FRANCISCO CERVELLI: PASSION IN PINSTRIPES

He really is one of “us”, and that is perhaps why so many in our ranks pull for him to succeed. 

Francisco Cervelli certainly has had a roller coaster ride in pinstripes and right now the seat he is in is back on the way up.

It was a year ago that I wrote here about watching the Yankees backstop at a minor league game in Syracuse.  A little more than a week after he was sent down to Scranton-Wilkes Barre on the last day of Spring Training, Cervelli appeared uninspired and depressed.

I understood how he felt given the fact it hadn’t been long since he was celebrating with the 2009 World Champions, but at the same time wondered if he’d somehow rekindle the fire that had won Yankees fans over in his first season with the big league club.

Last year he had to give up his spot on the team to Chris Stewart for “defensive purposes”.  It was a blow to the spirited backstop and it showed in how he played that first month of the season.   He admitted that it took a visit from his parents to help him get over his disappointment.

In looking at his performance as a Yankee it was evident that behind the plate he had experienced a drop-off. 

When he first arrived on the scene in 2009, Cervelli gunned down 43 percent of the runners that challenged him (10 of 23).  Suddenly, in 2010 and 2011 that percentage dropped to just 14 percent. Last year his re-dedication to improving as a catcher appeared to pay off at Scranton and he threw out 30 percent of potential base stealers – better than Stewart or Russell Martin.

With Martin gone a door was opened for Cervelli in 2013 and to date he has made the most of it. 

During Spring Training his defense was stellar and Manager Joe Girardi noticed the improvement saying: “I think he can do the job offensively, and he's absolutely better defensively (than he was this time last year), and I think playing every day last year got him back to who he was.”

Now after catching two of the three games in the opening series with Boston, Cervelli has shown that his improvements weren’t restricted to spring games. 

He has started the season hitting .333 and launched a home run in the seventh inning of the third game with Boston that provided the team with an important insurance run for its first win.  As catcher, he showed  his willingness to do whatever it takes for the team when, after grabbing a passed ball from starter Andy Pettitte who neglected to cover home, he dove head-first to tag out Shane Victorino who was attempting to score from second base. 

Cervelli showed his Yankees class by apologizing to Victorino at his next at-bat. 

What is most to admire about Francisco Cervelli is the way he fights.  He will never be the most powerful hitter or the greatest defensive catcher, but he always wears his heart on his sleeve.

It is for that reason this team needs him the most.  With Derek Jeter, Curtis Granderson, Mark Teixeira, and ARod all out at least until May, and now with the potential for starter Hiroki Kuroda to miss some time, this Yankee squad must use everything it has to generate wins.  It needs to rely on its heart.

There is no better place to start than with the one player who is most like the rest of us and best represents how we want our Yankees to play – Francisco Cervelli.

   
--Steve Skinner, BYB Guest Writer
Twitter: @oswegos1

 

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