"I’m an Astro, bro," Reggie Jackson, a special advisor to Houston owner Jim Crane, told Mark Berman of Fox 26 last week at Minute Maid Park. "The pinstripes get heavy sometimes."

It is not, therefore, a new emotion to be exhausted by the unrealistic expectations and anger that follows when those expectations aren’t met. Even Mr. October felt the weight of it. But even before the Astros swept the Yankees in the ALCS last weekend, the clubhouse and front office had quietly noticed that the external energy surrounding the team felt as angry as it has been in ages.

If you’re Aaron Judge, booed in the playoffs days after setting an American League home run record, why wouldn’t you prefer sunny Los Angeles or familiar San Francisco?

And if you’re a free agent talking to your friends already on the team, why would you subject yourself to the experiences they describe?

You won’t find any Yankee players willing to offer a quote criticizing fan culture, but I’ll pass along these observations after embedding with the team throughout a difficult month.

First, this is not a criticism of folks who feel angry and disappointed that they don’t get to cheer for their team in the World Series. It’s just an objective truth that the team is taken aback by the level of negativity hitting them after a division title and 99-win season. Those feelings could have real consequences for the roster.