Yankee Fans Pour Beer on Astros Manager A.J. Hinch’s Family: New York’s Ugly Side Comes Out in Classless Incident

NEW YORK — It seems like a completely new day at Yankee Stadium, almost like the Houston Astros are getting a fresh start in Game 5. The cold, gloomy feel is gone — temperatures are nearly 20 degrees warmer than they were for Games 3 and 4 — and the sunny afternoon made for a postcard perfect day in the city.

But some of the stink remains from the Astros’ first two days in the Bronx. And some of that stink is literal.

Astros manager A.J. Hinch revealed to reporters on Wednesday that his family was doused in beer by Yankee fans during Game 3. Booing Jose Altuve relentlessly is one thing. But going after someone’s family? Beyond classless.

Hinch and his wife Erin have two daughters, Haley and Kaitlin. Most of the Astros’ families are in the Bronx to experience the excitement of the American League Championship Series. No one expects to go to a game and get an unwelcome beer shower. And no one should.

A.J. Hinch is a former Major League catcher, he knows the score. This is not a guy who overreacts to the typical fan venom. In fact, this Stanford graduate does not mind engaging in a little banter with almost anyone. Hinch is not a complainer. But it’s clear he feels Yankee fans have gone way over the line in this playoff series — and not just with the completely uncalled for beer dousing.

When Yankees hero Aaron Judge doubles off the wall in the eighth inning in Game 4 to complete the Yankees comeback from a 4-0 deficit, the fans started throwing things on the field. Hinch went out to the field to talk to the umpires — and he’s made it clear he will not sit by if there is another repeat.

“I told them if we don’t get a hold of this, I’m going to pull my team off the field and we’ll make a big spectacle of it,” Hinch said.

So much for Yankee fans being world class. It only takes a small number of idiots to skew a franchise’s fan reputation. I worked in the New York for almost 10 years out of college  — and met some of my closest friends to this day during that time period. New Yorkers often get a bad rap. I’ve witnessed Yankee fans giving Astro fans help on which subway to take numerous times this week. And bad things can happen in any big stadium.

But when a manager’s family is getting covered in beer, there’s no excusing it. Everyone deserves better than that.