Bubba Links
Baseball Links
Because how can you not love a baseball player named "Bubba"?
May 30, 2006: N.Y. Yankees 11, Detroit 6
A closer game than you'd think from the score. The game went 11 innings. Mo pitched three of them (but it was only 25 pitches). The Yanks finally won it in the 11th, scoring five runs. One was a homer by Giambi, but the rest were manufactured via singles, sacrifices, and walks. Nice work, guys!
I'm really liking the mix of youth and experience, contact and power, the Yankees have this year. There's something special about this team. Very frustrating that Bubba's not part of it at the moment.
Speaking of Bubba, there's conflicting news on his progress. Some sources are saying he's on track to return when he's eligible:
Outfielder Bubba Crosby is expected to play in an extended-spring-training game today as he recovers from a hamstring pull. Crosby could be back with the Yankees by the weekend.
New York will likely be without backup outfielder Bubba Crosby until at least the middle part of next week. He has been on the disabled list with a hamstring injury since May 19.
"It's getting close," Crosby said in Tampa, Fla.
Crosby hopes to play in an extended spring training game this weekend. He took batting practice and fly balls Wednesday, and is expected to start running the bases within the next couple of days.
May 29, 2006: N.Y. Yankees 4, Detroit 0
Well, maybe Detroit's not so tough after all. Randy Johnson looked like he was heading for a no-hitter for awhile there. (Curse you, Pudge Rodriguez.) It was good to see him his old, dominating self again. Perhaps it was the heat. It was a crushingly hot, humid day. (I happened to be passing through Michigan that day, and the heat and humidity were positively brutal.) Randy always says he pitches better when it's hot.
Today's Bubba flashback is this scouting report from his Columbus Clippers days, dated January 22, 2004:
Crosby's Peripherals Are Salivating!
Bubba Crosby was acquired by the Yankees in a deal that sent Robin Ventura to the Dodgers. In limited AB’s he posted both a high AVG and SLG%, making him a valuable asset if Kenny Lofton goes down this season. His peripheral numbers for the Dodgers' AAA team were phenomenal! Take a look at the XBH percentage and all the other numbers and you can see the Yankees got themselves a decent player.
Level Team OBP% AVG. SLG% BB/PA XBH AB AAA Columbus .302 .366 .460 .090 26.3 63 AAA Las Vegas .361 .410 .635 .090 44.0 277
May 27, 2006: N.Y. Yankees 15, Kansas City 4
May 28, 2006: N.Y. Yankees 6, Kansas City 5
Well, the Yanks got their revenge in game 2, running up the score. But game 3 was surprisingly close. It's kind of embarrassing that after jumping out to a 6-0 lead, we ended up having to put Mo in the hold a one-run lead. Against the Royals. Oy. I was hoping for a sweep.
Next up: possibly the best team in the AL, the Detroit Tigers. Should be interesting...
Today's Bubba flashback...this article from June 26, 2003, about the 2003 Triple-A All-Star game.
The PCL roster also includes the game's only .400 hitter in Las Vegas outfielder Bubba Crosby, who is currently batting .412...
May 26, 2006: Kansas City 7, N.Y. Yankees 6
I can't believe we lost to the flippin' KC Royals. Christ on a crutch.
More than once during this game, my friends and I looked at each as a ball dropped in, and said, "Bubba would have gotten that."
Sigh. Get well soon, Bubba. We need you.
Bubba news from MLB.com
Crosby update: Torre said that outfielder Bubba Crosby, placed on the disabled list with a strained right hamstring on May 19, may be sent on a rehabilitation assignment in three to four days.
LOS ANGELES - The Los Angeles Dodgers announced that outfielder Bubba Crosby and left-handed reliever Steve Colyer, who both helped Triple-A Las Vegas compile a 20-7 record, have been selected as the organization's April Minor League Player and Pitcher of the Month, respectively, according to Director, Player Development Bill Bavasi.
Crosby batted a Pacific Coast League-best .407 during April, collecting 33 hits, including eight doubles, four triples and five home runs in 26 games.
In addition, he had 18 RBI, scored 22 runs and turned in four three-hit contests. Crosby, the Dodgers' No. 1 pick in the June 1998 First-Year Player Draft out of Rice University, made starts at all three outfield positions in April as well as serving as a designated hitter. Of his first 11 hits this season, eight went for extra bases.
...Each Dodger minor league manager nominates players from his team for the monthly honors with the minor league coordinators selecting the winners.
