by Ronald Agers | Apr 22, 2023 | THE LEAD OFF
Right now, Yankees outfielder Aaron Hicks is hitting .125 in 24 at-bats and a single RBI and falling deeper down the Yankees’ outfield depth chart. If the Arizona Diamondbacks can throw $34 million in the street to get rid of Madison Bumgarner, then the deep-pocketed Yankees can certainly afford to dismiss Hicks and eat the cash.
If that happens and Hicks gets released, the obvious question is…where can he go?
1. Arizona Diamondbacks:
(Checking notes) Arizona does have a roster spot and if the Yankees waive Hicks outright, it would be a cheap opportunity to rehab Aaron Hicks’ career. He has ties to the area and at this point, would welcome a chance there. For the Diamondbacks, they could market a potential star coming home to play in front of his fans to fill some seats. With expectations that don’t include “World Series or bust,” Hicks can relax and get back to the star that shined in 2017-19.
2. Cincinnati Reds:
Sure, this would be a long elevator ride down from the penthouse in New York, but Hicks needs these things desperately…
● A defined role where he can mentally prepare and be motivated every day.
● A chance to play every day to get a rhythm to show that he still has something left.
● Most importantly, this is a barometer to expel the narrative that he has lost his passion to be a great baseball player. If his talent doesn’t run circles around the Reds’ list of outfielders for a starting job, then he will be a spot player for the rest of his career.
● With the Reds’ tight budget, they would provide the perfect scenario for Hicks to play a year and enjoy his re-birth while they pay a fraction of the price.
Playing in Cincinnati is not about winning baseball games, it’s a chance for the MLBbro to play every day and showcase his talent for all of the MLB teams not named the New York Yankees.
3. San Francisco Giants:
After spending six months in an all-out chase to get Aaron Judge out of the Yankees pinstripes, why not get a New York player that is named…ahem…Aaron? The Giants’ business plan centers around aggressive moves, taking chances when available and moving on opportunities with reclamation projects.
San Francisco Giants, please allow MLBbro.com to introduce Aaron Hicks if he is waived. Hicks is the best big name on the “Balling on a budget” list that San Francisco can get, especially with free-spending divisional rivals, Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres willing to splurge top dollar to improve their squads. With injury questions to the Giants outfield over the last couple of seasons, Hicks gets a chance in the rotation as a fourth outfielder.
4. Miami Marlins:
This scenario definitely reminds fans of that scene in the movie Bull Durham when the Durham Bulls manager told Crash Davis, “This is a chance for you to play baseball every day…and get paid to do it!”.
If Hicks goes to South Beach, he’d better have that mindset. Remember Derek Jeter had enough last season and left the franchise for philosophical reasons. The Marlins will gladly bring in a minimum wage player to finish out the season for marketing reasons.
In return, Hicks gets a chance to play every day and get much needed reps in the outfield. Of course, until Aaron Hicks is designated for assignment these teams might be watching. But with the market for our MLBBro so dry at this point, with Madison Bumgarner being dismissed with a huge contract, the time might be ticking for Aaron Hicks.
by Malik Wright | Sep 1, 2022 | THE THREE SPOT
Chuckie Robinson is the newest Black catcher in Major League Baseball. The Danville, Illinois native and former 21st round pick now has the chance to represent a position that was once rich in our culture.
Chuckie Robinson was born to be a catcher.
His father Charles Robinson Jr. caught in the Minors for the Royals and Cubs while his grandfather spent time as a catcher in the White Sox system.
Monday night Robinson hit his first career home run after battling back from an 0-2 count.
“I hit it and I knew it was out,” Robinson told reporters after the game. “I kinda blacked out. I had to battle back and just got my pitch and handled it.”
A native of Robinson’s hometown which has a population around 30,000 was in the left field stands of Great American Ballpark and caught his home run ball. It turns out Robinson knew the family and they were able to get the ball to his mother who was watching her son play in the Majors for the first time.
