During Spring Training many players are just trying to get in shape and not take crazy chances on the field until the second and sometimes the third week of the spring.
I remember one time years ago a ball was hit to one of our superstar outfielders with a runner on second and two outs and the game on the line. Rather than make a possible great play he let the ball drop and we lost the game. Afterward, he said that during spring training it’s not worth the effort.
The reason I mention this is because yesterday in the second inning the Washington Nationals had a runner on second and two outs and their batter hit a sharp line drive to left-center field and out of nowhere the Yankees Center fielder Harrison Bader dove through the air with the greatest of ease to make a great catch to save a run.
For me, the significance of the play was that there were young kids in the stands with aspirations of one day being a professional baseball player. Joe Dimaggio, the first great Yankee Center fielder once said that he played hard every game because there might be a kid at the park watching him for the first time and that first impression was important.
Later in the game, Bader would hit a triple and again it was the spring training hustle that impressed the fans, especially the young ones.
One kid was asking, did you see him fly. Another kid didn’t have to say anything because his eyes told the story. After the triple one kid screamed out… hey mom Bader is from the Bronx like me!
Some players can be big brawny guys with massive muscles and pure natural ability, but Bader represents the majority of kids who have a dream. He represents the fact that with hard work dreams can come true.
I also love the fact that Harrison Bader also represents the Bronx and all the kids in it. There are so many kids in the Bronx that feel like they are already born with two strikes and can’t get the big hit in life. Many feel like they are losers. I know the feeling because I was one of those kids. It was a Yankee Centerfielder named Bobby Murcer who inspired me to the point where I started to believe in myself… later I would befriend another player named Thurman Munson whose simple pat on the back made me feel like l was somebody.
We are lucky to have Harrison Bader on the Yankees, especially playing our most storied position … Centerfield … Mentor to our kids!
