When Yankees Manager Aaron Boone delivered an emotional tirade (including a few expletives) towards umpire Brennan Miller last month in a game against the Rays at Yankee Stadium, the video of the exchange went viral. Boone could be heard in tirade telling Miller that “My guys are f***ing savages in that f***ing box”, a phrase that has become a rallying cry for the Yankees and it has led to the sale of t-shirts (licensed and unlicensed) that have been gobbled up by fans.
The Yankees even departed for their current road trip wearing “Savages” shirts and now the whole savage mania has led to a series of bobblehead dolls from FOCO.com. There are four bobbleheads in the set including, of course, Aaron Boone along with Brett Gardner (not smacking the roof of the dugout with a bat), D.J. LeMahieu, Luke Voit, and Edwin Encarnacion.
Once it became apparent that Yankee fans were all over the “Savages” moniker, FOCO went to work on the bobbleheads.
“We wanted to wait until the team and fan base really made it clear that this would have a positive spin,” said Anthony Davino, Marketing Coordinator-Licensing at FOCO.
Having a phrase like “Savages” attached to a team is nothing new. Over the course of sports history, many teams have embraced added monikers that described the team’s personality. Some examples are the Detroit Pistons teams of the late 1880’s who were referred to as the “Bad Boys”, the Cincinnati Reds of the 1970’s were the “Big Red Machine”, the Los Angeles Rams defensive line of the 1960’s were known as the “Fearsome Foursome” and the Philadelphia Flyers of the 1970’s were called the “Broad Street Bullies”.
Of course, “Savages” wouldn’t be the first time the Yankees have had an added nickname as they’ve historically been called the “Bronx Bombers” but the haters have also referred to the 27-time World Champions as the “Evil Empire”.
As far as “Savages” is concerned, it’s another example of how FOCO has been able to capture a phrase like this or even an iconic sports moment and turn it into a collectible keepsake. Once it becomes apparent that it’s something that’s creating attention locally or nationally, the company will get the product into the marketplace.
And that’s the case now with the Yankees “Savages” bobbleheads.
“We don’t jump on every moment as soon as it happens in case it is not perceived in a positive light,” said Davino. “We were fortunate here that the slogan stuck and we could capitalize on the opportunity, even one month after the fact. Anytime you put a player or manager’s likeness to something we think it hits a little closer to home, so we are confident they will take a strong presence in the sports licensed world.”
Fans who are interested in the “Savages” bobbleheads can buy them individually and if they buy three or more, they can use the code “SAVAGES15” to get 15% off their total purchase.
Time will tell as to how the final chapter of the 2019 Yankees season will be written. With the best record in the American League, the Yankees/Bronx Bombers/Evil Empire/Savages are one of the favorites to get to and win the World Series. If they capture championship number 28 in franchise history, FOCO will certainly have some new bobbleheads to commemorate that accomplishment.
But for now, the Yankees are all about being “Savages” and these new bobbleheads are nodding in approval!
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