Newsday's "On the Yankees Beat" blog covers Leftfield Auditions today:
Bubba Crosby
The underdog. Would be the best defensive option, for sure. He's currently on the 15-day disabled list because of a hamstring injury, but the Yankees expect him back when he's eligible to come off next week. Unfortunately for Bubba, it also hurts him that he brings good things off the bench -- speed, defense, ability to bunt.
Crosby starting to show potential
Former first-round pick blistering ball for 51s
He had it all, they said of Bubba Crosby. Speed to burn. Power to spare. And drive. No one worked harder or wanted it more.
When Crosby left Rice University in 1998 and signed with the Dodgers after being their first-round draft choice, there seemed little question he would be an impact player in Los Angeles before too long.
They're still waiting five years later. And finally, perhaps for the first time in his pro career, Crosby is showing that maybe the Dodgers knew what they were doing when they drafted him.
Crosby is scorching the ball to begin the Pacific Coast League season. He ripped an RBI double to right-center field on the first pitch he saw Monday in the 51s' 9-7 victory over the Edmonton Trappers at Cashman Field.
It continued a white hot start for the 26-year-old, whose success has come sporadically in previous stints at Triple A. But after five games, he already has four doubles, three triples, a home run and a slugging percentage of 1.200.
Crosby, though, said he doesn't want to get too high despite his blazing start. He said his key has been staying on an even keel and approaching every at-bat the same way.
"I try not to think about it too much because I know this is a game of failure," Crosby said of his quick start. "Your days of not getting hits are going to come. If that wasn't the case, there would be a lot more people in professional baseball and it would be a lot easier game. It's a tough game and you know the bad days are going to come.
"The ones who survive are the ones who stay consistent and make the adjustments. You have to be able to pull yourself out when things aren't going well. I'm trying to create a mental picture of what I'm doing now 24/7."
Crosby was a heralded home run hitter at Rice, where he teamed with current Houston Astros slugger Lance Berkman to give the Owls one of the most formidable outfields in college baseball. Crosby hit 25 home runs in his final year at Rice and had 59 in 173 college games.
It didn't take Crosby long as a pro to find out an important fact: He wasn't going to be a home run hitter.
He had to learn to do the things that caused the Dodgers to select him. He's working on his bunting to take advantage of his speed. He's no longer looking to pull every pitch as he was at Rice.
"I never knew how to go the other way with the pitch because I tried to pull everything," Crosby said. "This year is the first year I've learned to do everything. I'm hitting it where it's pitched. I've learned how to not just become a dominant opposite-field hitter but also not become a dominant pull hitter. I just try to be a gap-to-gap, line-drive kind of a guy.
"I don't go up there at all looking for a home run like I used to. I know if I can make solid contact with the ball, especially in these parks, I'm going to get one every once in a while. ... I try to utilize my speed when I can and that's pretty much been my secret."
No game today, but there is a bit of Bubba news.
From YES:
Bubba Crosby’s hamstring is feeling much better and the outfielder should be able to come off the 15-day disabled list when he’s eligible on June 3. Before returning to the team, Crosby would like to play in a couple minor-league games just to make sure he’s 100 percent. This is Crosby’s first time on the disabled list.
Bubba is an incredible backup outfielder, would be a starter on many teams, and is gold-glove worthy. He also hits better when he gets at-bats. He hit over .300 last September.
May 24, 2006: N.Y. Yankees 8, Boston 6
Yee-hah! Against all odds, the Baby Bombers (AKA as the New York Clippees) have taken two out of three from the Boston Red Sox. Highlight of the game: Farnsy Ks Big Papi with bases loaded in the 8th.
And it was the bottom of the order that came through in this game. Even T-Long had a good game. I just wish Bubba could have been a part of it. I know he'd have contributed.
Today's Bubba flashback is to a year and a half after he was drafted by the Dodgers. He kept a blog at this minor league site:
At the Yard Alumni: Bubba Crosby
Yes, I know there are a lot of imposters out there, but I think this one's legit. Pretty short blog, but articulate and interesting. I was particularly amused at one entry where he's complaining that he does all the cleaning while his roommates think he doesn't do any. I think all of us who have had roommates (in college or whatever) can relate to that! ;-)
I passed through Pittsburgh yesterday, with a friend who is a Pirates fan. She was at Forbes Field when Bill Mazeroski hit the game 7 walkoff homerun that won the World Series for the Pirates in 1960. Back then, even World Series games were played during the day. And they let people in free after the fourth inning. She was a kid at the time, and would run over after school, just in time to get in free. (Now, of course, most parents would be pretty leary of letting their little girls go a sports stadium alone. It really was a different world.)
