Off Day Rambling

the last off day for over a week (weather permitting) - on the day we have remembered the iconic Mick- I started thinking about how great being a Yankee fan has been for 69 years and countoing. The privilege of watching - hold on first experiences were mainly radio games & reading newspapers on this aspect I appreciate the technology that brings nearly every Yankee game to us on television. The best part has been watching so many players grow & mature. Obviously Mick was just a shy kid coming up - followed by Tom Tresh, Tony Kubek, Whitey Ford. Watching Ellie Howard become the first Yankee to break the 'color barrier' - he was such a warm young man with a great family and so much talent. somewhere I have a beautiful letter from his wife following his early death. In the 60's Mel Stottlemyre arrived on the scene - one of the most underrated, underappreciated lefties. In the 70's we got to watch Ron Guidry & Thurman Munson rise to the top. Don Mattingly came on the scene in the 80's - sadly the closest he came to the WS was being on the 1st Wild Card team and the blown game in Seattle - that would be his last game as he quietly told Yankees on their plane ride back to NY - which set up the Tino Martinez deal. . The early 90s brought Bernie Williams to patrol center field setting the groundwork for the arrival of the Core 4 Jeter, Rivera, Pettitte and Posada. Teo are now HOF members (the Captain's induction deferred to 2021). This group giving us 4/5. Bringing up the homegrown kids to blend with veterans has set the tone success, mystic and aura that is the New York Yankees. Bret Gardner came up through the system and is the last member of the '09 WS winners-possibly in his final season - as we see him struggling much like the final year of Bernie Williams' playing.
In recent years we have seen the arrival of Sanchez, Judge, Torres, Andjuar, Severino and others. They have theirs up & down, injuries have hampered their careers. Then we have Clint Frazier who was called up again following Stanton's IL Clint is the perfect example of watching a player mature and grow. His immature attitude last season following a bad outing refusing to face the media in spite of Yankee policy. His attitude when he was sent back down to AAA - fast forward to 2020 and the craziness that has happened. We have seen a mature young man who now is handling those PCs - just listening to him and the responsible attitude he demonstrates during this COVID time. When he was assigned to whatever they call S/WB, he wasn't happy but was determined to do whatever he could to be ready if or when he would be called up. That came Monday and he made his 2020 debut in the Bronx with a 3 hit night including a long ball in his first at bat. Part of that immaturity could be the result of not bein. g groomed in the Yankee minor system from the beginning. We got to see how much training not just for playing, but for dealing with the media and what is expected off the field. Not all players adhere to these ethics like Domingo but the Yankees are known for second chances

Bottom line it has been a great ride watching so many young men mature and develop - I look forward to watching these guys mesh and see how far they will take us - to #28 and beyond