Well, I was not thrilled when the Yankees picked up Alex Verdugo. His reputation preceded him with both the Dodgers and Red Sox clubhouses having something to say about his attitude. My concern was clear: would Verdugo carry a similar chip on his shoulder here in New York? But so far, he has shown his value and I have not seen any attitude at least in from my point of view. All I see is a guy that hustles, hits and adds a powerful punch to this Yankee team. So, okay, I like Verdugo.
“Honestly, man, it’s been really fun. I’ve found the fun again,” Verdugo said. “I really like the team. I really like my teammates. I really like just everything about this organization so far. When you’re happy somewhere, you just feel so much better when you’re playing and when you’re going through s—. I just think that’s what it is here,” reported The Athletic.
Prior to his Yankee debut Verdugo had his bouts with former skipper Alex Cora and a variety of different concerns with the Dodgers. According to The Athletic, "With the Dodgers, veteran pitcher Rich Hill admonished him for being late. His former Dodgers and Red Sox teammate, Kenley Jansen, said Verdugo had the potential to be a Hall of Fame player if he could ever get his act together. At the end of the 2022 season, Red Sox manager Alex Cora told reporters Verdugo was the No. 1 player who needed to take a step forward in 2023. His plea did not work. Cora benched Verdugo in the middle of a game last June for not hustling."
For the Yankees he has filled a whole sorely needed in the outfield. Although he is primarily in left field for the Bombers, he has played center field recently, serving as an outfield specialist and providing great depth for the Yankees. And with the bat, Verdugo has delivered. Even bringing in the 2024 battle cry or shall I say dawg bark to light up the energy in the dugout and on the field. Even roll callers are barking back at Dugie as his name is called in attendance by the faithful bleachers.
“He’s just a complete player,” Judge said. “He’s a guy we’ve been looking for, a left fielder that’s left-handed and competes every single day. He competes every single day. He wants to play every single day. I told him the other day in the outfield that he’s one of the best left fielders besides Brett Gardner that I’ve played with,” reports The Athletic.
Verdugo can keep doing what he's doing: producing runs and a surmountable amount of energy to rival that produced by another fan favorite Juan Soto. Yeah, I like Verdugo. Stay focused, have fun and don't bring in any of that past banter. Do your job and we are all good, Alex.
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--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Senior Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof
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