Forbes Field is no more, replaced by an office building. However, they did save one wall. You can see it in this photo I took:
Click on the image for a larger version, and you can just see the distance label still there.
Bubba reminds me just a bit of Maz ("the Glove"), being a player known for defense. Maybe one day he'll get a chance to hit a walkoff homer in Game 7 of the World Series. Hey, I can dream, can't I?
May 22, 2006: Boston 9, N.Y. Yankees 5
This one seemed out of reach from the beginning. A late rally made it seem closer than it was. If 9-5 can be thought of as close. Not an auspicious beginning.
Bubba was photographed in the dugout by AP: 
Randy Johnson, Bubba Crosby, Melky Cabrera, and Robinson Cano hang on the dugout railing and watch in the ninth inning of their baseball game against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park in Boston Monday, May 22, 2006. The Yankees lost to the Red Sox, 9-5.
May 21: N.Y. Mets 4, N.Y. Yankees 3
Another very close game, and a heartbreaker of a loss. On the bright side, every game in this series was close, when many expected the Yanks to be blown away. We took one of three, and could have taken them all, with a little more luck. I'm feeling good about this team.
Not much Bubba news while he's on the DL, so I'm going to post some old articles about him. I'm going to try for roughly chronological order, but I'm not all that organized, so it won't be exact.
First up: this article from the NY Times. I'm putting it first because it discusses Bubba's high school years. Did you know he was coached by Chuck Knoblauch's father? And that teenaged Bubba was a pitcher in high school - the ace that led his team to a state championship?
Current and Ex-Yankee United by a Coach
By JACK CURRY
BOSTON, April 16, 2004 — They have a bond that is loose yet strong. They played baseball for the same high school, a decade apart. They were deeply influenced by the same coach, who was the father of one of them. They both made it to the major leagues and played for the Yankees. One is still here, while the other is not and does not miss it.
Bubba Crosby is the one who is still here, barely hanging on to his roster spot as the Yankees get ready to activate Travis Lee. Chuck Knoblauch is the occasional mentor, the more accomplished graduate of Bellaire High School in Houston and the son of the man who taught Crosby to throw a curveball.
Now that the 35-year-old Knoblauch is in his second year of retirement, he watches more baseball from his couch in Houston than he did while he was playing for 12 seasons. When Knoblauch sees Crosby play, he smiles. He smiles because he knows Crosby and, just as important, because he loves Crosby's style.
"Not that there aren't other guys who can play the game the right way, but he does play it the right way," Knoblauch said. "There aren't many guys who will run into a fence because they're worried about all the money they make. Bubba is all about baseball. He's a throwback."
There is another profound reason Knoblauch relishes Crosby's success, something any child who has lost a parent could understand. Knoblauch's father, Ray, who died two years ago after battling Alzheimer's disease, was the pitching coach for Bellaire in 1994, and Crosby was the ace who powered the team to a state title.
So when Knoblauch thinks of the dozens of players his father affected, he has fond thoughts of Crosby, who may have been one of the final players who benefited from his father's coaching wisdom. Shortly after Bellaire's title, the Knoblauchs noticed that Ray was slurring his speech, and the doctors' appointments started. In a way, Crosby's inspired play is a link to Ray, too.
"That was probably the last year that he was really effective as a coach," Chuck Knoblauch said in a telephone interview. "He started having trouble completing his sentences after that. My dad knew pitching. He helped a lot of those kids."
When Crosby, an underdog 27-year-old outfielder who has already popped two home runs and has made the Yankees think about shipping Kenny Lofton elsewhere, was asked what Ray taught him, he said, "Everything."
Crosby learned an immense amount from Coach Knob, as he called him. He learned how to toss a 12-to-6 curve, meaning that the pitch tumbled from the 12 on the clock to the 6, like one of Barry Zito's lollipops. Crosby learned how to throw a changeup that was more a palmball, and he used it for a strikeout that sent the Bellaire Cardinals into the 1994 championship game.
"That was the last year he was a pitching coach on a daily basis," Crosby said. "They didn't really tell us why or maybe they hadn't diagnosed it yet, but there was a difference. He wasn't around as much."
