clubs and chase the All Blacks opportunity. Photo: Dom Thomas However, NZ Rugby maintains players ultimately are the ones who can decide what national union pathway they intend to pursue. A spokesperson told RNZ Pacific on Wednesday that, while NZ Rugby could not comment on individual players, the union was clear on what it can do, including offering contracts to up to three players who may not opt to play for New Zealand. "New Zealand Rugby's five Super Rugby Pacific clubs have the ability to contract up to three 'non-New Zealand eligible players' who have already played internationally, including for Pacific Island nations Samoa, Tonga or Fiji or who have declared their intent to play internationally for a non-New Zealand national team at international level and therefore not make themselves eligible for New Zealand teams," the spokesperson said. "Players contracted in the Bunnings Warehouse NPC (National Provincial Championship) also have the freedom to choose which country they represent within World Rugby's international eligibility regulations and as with Super Rugby Pacific provides for players previously internationally capped to continue to take part in the competition." According to NZ Rugby's Pasifika Strategy, Pasifika players are very well represented in both professional and community rugby, with 36 percent of players contracted to the Black Ferns and Black Ferns Sevens and 38 percent of players contracted to the All Blacks and All Blacks Sevens identifying as Pasifika. NZ Rugby said player contracts are discussed between the player, their agent and the union they are being contracted to. "It is up to the individual players and their agents to negotiate their contracts," NZR said, responding to queries whether all contracts are the same for players. "We do not discuss individual contract details, but players have the freedom to choose what national union pathway they wish to pursue throughout their careers and make contracting decisions accordingly." Previously Pasifika heritage players were able to play for their countries eventhough they were contracted to Super Rugby teams, with the likes of Fijians such as Marika Vunibaka (Crusaders), Nemani Nadolo (Crusaders/Waratahs), Aisea Tuilevu (Highlanders) and Rupeni Caucau (Blues). NZ Rugby said it was still doing the same with current or previously capped players playing in this year's competition. "Ere Enari and Jordan Lay are both Samoan-capped players taking part in SRP 2025 for New Zealand Super clubs. "Fetuli Paea, Sione Havili, James Lay are also recent examples. In addition to Pasifika, we also have Brad Shields capped by England and Jonny McNicol capped by Wales playing in 2025." Both World Rugby and SANZAAR (South Africa, New Zealand, Australia and Argentina Rugby), the body which oversees Super Rugby and The Rugby Championship competitions in rugby union, confirmed they do not have any say on contracts between players, unions and clubs. "This is not really a matter for World Rugby. The release of players for international duty is clearly defined by Regulation 9. Any release outside of those parameters is negotiated between the union and the competition," World Rugby said in response to RNZ Pacific's query. SANZAAR said they are a tournament management and administration organisation providing operations and services to its joint venture partners. "We do not manage or have oversight of player eligibility," it said. "These come under the auspices of the national unions who govern player movements and contacting is association with their major provincial unions or clubs." NZ Rugby said it has been supportive of moves to assist Pasifika rugby, working with World Rugby and the island nations of Fiji, Samoa and Tonga, as was seen in their support of the Fijian Drua and Moana Pasifika set-ups for Super Rugby Pacific. '"New Zealand Rugby supported the change to World Rugby eligibility regulation 8 which took effect in 2022, allowing previously international capped players to transfer from one union to another, subject to demonstrating a close and credible link via birthright," the union stated. "Specifically, a player can transfer their eligibility to a new country if they, or one of their parents or grandparents, were born there, provided there is a 36-month stand-down period and approval from the World Rugby Regulations Committee. There have been a number of examples of this since the regulation changed which NZR have welcomed. "NZR was a strong supporter of the establishment of both Moana Pasifika and the Fijian Drua into Super Rugby Pacific with the purpose of establishing a professional high-performance pathway for the national teams of Samoa, Tonga and Fiji." Fiji, Samoa and Tonga have all been working on securing their best players for upcoming internationals. Byrne has named the Flying Fijians squad to prepare for Tests against the Wallabies and Scotland in July. Manu Samoa have also named a squad to prepare for a one of Test against Scotland in Auckland next month plus the Pacific Nations Cup series in August. Tonga is yet to name its squad but indications are they will miss a number of players committed to playing the National Provincial Championship competition over the next four months.
