Sunday Night Standout

Say hello to another of the Yankees "Next Man Up" crew, Mike Ford. The player I dubbed the "Jerseyest Yankee Ever" back in April has stepped up with Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge sidelined, grabbing the spotlight in Sunday night's victory over the Red Sox. A booming two-run homer and RBI single produced 3/4 of the Yankees scoring.

Ford remains the underdog: almost 28 and a graduate of hardly-a-baseball-power Princeton University, he's one of the few Yankees who hit lefthanded. And his strengths fit the current stadium perfectly. Frankly, this chunky non-matinee idol more resembles someone who from the 1950s or '30s Yankees. And like those from decades past, he just does his job.

I'll admit, I naturally tend to root for guys who share my first name. And it's all too rare when someone who grew up within an easy drive of Yankee Stadium don the pinstripes. I was happy to focus on Mike Ford in what turned out to the Spring Training swan song in West Palm Beach. And I'm even happier to see him succeed as the games finally count.


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