While Crosby was playing for Bellaire, Chuck Knoblauch, then a star for the Minnesota Twins, sometimes returned to his school to work out. Crosby studied him, yet was afraid to say anything. He revered Knoblauch from afar and still does.
"I'm in the big leagues now, but I view him the way I did when I was a kid," Crosby said. "He was in the big leagues for 10, 12 years. He's got four World Series rings. He was always someone I was looking up to when I was trying to get here."
Even though Crosby has Knoblauch's phone number programmed in his cellphone, he said he would never call Knoblauch. Crosby said it was simply a way of showing respect for a player after whom he patterned his patient, pesky offensive approach. It was good enough for Knoblauch to collect 1,839 career hits. Crosby has 1,836 to go.
"I heard there's Bubba mania in New York," Knoblauch said. "They love him because of the way he plays. I'm very happy for him and his family. If my dad was still around, he'd be just as proud."
Despite Knoblauch's enthusiasm about Crosby, he stressed that he enjoyed being retired.
"There's not one bone in my body that wishes I was playing," Knoblauch said.
He and Crosby are not buddies, but they are friendly. They have not spoken to each other in two months, but they get updates through mutual friends. Besides, the last time they spoke was one of the most important conversations Crosby has had about his stop-and-go career.
Knoblauch invited Crosby to dinner in Houston before spring training and sensed that Crosby was concerned about squeezing onto the Yankees' roster, which was almost set. So Knoblauch implored Crosby to ignore the dreary odds and force the Yankees to make a difficult decision. Crosby did and he is still hanging in the majors, still hanging in Knoblauch's old neighborhood.
"Tell Bubba he can call me," Knoblauch said. "He's a big leaguer now."
May 20, 2006: N.Y. Yankees 5, N.Y. Mets 4
Another really sweet win. Came from behind in the 9th inning to tie it, and won in the 11th.
It was widely noted that it was the "weak" bottom of the order that came through. Many fans are also raving about the "heart" this team has. The kind of heart we haven't seen since 1996. I see what they mean, and I think it's because we have so many kids and back-benchers playing these days. They have reason to keep playing their hearts out, even if the game seems hopeless. They're still hungry.
Maybe the kids are just too dumb to know it's hopeless. But they never give up. I love watching this team, win or lose. (Though winning is better, of course. ;-)
I don't want to trade for Abreu or Hunter or Stewart. I like what we have. (And I'll like it even better when Bubba gets back. Oh, and Sheff, too.)
There are drawbacks to building a team of aging veterans, as opposed to homegrown talent. Among them: you run the risk of ending up with a team that has little teamwork.
Awhile back, I came across this article. It's about the friendship among Jeter, Bernie, Posada, and Mo, which began in Columbus. Posada was already a family man, Mo was really religious, and Jeter was too young to drink, so they ended up hanging out a lot while their teammates partied.
I was reminded of that article when they showed a shot of the dugout during today's game. Standing at the rail together were the "The Columbus Clippers North." Chien-Ming Wang, Bubba Crosby, Andy Phillips, and Kevin Reese:
No, I'm not saying that they're going to turn into the next Jeter, Bernie, Posada, and Mo. Or even that's it's necessary to be good friends to play well together. But what is necessary it to know your teammates.
That was a problem last year. A couple of concrete examples: Posada not being able to catch Randy Johnson. With so many pitchers coming and going, Jorgie didn't get a chance to get to know Randy and give him the kind of attention he needed. And Sheff running into Bubba in that heartbreaker of a play. Sheff was used to Bernie, who would never have gotten there. Bubba did, alas.
If I weren't so invested in the situation, it would be amusing. All the Yankee fans who were dissing Bubba Crosby only a few days ago are in a tizzy over losing him.
Yup, as I feared, Bubba was put on the 15-day DL today.
Bubba to the bench: The Yankees placed Bubba Crosby on the 15-day disabled list on Friday, purchasing the contract of outfielder Mitch Jones from Triple-A Columbus and adding him to the roster for Friday's game against the Mets.
Crosby suffered a strain of his right hamstring while diving for a ball in the fifth inning on Thursday night. Although the injury isn't believed to be serious, the Yankees decided to make the move before playing three games under National League rules at Shea Stadium.
"They didn't really have time to wait and see how long it was going to take," Crosby said. "Even if it's six days, they don't have the time to let the team go without a 25th man on the bench, especially with three of these games being in a National League park."