Black people currently make up less than 8% of Major League Baseball players according to a study done in June on MLB Player Demographics.
That percentage has climbed a little over recent years, although not by much. Despite the low numbers, our culture has had a profound impact on the sport particularly during this season where we are witnesses to Aaron Judge’s chase of the home run record, pitcher Triston McKenzie dominating the Majors top offensive lineups and even the All-Star Game where Giancarlo Stanton and Byron Buxton carried the American League to victory with game winning homers.
However, it has been almost 20 years since we have seen a productive Black catcher in the Majors.
Charles Johnson Is The Last Notable Black Catcher, But He Wasn’t The First
The most recent was Charles Johnson who was drafted in the first round by the then Florida Marlins in 1992. He won four consecutive Gold Gloves from 1995-1998. When the Marlins won the World Series in 1997, Johnson had a perfect fielding percentage of 1.000.
Other historic Black catchers include Hall of Famer and three-time National League MVP Roy Campanella who was the first Black catcher in Major League Baseball’s modern era and 12-time All-Star Elston Howard who was the first MLBbro in Yankees history.
The catcher position is a lot like the quarterback in football: You have to control the game and fight harder on the mental side a bit more than the physical.
It is enjoyable watching players run down fly balls and make spectacular grabs, or even dominate in the infield like recent Gold Glove winners J.P. Crawford and Marcus Semien, but it is refreshing to finally see a MLBbro behind the plate.
This weekend Robinson and his Reds welcome the Colorado Rockies to Cincinnati for a three-game series.
by Kevin Moore | Jul 11, 2022 | THE THREE SPOT
Cincinnati Reds outfielder Tommy Pham has enjoyed his time playing in Cincinnati after spending the past two seasons with the San Diego Padres.
In his first year with the Reds, Pham has been one of the top hitters on the team, despite his numbers being down.
If you ask Pham how he’s been doing offensively, he’ll be the first to tell you that he’s been struggling, but he’s certainly made improvements.
“I’ve been off, man,” Pham told The Cincinnati Enquirer almost a week ago. “You guys saw the one at bat I missed (pitches) down the middle that I just don’t miss, you know? Right now, I’ve been off a few games, and it’s just something that every player in this game goes through. It’s how you get out of it, how soon you can get out of it.”
Pham put together an impressive performance at the plate in the team’s series finale against the Tampa Bay Rays.
The Reds had a field day and Pham put together a multi-hit performance, the third time he’s done this in July. Yes, the team has had its struggles this season, but Pham believes this team can have success in the future.
“People will laugh at me, but, you know, I’ve seen the Cubs in (2014) go from last in the division to the very next year in the postseason,” he said. “Just by players developing and maybe adding a player or two. And here this team is a really good team that’s close.”
This is unfamiliar territory for Pham as he’s been a part of teams that were playoff contenders.
But on the other side, it is good for the Reds to have a player like Pham on the team because he brings that experience of playing on teams that have had success during the regular season. He can identify what the Reds need to become a contending team.
“People can laugh at it, but you know, I’m a baseball guy,” Pham said. “I know the game. I understand the game. And I know talent. I have a doctorate in baseball. I didn’t go to school, I doctored in baseball.
“You’ve just got to add a piece or two and you have not only a contender, but a team that everybody’s looking at differently.”
Can MLBbro Tommy Pham Save Season For Cincinnati Reds?
If the Reds decide to keep Pham around, he can develop into a leader and potentially help them become a playoff contending team.
“It sounds so cliche because it’s a long season,” he said. “You can learn from just watching guys and really focus on the process of getting better. By the end of the year, you start really evaluating yourself, and the coaches are evaluating you. If you go about that process the right way, then you could go into the offseason with a better (mentality) and a better focus going into next season.”
It will be interesting to see how Pham and the Reds play throughout the remainder of the season. And the big question is, will Pham stay around long term in Cincinnati?
He certainly is a player who can help turn a team around and the Reds will be keeping a close eye on him.
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