I'M HIGH ON ROB REFSNYDER

"There is always some kid who may be seeing me for the first time. I owe him my best." 

-Joe DiMaggio

That has to be my favorite quote of all time from the great Joe DiMaggio. He just understood what it meant to be approachable to fans. He was a professional on and off the field. He knew how to represent himself and knew what it meant to be a role model.

I wish there were more players out there that shared in Joe's philosophy. There may be more than I realize, but I can tell you that there is definitely another Yankee who gets it.

I was talking with a friend yesterday about how baseball has changed over the years and they thought baseball players were impersonal. It just wasn't a big deal to them and they didn't think anything else about it. It's about playing a game and winning and I disagree with that. One major complaint that I have about baseball is that it has become about players earning their money and players just make it all about them. The same passion just isn't there anymore. What I think players lose sight of these days is that we the fans are responsible for all of that money. Without our ticket sales and memorabilia purchases the money just isn't there.

This week I gained a new respect and admiration for Rob Refsnyder because he took a quick minute that just impacted some kid's life forever. He's a rookie and he is learning what it means to be a big leaguer now....but he also learned what one simple and personal gesture meant to a fan. He gave a fan a very personal gift....his bat. Read that HERE in case you missed it.

This story put a smile on my face. I went to watch the Yankees play the Diamondbacks last month and I was standing in the front row of the outfield seats during batting practice with a bunch of fellow fans. I saw little kids running around trying to get all of the Yankee pitchers that were in the outfield gathering the balls that were hit. Kids were screaming and trying to do anything they could to get their favorite players attention in hopes to get a baseball thrown their way. I was shocked and disappointed at how little interaction there was. A quick 10 seconds could've given those little kids memories that they would've passed down to their kids later in life. That is something that stays with you! It shapes impressionable young people.

Refsnyder could have easily just given this kid a wave or nodded at him, but instead he went above and beyond to go into the clubhouse and grabbed his bat that he probably uses everyday and just gave it to a fan without even thinking about it. He captured the spirit of Joe DiMaggio. Something so simple just made a huge impact on someone's life and I think that is important to recognize.

This has changed the way I look at Refsnyder. Before I looked at him and thought of him as a promising prospect. He was up and coming and he was part of the youth movement. Now I look at him as a true professional. I'm sure this kid also loves his signed Alex Rodriguez bat that he won at auction but this is just as impressive. This didn't cost him anything, and it gave him something that he can value and treasure for the rest of his life. He gets a piece of Refsnyder that no one else will ever have.

Refsnyder is going places and I believe that now more than ever. I have become even more of a fan. I love this sport but I love seeing more of the human element in it too. Baseball players are role models and as far as I'm concerned.....he's a damn good one.


   
--Jeana Bellezza, 
BYB Senior Writer and Editor
Twitter: @NyPrincessJ 
 

 

 




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