PRADO & CERVELLI... THE NEW BROSIUS & TINO?

I remember when Scott Brosius came to New York from the Oakland Athletics with his .203 average and I wasn't too impressed. None of us were.  Then, 1998 came, and Brosius proved the doubters wrong, batting .300 and helped carry the Yankees over the finish line winning the World Series MVP.  There was an energy surrounding Brosius and his clutch moments... and Yankeeland fell in love with the underdog and we never looked back.

He became a New York Yankee in 1998, he had a great run in the Bronx after that season, and we have loved Scotty Bro ever since.

Tino Martinez officially became a Yankee that same World Series, hitting a Grand Slam against the Padres when we almost didn't expect it.  He was great in Seattle, but now had to somehow come out from out of the shadow of  fan favorite, Don Mattingly who hung it up.  Many didn't accept Tino, but over that 1998 season, we learned that it was time to move on from Donnie, and we did. Tino had clutch moments too, and brought an energy to Yankeeland.  It was awesome.

I was emailed yesterday by a friend.  He wrote, "Prado and Cervelli seem like Brosius & Tino to me", and at first, I didn't get it. But then I thought back to those years with Tino and Brosius, and their "moments" and I remembered the excitement surrounding them. Quite simply, they had a role, they succeeded in their role and the energy was enormous.  Well, the energy is enormous again. I thought about the past week or so.  Martin Prado has come to life and has literally carried the Yankees on his back the last few games. Maybe he's not a superstar, but he's an important part of the puzzle.

I have the same feelings I had when Brosius was out there cranking out a home run, or jumping up and down when the Yankees won the World Series in 1998.  Prado's electric on the field, and he makes the Yankees exciting again.

Francisco Cervelli, while never a superstar, much like Brosius, seems to come up clutch at the right time. Last season, before his PEDs mess, he was on his way to a clutch season, and many in Yankeeland was excited for him.  His energy seeps through his pores and it's addictive with a club like the New York Yankees. Trust me when I tell you... the fans absolutely love it.  And so yeah, I thought it through, and while I didn't like the comparison at first, I in fact get it and DO like it now.

Will Prado and Cervelli become those players the Yankee fans will never forget, much like Brosius and Tino? Hey look, it's probably alittle early for that, but I will tell you one thing; I like what I've been seeing out of these guys lately.  It's moment like Prado's hot streak, and Cervelli's fist pump and leadership in his back up role that gets a fan's blood pumping.

These guys can become leaders easily with the New York Yankees. Trust me, we need that! It's a feeling that fans can fall in love with.  I know I can.  Let's hope it continues, because I'm truly enjoying these guys play... much like I did Brosius and Tino.

It's refreshing.

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