The Vagaries of Man-Love

"I've gotten off to a pretty slow start and when he's gotten opportunities, he's been swinging the bat really well," Gardner said of Cabrera. "We need to have the guys in there who are hot right now, who are giving us the best chance to win the ballgame. He's swinging the bat well. He deserves to be playing."

Am I happy that in about two weeks, I'm going to be rooting for a minor league player with good speed and more bunt singles than balls that have left the infield? Not really; I wish he'd do better. Am I glad I bought his jersey (the first baseball jersey I ever bought) with his name on the back despite the fact that the yankees don't feature last names on their jerseys? Nah. Not happy about that. Am I happy I told people to punch me in the balls if I ever posed questions for the sole purpose of answering them? Yeah, some part of me is.

But read that quote. That's what I root for. A guy who doesn't count on anyone but himself for his success. He couldn't possibly be upset at being benched for a (currently) more productive player. He's too busy being pissed at himself for not making it an obvious choice in his favor. If he isn't earning it, he doesn't want it. Sometimes I wish there were a few more roster spots on NYY for that attitude. It's a rarity that a quality player arrives in NY not already certain of his greatness, and those who do arrive hungry soon get fed and full (Cano). I root for Brett Gardner, not in the context of Major League Baseball, but in the context of the New York Yankees.

It's self evident to most fans of any team: You are capable of more intense hate for your own team than the fans of any rival. The volume and intensity of vitriol expressed for NYY makes people forget that about their fans sometimes. NY fans spend so much time defending them in public that you never imagine the frustration and cursing and "giving up" that goes on in the privacy of the home. Like a good brother. You beat the shit out of your little brother when you're at home, call him names, tease him. But the second you get outside, and someone crosses him in any way, you become his most ardent defender.

So no matter how harshly I deride Brett Gardner for not being able to get the ball out of the infield, or for, as my Dad says, "being the worst hitter in major league baseball", I know he's got a lot of good inside him. I just hope it comes out in time.