Bleeding Yankee Blue: IS GREG BIRD FLYING TOWARD A DEMOTION?

Monday, May 1, 2017

IS GREG BIRD FLYING TOWARD A DEMOTION?

Photo: Getty Images

April has come and gone and May is here. After a red hot spring, Greg Bird isn't flying instead, he is falling flat. So let the very premature speculation begin. There have been some shining moments, but not enough. Sunday Bird sat on the bench....so is he about to lose his starting gig?

The Yankees are riding high on the Youth Movement and will stick with it to help get under the luxury tax. It makes sense. What doesn't make sense is giving up on him after one month. Sure the Yankees have Chris Carter but he didn't give the Yankees a reason to give him the starting job during Spring training, and he still hasn't. So, why give up on Bird? He's not a lost cause.

Photo: Getty Images

The Yankees agree he's not a lost cause and will continue to exercise patience with Bird. He hasn't been good, but he certainly hasn't earned a demotion and Brian Cashman hasn't even considered it yet. "It’s not even an option for me, in my mind, right now at all," Cashman said when asked about sending Bird to the minors to get his swing back, read more HERE.

I'm sure 2017 has not started the way Bird has wanted either. I'm sure he had plans that didn't involve fouling a ball off of his foot and then it turned into food poisoning or the flu and it just spiraled from there. My theory is this is all tied to the "Bird flu" otherwise known as the pressure of taking over for Mark Teixeira, recovering from spring set backs and still having Tex's miserable April starts. Just like those challenges from the past though.....this too shall pass.

Photo: Getty Images

Look, so far I think Bird has just been unlucky. That may be over simplifying it but I do believe in him and that his performance gets better. He's made some good contact, in the opener against the Orioles I thought his hit that Adam Jones snagged was going to be extra bases, but Jones and his gold glove defense beat him to it. It happens. At least Bird is making good contact and not making weak ball ground outs. If we were seeing a lot of that then I may be more concerned because that would be a different player. That would be a Bird that no longer had plate discipline and perhaps some time to regroup.

There will be more of these this season, and with other players not just with Bird. This is what we can call "growing pains" and the Yankees need to let Bird, and any of the other kids work through it. The Yankees are looking to build for the future and the kids will have to overcome these challenges. Luckily for Bird right now he's not bringing the team down. He's not hurting the team and he is still a good defender. The Yankees are tied for the best record in the American League....so that just shows you the chemistry this team has. When one guy struggles the others will help pick him up and in the end they will still win games.

Photo: Getty Images

So let the kid play. The Yankees are not in a rush to catch teams and the clock isn't ticking yet. The Yankees are playing good baseball, and Bird will too. This isn't a crisis, it's a small piece from a very long baseball season that will get better for Bird. In fact, I would bet on it.