"We don't necessarily think it needs to be 15 days, but knowing we're under the gun here, playing short, we felt it was necessary to DL him because he'd probably have been gone for a week," Torre said. "We didn't think we could afford to be without a player that long."
Crosby, who started for the fifth time in eight games, felt a "pinch" in his right hamstring diving for Kevin Mench's bloop single in the top of the fifth inning. In the bottom of the inning, Crosby roped a ball down the right-field line, but he was unable to run out a double.
"I feel bad," he said. "I feel like I've let my team down. ... I felt like the team needed somebody like me to step up. I did the best I could to pick them up. The last thing we needed was another injury."
Crosby, who was looking at semi-regular playing time for the first time in his career, hopes to be back when his 15-day stint is up.
"I know that even if it were five or six days," he said, "[the Yankees] couldn't afford to go a man short on the bench."
Crosby, 29, strained a hamstring playing in college, but said this injury isn't as painful.
You cannot help but feel sorry for Bubba Crosby. Since he came here in 2003, he has done whatever has been asked of him, played hard and waited for a chance. Now, he finally gets his chance and he blows his hamstring. The Yankees placed him on the 15-day DL today and recalled Mitch Jones. Sheffield should beat Bubba back to the team, so the only way Bubba gets playing time when he recovers is if Melky bombs over the next 15 days. Otherwise, it's back to the pine.
May 18, 2006: Texas 6, N.Y. Yankees 2 
Day game today, which means I was following it online in spare moments at work. I was really hoping Bubba would get some hits, because if he doesn't, he's not staying in the lineup. This is the Yankees, after all.
First AB: another sacrifice that's not cashed in. Better than striking out, but not great. Then in the 5th inning, he gets on base. Yay! Then I see Reese is coming in as a pinch runner. I'm baffled at first. Bubba is one of the speediest guys on the team, and they're bringing in a pinch runner? And losing his defense for the rest of the game? What is Torre thinking?? Is this some lame way to get Reese playing time?
Then the shoe drops, and I realize Bubba must be injured. Arrgghhhh. Sure enough, Yankees LF Bubba Crosby left today's game in the 5th inning after injuring himself running to first during his single scrolls onto the screen.
What a major bummer. Bubba wanted so badly to get off the bench. He finally gets a chance, and this happens. And the last thing we need is yet another outfielder going down.
From MLB.com:
Bubba Crosby, starting in left field, strained his right hamstring while attempting a diving catch in the fifth inning, becoming the third New York outfielder to suffer an injury in less than three weeks.
"It feels like an epidemic," Crosby said. "I finally get an opportunity to help the team out and end up hurting myself. It's just unfortunate. ... The team needed someone like myself to step up and do the best to pick them up. The last thing we needed was another injury."
...Heading into Shea Stadium, where National League rules will apply, the Yankees will probably make a roster move on Friday, with Kevin Thompson (.285, 3 HRs, 10 RBIs, 6 SB at Triple-A Columbus) serving as Crosby's likely replacement.
"It's definitely frustrating," Damon said. "We lose two of the best outfielders in the league when Matsui and Sheffield go down, and now Bubba, who has filled in nicely, gives you good defense and can do all the little things that help you win, he's down, too. Hopefully we can get through this and there won't be another one to go down."
I'm so disappointed. (Though not as disapppointed as he is, I'm sure.) I came home and watched the game on tape. (Why yes, I am a masochist.) It was a beautiful hit. Down the line into the right field corner. If he weren't hurt, it would have been an easy double for him. Just what I was hoping for: an extra-base hit. Since the knock on Bubba is that he doesn't have any power.
May 17, 2006: N.Y. Yankees 4, Texas 3
Thankfully, this was a much lower-key game than the previous one. As thrilling as that was, I don't think I could take it every night. Wang went deep - just what the bullpen needed after the previous night. There were a few anxious moments when he tired in the 8th, and gave up only his second homerun of the season. I was hoping for a complete game, but Mo came in the 9th and looked pretty sharp.
Bubba started this game in LF. Not one of his better games. He did have a sacrifice bunt that was almost a single, but Andy ended up stranded when Damon flied out. Bubba also had a fly out, strike out, and ground out. Disappointing; it's the first time in quite awhile that he hasn't gotten at least one hit when starting.
Defense was pretty solid, though he did bobble a ball hit into the left field corner. (Hey, maybe it was intentional! It worked for Melky the game before. The bobble encouraged the runner to keep going...and got him thrown out. ;-)
That was what a friend of mine said when she first saw what Bubba Crosby looked like. With a name like Bubba, she was expecting a huge, beefy guy.
