Luck Be A Lady......Luck Be a Ballplayer

I am one of the few who hate Frank Sinatra music.  I would like to stab his " blue eyes" with a fork everytime I am in an elevator, and tortured by his voice.

I think it stems from the fact that he stole my girlfriend one night in Palm Springs, and I was left with a huge bar bill.  Nonetheless, that crummy, banal three note melody was blaring at the Firehouse Diner the other morning (in Venice Beach), and it came to me:

You need a little luck to win championships. Or even to compete for them.  In the NFL, the most glaring example of luck was the discovery, on the bench, of Tom Brady when the Pats starting QB was injured in game against the Jets ( I think it was the Jets ).  Even the Cowboys got lucky ( no championship, though ) when they signed Tony Romo as a free agent.  For a decade, therefore, the Cowboys did not need to use any high picks on QBs ( I refuse to revisit what the Giants gave up to secure Eli ); the Cowboys could focus on their O-Line ( best in the NFL ) and linebackers.

But I digress;

The Yankees got lucky ( Cashman will claim it was simply brilliance on his part ) as follows:

1.  Severino has emerged - It took a while.  When he was 0-8 last year, and got ponied between starting and bullpen work, it looked as if another, highly touted Yankee pitching prospect, was not going to do a thing.

2.  Didi acquisition - Duque has made the case here.  Arizona was sure they had someone better.  They didn't.  Who knew?

3.  Sanchez - We have had a pant-load of, " top catching prospects," from Jesus to Murphy).  Sanchez was in the mix, too.   He was a bit of a trouble maker in the minors ( frustrated from lack of recognition?), and seemed like someone we should trade.  Who knew he would be this good, this fast?

4.  Castro - Since Mr. Cano departed, second base has been a tryout camp.  Filled, mostly, by guys who were finished (Stephen Drew comes to mind., but there was also some former Oriole, right?). Starlin was excised by the Cubs, because they had so much talent ( from years of losing, but drafting well ) they stopped paying attention.  But this young player is really good.  Better than we expected.

5.  Hicks - We all heard the rhetoric when Cashman acquired him.  He was a former number one pick of the Twins.  How many of those ( ours included ) have come and gone without notice? ( Cito Culver anyone?).  And last year, Hicks looked like another below average player, who was existing on fumes from his younger glories.  Suddenly, given a full spring with the Yankees, he is an all star.  He looks like he belongs in CF.  And his hitting and foot speed?  I mean, what are the Twins' fans ( if there are any ) saying now, on their blogs?

6.  Judge - Okay, let's be honest.  This player did get a lot of hype and we had elevated hopes.   But none of us dreamed of the current performance.  Who knew his defensive skills?  His base running ability?  His fearlessness and willingness to give it all up for an out, or a run?  Who knew he could become a disciplined hitter this early ( I think Duque did, actually, but he is an excitable and optimistic person ).

7.  Bird - So far, this is the babe Frank Sinatra stole from me ( fucking blue eyes ).  But if we get lucky here, in about another two weeks....

8.  Montgomery - Out of the blue, so to speak.  And it is still early.  However, I am beginning to see signs of spring.

9.. Chappo and Bettances - Lucky to wheel and deal Chappo for all that talent, and then get him back for money only.  And Bettances just worked out right, didn't he?

This treatise on necessary good fortune has gone on much too long.  But let's keep the good luck rolling in.

" Luck be a ballplayer for the Yankees."  That's the tune.  And if Sinatra comes back from the dead to sing it, I'll put it on, in my elevator.