Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Day 3: Jackie Bradley Jr. Better Have Big Feet

I predict Jackie Bradley Jr. is going to make this Red Sox season a lot of fun to watch—especially if his Grapefruit League performance is any indication. In his first major league game, he stepped into the batter's box against CC Sabathia, fell to 0-2 in the count and battled back to draw a walk from the Yankees ace. Not bad for a 22-year-old who has never played a game at higher than the Double A level.

Bradley Jr. is the second youngest player to start in left field for the Red Sox. The youngest? A 21-year-old Carl Yastrzemski in 1961. How'd you like to follow in those footsteps? In case you're wondering, Yaz went 1-for-5 with two strikeouts in his very first at bat his rookie season.

Number eight didn't have the most awe-inspiring first year. He played 148 games, batting .266 with 11 home runs and 80 runs batted in. Who knew at that end of that season, Yaz's career would span 23 years, making the All-Star team 18 times, earning 7 Gold Gloves and winning the Triple Crown in 1967. It would be 35 years before another player would win the Triple Crown.

If those aren't some daunting shoes to fill... But chances are, JBJ won't be a left fielder for long. His natural position is center field, a spot that will almost certainly be vacated at the end of this season when Jacoby Ellsbury leaves in search of bigger money. But center field? I don't think Fred Lynn's shoes are much smaller. He didn't really do much his first year in 1975—just made the All-Star team, won Rookie of the Year, won the MVP and a Gold Glove.

Welcome to The Show, Jackie! You might just make me love the Sox again.

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