For years, fairly or not, the Yankees have been criticized for a lack of fundamentals.

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This offseason, Hal Steinbrenner pointed out poor baserunning as a point of emphasis, noting, “We’ve made a change there, coaching-wise, and we’re going to expect better results this coming year.”

That change resulted in the dismissal of Travis Chapman and the promotion of Dan Fiorito, who previously served as the organization’s infield/outfield coordinator after managing in the minors.

That followed a four-year minor league career after signing with the Yankees as a free agent.