New York Times
4 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Yankees ‘feel the pressure' as scoreless streak hits 29 innings, nears franchise worst
NEW YORK — The 35,278 fans at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday night had mostly scattered for the exits by the time Paul Goldschmidt struck out in the ninth inning. Those who stayed mustered light boos, matching the New York Yankees' energy on the field over the past three games. The Yankees lost 4-0 to the Los Angeles Angels and were shut out for the third consecutive game. It's the first time since September 2016 that the Yankees have not scored across three games, and their scoreless streak sits at 29 innings, dating to the ninth inning of Saturday's game against the Boston Red Sox. If the Yankees get shut out Wednesday, they will set a franchise record of 38 scoreless innings. Advertisement The 1908 New York Highlanders hold the record for the longest stretch without scoring at 37 innings. Unlike the 1972 Miami Dolphins, who famously celebrated the fall of the last unbeaten NFL team with champagne, there will be no such victory toast from the Highlanders if the Yankees get shut out Wednesday. They're all dead. 'I think it's always a certain point where it's not necessarily going your way and you feel it, and we kind of feel this extra pressure to get the job done,' Yankees center fielder Cody Bellinger said. 'At the end of the day, it's the same game. We've had good conversations. We're going to have good conversations. We're going to keep going, keep playing for each other and get out of this thing.' The Yankees entered Tuesday's game with the second-best offense in MLB by wRC+. Only the Los Angeles Dodgers were better. This game was a great opportunity for the Yankees to wake their bats up, as the Angels started Kyle Hendricks, who has the worst ERA among all starting pitchers who've thrown at least 200 innings since the start of the 2024 season. Hendricks has the worst Stuff+ for any starting pitcher this season. So, this wasn't a matter of the Yankees facing an ace. But the Yankees' offense made Hendricks turn back the clock to 2016, when he finished third in the National League Cy Young Award voting. Hendricks pitched six scoreless innings, holding the Yankees to just four hits and one walk. Hendricks racked up nine strikeouts, the most he's had in a game since August 2020. Yankees manager Aaron Boone credited Hendricks for being a different pitcher from what major leaguers typically see. Hendricks' fastball topped out at 89.2 mph, with his slowest four-seamer clocking in at 85.7 mph. Boone felt his club was trying to do too much at the plate in Tuesday's game, sensing the weight of the scoreless streak. Advertisement 'We are one of the best offenses in the league and have had a tough few days,' Boone said. 'I felt maybe pressing a little bit. Hendricks, I thought was good, kind of rocking us back and forth. I thought he had a really good presence on both sides. The sinker was good, and then really changing speeds. But, maybe feeling like, 'Hey, (we) got to get something going, and we got to let it happen. We got to go up and just really focus on having quality at-bats, and that will happen. We'll get there, and hopefully (Wednesday's) that day.' Tuesday's loss was the first out of the shutouts in which the at-bat quality was dreadful. The Yankees had just five hard-hit balls on the night. Of their 33 plate appearances, in only 12 of those did a Yankees batter see at least five pitches. Boone called the Yankees' ability to make opposing pitchers work one of their hallmarks. The Yankees see the sixth-most pitches per plate appearance this season and lead MLB in walk percentage. But where the Yankees truly shine is their ability to make damage contact, which they had over the past five days before Tuesday's game. Over that stretch, which includes the 1-0 win over the Kansas City Royals, the Yankees had 40 hard-hit outs, which led MLB, and were second in xwOBA, a measure of contact quality. That is to say, the Yankees should be fine. Their offense likely won't crater. 'I think it's a little bit more highlighted because it's consecutive games,' Yankees catcher Austin Wells said. 'I think it's just baseball. I think we've hit some hard balls. We've had some strikeouts, some weak contact, and I think we've just been playing the game, and I think we need to do that. I don't think there's any reason to change up what we were doing before. I think it's just kind of part of the season, and everyone has the confidence to go out there and put up as many (runs) as we need to.' This offensive abyss has also coincided with Aaron Judge's first slump of the season. He's now 2 for his last 20 with 13 strikeouts. He's expanded the strike zone more than he usually does, and teams have attacked him with spin. There's not a hitter alive who fans should worry about less when it comes to breaking out of a cold stretch than Judge, but his struggles are only magnified when the Yankees are struggling to score. Advertisement There should be perspective here, though. The Yankees have not suddenly forgotten how to hit. They have not turned into the worst club in the sport. For those more pessimistic: The only team to win the World Series after getting shut out in three consecutive games was the 1913 Philadelphia A's. There's no doubt that these past five games watching this Yankees offense has likely caused some fans to pull their hair out. It's now on the Yankees to avoid franchise futility and prove that this is merely a blip across a 162-game season. 'It's always shocking to see our group not score runs, especially a few days in a row now,' Boone said. (Top photo of Aaron Judge: Brad Penner / Imagn Images)
