BIRD'S TRYING, BUT WE'RE CRUSHING ON WONDERBOY

Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports

Hey, I love Greg Bird, but looking at Tyler Austin's journey, how do you not appreciate this guy?

Tyler Austin did the job for the Yankees with Bird out.  Love his grit, love his dedication to always wanting to get better and he can hit the snot out of the baseball.  And you know what? When he goes 0-12... what's the big deal. He snaps out of it.  Bird batted what... in the one hundreds for a bit.  The point is, Tyler filled the role. Loved his bat and loved his defense.

Now Bird needs to fall into good graces with me. He will I'm sure, but for now, we're crushing on Austin.  Bird's gotta work for it.  And it looks like he is concerned about getting back to his "top" defense...

MLB.com has the story. Love Hoch.  He quotes Bird here:

"'I've really taken a lot of pride in my defense in the last few years, so going out and playing every day and showing people what I can do is the biggest thing,' Bird said. 'Play good defense, be a threat in the lineup and play my game.... That has been one of the more challenging things for me, dealing with injuries,' Bird said. 'In '15 I thought I'd come back and the next year be ready to go. I wasn't. Same thing [in 2016]. [In] '17 I put in a lot of work, and I just have always wanted to do that -- get out there, play and just show what I can do.'"

All good. But Austin plays excellent defense as far as I'm concerned.  He's not perfect, no one is, but damn he's good there.

And now I leave you with a Q&A from our interview with Tyler from a few years ago, talking to my now 15 year old who was struggling at the plate. Check this out:

Photo: Getty Images

"BYB: My son plays Little League all year round. He's a lefty. He's developed a habit where he pulls everything, and I mean everything down the 1st base line and usually always foul. If you’re his coach, what are you telling him to do to adjust to hit up the middle? 

Tyler Austin: I would advise him to shift his hands and always think left center."

And you wonder why I like Tyler Austin.  My son led the team in hits this season.

Boom.

Bottom line, I don't hate players that work their asses off on the diamond every day.  I just want to see Austin get the spot he deserves.  That being said, I wish Bird all the success in the world.  This is Yankeeland after all.