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Yankees owner apologizes to fans: 'Didn't even come close' to World Series

Alex Trautwig / Major League Baseball / Getty

New York Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner believes fans of the team deserved better in 2020.

"We all felt that we had a team that could win a championship and we failed to do that. We didn't even come close," Steinbrenner told ESPN's "The Michael Kay Show" on Tuesday.

"So at this point in time, all I can do is apologize to our fans. They deserved a better outcome than they got, period."

The Yankees were bounced from the postseason last week after losing to the Tampa Bay Rays in five games in the American League Division Series. New York suffered the early exit despite boasting baseball's highest payroll during the shortened season, according to Spotrac.

Steinbrenner gave manager Aaron Boone, who has a 2021 team option, a vote of confidence.

"Aaron Boone will be back next year. That's just a fact," said Steinbrenner, according to Bryan Hoch of MLB.com.

Steinbrenner also praised general manager Brian Cashman's performance.

"It's been good. We're just going to have to keep plugging away," Steinbrenner added.

He also said the season was costly for the organization without spectators allowed at Yankee Stadium.

"There's no doubt we sustained significant losses this year. More so than any other team in baseball," the Yankees chairman said, according to The Athletic's Lindsey Adler.

It's now been 11 years since the Yankees won their 27th World Series in franchise history. The 2010s marked the first decade in which New York didn't win a title.

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