I'm reminded of that because of this article by Dan McCourt:
Sue and I held the same debate we often do when Bubba Crosby came in as a defensive replacement in the seventh inning of the Yankees/Rangers game in the Stadium Tuesday night. As one who eagerly and loudly lends his voice to supporting the team when they're home, I consider "Bubba" one of the best names to yell, and I said so. She likes him too, but claims his name is "all about football." All I can reply after the scintillating, comeback, 14-13 Yankee win is, "Point taken."
Unfortunately, Chastity wasn't working at 40/40 the next night, where owner Jay-Z and galpal Beyoncé partied with Derek Jeter, Johnny Damon and outfielder Bubba Crosby to celebrate the birthday of Damon's wife, Michelle. Cristal and apple martinis were served, with some members of the group staying till 4 a.m. Next day, Crosby got his first strikeout all week, going 1 for 3, and Damon and Jeter both went 1 for 4 in Sunday's stinker, when the Bombers lost to the A's 5 to 1.
May 16, 2006: N.Y. Yankees 14, Texas 13
All I can say is "What a game." I'll remember it forever.
Down 9-0 by the middle of the second inning. Many thought it was hopeless, because "this team can't come from behind." I never gave up hope, though. Even with three of our biggest stars sidelined.
Maybe even especially with three of our biggest stars sidelined. There's something to be said for having some young, hungry players on the team. They have reason to keep playing hard, even if it seems out of reach. The first inklings of a rally started at the bottom of the order, with Andy Phillips and Miguel Cairo. Perhaps that inspired the jaded veterans, if only in a "if they can hit this guy, so can I" kind of way.
Bubba was mostly riding pine for this game, as he usually does against left-handed pitchers. He was sorely missed, and not just by me. I was watching the game with some friends, and several times as the ball dropped in around Melky, Bernie, or Johnny, we looked at each other and said, "Bubba gets that one."
Bubba did come in as a replacement for Melky in LF at the beginning of the 7th inning, and provided his usual solid defense. Honestly, I'm not sure the Yankees would have won with Melky in LF for the last three innings. Cabrera is still very tentative and awkward out there.
May 15, 2006: Texas 4, N.Y. Yankees 2
Well, it was a bad night for the Yankees but a good night for Bubba. The Yanks had only two runs, but Bubba drove one of them in with a two-out RBI single in the 2nd inning.
His defense was sparkling, as usual, with a spectacular leaping, tumbling catch in LF. Mussina gave him credit:
The ball would have dropped for a hit if not for Crosby, who made an acrobatic catch before landing hard on the warning track.
"You can't make a better play than that," Mussina said. "It turns a double and guys running all over the place into a sac fly."
Bubba Crosby has become my favorite Yankee. Yes, I know how crazy that sounds. It's not that I don't like the big stars like Jeter and A-Rod, too. I love 'em. But something about Bubba has really captured my interest. There's something about him that's so refreshing and different. Moreover, I think he has something the Yankees really need.
The Yankees, I'm sad to say, are a one-dimensional team. They slug homeruns, and that's about it. It works pretty well...except against really good pitching. Unfortunately, really good pitching is what you tend to find in the postseason.
I really think it might help to not only have Bubba on the team, but to have more like him. He gets on base, he's got speed, plus his great D. Because he's not swinging for the bleachers, he can hit the tough pitchers. Players like Bubba can add some much-needed balance.
Dave Buscema put it this way:
My sentiments exactly.They should give a shot to the man who's been robbed of so many of them he almost literally leapt out of the park to snag one last night.
Bubba Crosby did everything he could to show the Yankees he doesn't want to be left in the corner, ignored yet again.
He did everything he could to show the Yankees something they could use in what has become a lineup full of pop but lacking versatility.
He gave them speed, running out what looked to be a home run and racing into third with a triple as well as later stealing a base.
He gave them defense, leaping up against the wall in left to rob at least an extra-base hit.
Mostly, he gave them the kind of wide-eyed desire that can come only from a young, hungry player.
The same day he re-signed Matsui, Cashman talked about trying to get back to some of the team attributes that made the Yankees so good in the late '90s. Plugging in some role players to mix with the superstars.
Having lost a guy who can fit both profiles, the Yankees may need to stick with a replacement who can simply blend in for a while.
