The New York City Marathon made history on Sunday, shattering records as 55,646 runners crossed the finish line in Central Park and making it the world’s largest marathon. The race exceeded the previous record set by the Berlin Marathon, which had seen 54,280 finishers in September. Along the marathon route, some clever (and definitely cheeky) sign-wielding spectators took the opportunity to throw a little shade at the Bronx Bombers.

Let’s just say, the signs weren’t exactly celebrating the Yankees’ recent performance. In fact, some were downright pointed, poking fun at the team’s playoff woes and postseason heartbreaks. In classic New York style, marathon spectators couldn’t resist taking jabs at the Yankees, turning the event into a cheeky roast of the team’s recent postseason disappointment. Two signs, in particular, got major attention as they left both runners and onlookers laughing: One sign read, “Run faster than Gerrit Cole ran to the first”, a clear reference to the Yankees’ ace pitcher’s infamous misstep in Game 5 of the ALDS, when he failed to cover first base on a crucial play.   

Another sign took aim at the Yankees’ postseason collapse: “Keep going. This can’t be worse than Yankees 5th”. A perfect jab at New York’s dramatic meltdown in the fifth inning of their playoff game, when they squandered a 5-0 lead and allowed the series to slip through their fingers. Fans found humor in how the runners’ struggles could never rival the agony of watching that historic collapse. It wasn’t only the fans that agreed that this season Yankee’s defense was off. 

New York Yankees’ General Manager shares a similar sentiment

At the annual General Managers meetings this week, Yankees GM Brian Cashman opened up about the team’s disappointing performance in the World Series, acknowledging several key factors that contributed to their five-game defeat to the Dodgers. While Cashman was quick to give credit to the Dodgers, he didn’t shy away from pointing out that his own team fell short when it mattered most.

In a candid reflection, Cashman admitted, “This year’s team wasn’t the best defensive team we’ve had,” acknowledging the Yankees’ struggles in the field throughout the season. The errors and baserunning mistakes were among the most glaring issues that fans and analysts pointed to during the Fall Classic, where the Yankees’ usually dependable defense and base-stealing prowess seemed out of sync.

But Cashman didn’t stop there – he also suggested that the Yankees’ biggest problem was that the team simply didn’t perform at its peak during the World Series. “We didn’t give everyone our best shot,” he said, adding, “The Dodgers won the World Series, and I congratulate them. They played great baseball. But for us, we only have a small window to do that, and we just didn’t execute when it counted.” The 2023 World Series loss marks a tough moment for Cashman and the Yankees, who have now seen their championship window shrink after another disappointing postseason exit.