I recently labeled Oswaldo Cabrera, The Wizard of Os.
The reason being that there is nothing that this kid just can’t do.
You ask him to play shortstop he does it. You ask him to play anywhere in the outfield and he does it. He has even played first & third base and says that he is willing to pitch and catch. I must add that last season he even made one of the top ten defensive plays in baseball while playing the outfield.
One of the greatest Yankees ever to do community service was the wonderful Gio Urshela. There was nothing that Gio wouldn’t do for the kids of the Bronx. I must add that for the three years that he was a Yankee, he never said no when It came to helping the kids. When Gio got traded it was a sad day for a lot of Bronx kids. They felt like they lost that personal connection with the Yanks that Gio brought to them.
Then one day Oswaldo volunteered to visit a school in one of the toughest areas of the Bronx and a new love affair started. Oswaldo visited the children and showed them that giant smile of his, spoke to them in both English and Spanish and just knew the right things to say.
Through the years I have made this kind of visit with players named Munson and Murcer and Jackson and Piniella and Jeter, Torres, and of course Gio. I can honestly say that Oswaldo has left a beautiful impression with these children. Especially when after a visit he would hit a grand slam that night. The kids took that performance on the field that night as a personal gift. His picture hangs alongside those players that I have mentioned and a day doesn’t pass that the Principal Louis Torres from CS 55 doesn’t call or text me to schedule another visit with Oswaldo.
This weekend the Yes Network had their annual spring training gala for their sponsors. It was a beautiful event that was enjoyed by everyone present. The food was delicious the camaraderie was great because it gave the suits from Yes a chance to give their customers a personal experience with the Yankees Universe.
A wonderful touch was the fact that all present got to enjoy a great Q&A that was hosted by Meredith Merokovich and Michael Kay. The three guest stars were David Cone, Willie Randolph, and the guy that was truly the big hit of the night… Oswaldo Cabrera!
Cone and Randolph were just terrific. Their storytelling was right on. With those two guys, what you see is what you get. However, everyone fell in love with Oswaldo. He reminded me of Desi Arnaz from I love Lucy. He was extremely charming and funny and just so humble and proud to be a Yankee.
As I looked around the room and saw the faces of all the people including John J Filipelli The head of the Yes Network, I could tell that this kid had won their hearts.
I guess that’s why from this moment on this kid has earned the nickname… THE WIZARD Of Os!
