It's a grim and troubling postscript to Frazier's Yankee career, which once formed the bedrock of our fantasies. Yank fans foresaw Frazier as the longtime LF complement to Aaron Judge, a slugger who would also hit for average, and together they would propel this team through the 2020s.
Instead - as we all know - Frazier struggled through a nightmare 2021, finally pulling the plug June 30 due to "dizzy spells." He's now a Cub, happily married, and - I fear - a future poster child for failed Yankee expectations, Exhibit A, whenever someone wants to justify trading prospects. (See GALLO, JOEY.)
But here's the most distressing part of his story:
Throughout much of his battle, Frazier didn't tell the Yankees what was going on inside his head.
In the Short Porch podcast, to Kristie Ackert of the Daily News, Frazier paints a harrowing picture of his mental health after the first concussion.
"I was severely symptomatic with some of these past issues that I was having. I was like, 'We gotta pick the pace up. I need help. I need serious fuckin' help.'"
When the symptoms returned in 2019, Frazier kept it to himself.
“They weren’t aware, that was on me. I was trying to continue to play. So I didn’t tell them. And then I showed up to spring training and started to feel better, and then it kind of, like, came back, because I had an instance where I bumped the wall again. I went into the whole season feeling that exact way.”
Last I looked, the Yankees had two hitting coaches - (this year, they'll have three) - plus a battalion of scouts, trainers, shrinks, dealers, agents, hookers and hangers-on. They field a team of 25, a roster of 40, a front office roughly the size of Rhode Island, and an army of sycophants that would fill the Serengeti. And yet, there was no one Frazier could tell?
Wow. I mean... yikes. Is an MLB clubhouse that cutthroat?
Here, you've got a guy literally falling apart, and he felt that he had to go it alone? I've always pictured Aaron Boone as a "players' manager." He never rips a Yankee in public, always sympathizes, talks up his troops. Now, I wonder. Frazier couldn't go to the manager, or anybody else in the dark tower?
Of course, the Yankees can rightfully blame Frazier's problems on Frazier. (Frazier does, himself.) The guy always exuded an aura of confidence, almost arrogance - perhaps reading too many press clippings? When Frazier was standing on first after a single, his grin would fill the stadium. Maybe he just bought into our fantasies? I dunno. Sad, though. I really wanted him to be a star. Whenever he homers for the Cubs, I'm going to feel a mix of happiness and despair.
And along with pitching, catching, centerfield, first base and a shortstop, could it be that the Yankees need a Ted Lasso?
So they have strength and conditioning coaches but no mental health equivalents? Given how many athletes we see go off the rails I’d be surprised there isn’t
ReplyDeleteThe saddest are these ...
ReplyDeleteTime to move on. IMHO, he will never amount to nuthin’.
ReplyDeleteThe current regime does not know how to develop players, teach them the game, improve their performance or keep them on the field. They only thing they can do, is breaking their ballplayers. That they do better than anyone else in the league. Why? Because human bodies have torque limits and pumping iron before games (or before at-bats) leaves you unable to do anything but swing a bat. In short, their sabermetric-driven policies break ballplayers.
ReplyDeleteNeedless to say, a team driven by its spreadsheets and algorithms won't know what do to with Clint's injury-driven mental health issues. I hope he has a better future elsewhere.
There's a non-zero chance Frazier's lying about the whole thing. Origonal injury, OK. No doubt there. But subsequent on field struggles attributable to lingering symptoms he decided not to talk about? He might be bullshitting to cover up his lack of performance. I bow to no one in my distrust of Yankee Inc, and esp its ability to manage talent. But Clint's a weirdo. The possibility that he's bullshitting cannot be dismissed.
ReplyDeleteHe's gone. Whatever.
ReplyDeleteSee ya!
ReplyDeleteI'm with JM on this.
For one thing, while we brilliant young people here on IIH have shown the ability to learn (on occasion) -- the Yankee brain trust shows no evidence of this.
SO: Let's move on to the next disaster, please.
As they say on the subway when a rush-hour train is packed to the gills -- "there's another train right behind this one."
For the NYYs in 2022...there certainly have got to be more disasters "right behind this one."
...is there any doubt?