All Things Bubba

Because how can you not love a baseball player named "Bubba"?

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Minky Dinky Parley Voo


The Yanks are playing the Pirates tonight - a makeup game for the one that was suspended due to rain.

Former Yankee Doug Mientkiewicz isn't in the lineup tonight. However, he's been invaluable to the Pirates. He was considered a long shot to make the roster out of spring training, but he made it, and now they just love him. He's playing 3B and corner outfield as well as 1B. He's hitting well...and he's providing great leadership in the clubhouse.

But he'd rather be in the Bronx. The last time the Yanks were in Pittsburgh, Minky told the press that the best year of his career was his year with the Yankees, and all he wants is to wear pinstripes again. He really wanted to return this year, but Cashman didn't want him.

Man, that's strange. Even if he did love being a Yankee, you wouldn't expect him to say so, especially right before a game against them. Gotta wonder what his current teammates thought. Maybe they all think the same thing, so it's no big deal. A friend of mine who is a Pittsburgh fan says you can just see the players get beaten down by the constant losing. When they first come up, they're all excited and full of enthusiasm, but eventually, they just kind of give up.

But jeez, Minky hasn't been a Pirate for very long. I find it kind of odd that last year with the Yanks was the best year of his career. He's had a really good career. He hit the game-winning homer that gave the US the gold medal in the 2000 Olympics. He won a Gold Glove when he was a Twin. He was on the Red Sox team that finally won the World Series after 86 years. And last year with the Yanks was the best year of his career? A year when he spent half the season on the DL, and fans called him "Stinky" because he wasn't the power hitter they wanted at 1B?

I'd love to ask him why he loves the Yanks so much. The aura and mystique of the Bronx Bombers? The bright lights of the Big Apple? Or did he just like playing with his boyhood chum, A-Rod?

posted by BubbaFan, 6:55 PM

2 Comments:


Polish Doug (as I call him because Minky makes me think of a skunk) reminds me a lot of Tino Martinez, at the plate and defensively as well. Tino was miserable when he was traded from the Yankees to St. Louis and would say he'd love to be back in NYC everytime they played the Mets or Yankees. Had Tino not hit some really good homeruns and been involved in the Yankees world-series days, it's probably doubtful few people would've liked him (like few people liked Polish Doug during his year as a Yankee) because Tino was more of a defensive player. Jeter, Knoblauch/Soriano, Broscis/A-Rod could mess up their throws and Tino would be able to catch it and make it look easy. Same for Polish Doug.
commented by Anonymous Anonymous, July 14, 2008 10:10 PM  
You could call him "Eyechart" or "Scrabble." ;-)

I could understand Tino missing NY. He played there for years, and they were great years for the Yankees. He was part of the "dynasty." Scrabble played half a season in NY, and it was a pretty forgettable year for the Yankees.

I liked Minky. But then, I have a thing for underdogs. Too bad he bats lefty. I think they'd probably have kept him around if he hit right-handed.
commented by Blogger BubbaFan, July 14, 2008 11:34 PM  

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