Even with Greg Bird struggling in his return to the bigs, it is not a viable thought that he could, or should, be going anywhere.
Patience is a virtue, a phrase spoken by many of people over the course of human existence. Yet somehow, sports fans just don’t seem to find much meaning in that wise phrase.
This past week, fans have been lighting their torches, getting ready to rip Greg Bird whenever they get the chance. Some are panicking. Some are demanding he is sent down. There are even some, who have raised the idea that it may be time to give up on him.
That’s where I come into play. I’m here to urge the readers of Unhinged Yankees to practice some patience with Greg Bird. Before you stop reading this article due to me being on my proverbial patience pedestal l, please don’t for I have solid reasons.
100 Plate Appearances
Greg Bird is playing his first baseball in months and has yet to even reach 100 plate appearances. By all means, if he gets to 150 and is still performing poorly, I will understand some frustration. Until he gets to 100 though, I urge you to think about sample size. This is simply not enough time to judge a player, especially one who hadn’t played in months.
A Viable Backup
Who is going to back up Bird if he gets sent down right now? Neil Walker? He could, but his versatility is important to the Yankees. Brandon Drury? He has never played first base and just cause he is starting to now, does not mean he is even remotely ready to play it. Next. Tyler Austin? If you think Tyler Austin is a better player than Greg Bird, I’m fairly certain you stopped reading this article a few paragraphs ago.
The Yankees Love Greg Bird
Greg Bird has long been a favorite of the Yankees brass (not including the clown who question his drive to play last year). Greg Bird is also 25-years-old. Combine those two things and you’ve got yourself a player that ownership will be very patient with. Brian Cashman has made that very known, for a long time.
Bird is a potential 30 home-run threat. Those guys don’t grow on trees. You don’t just abandon them, especially when you don’t have a viable backup.
The Yankees winning so much has also made this easier for them. They can afford to ride a player out because they are still performing at a high level. If this goes on all season, the Yankees will find a solution but for now, in the words of Aaron Boone, “Hopefully he’ll start dude-ing up sooner or later”
They will not continue to win with Bird and Shancez batting under 200 and starting, with Walker under 200 as one of their key subs and Judge batting under 190 on the road. Let’s ask this question: when are they going to get a hitting coach that has a clue about how to hit and make adjustments?