Huh, who coulda predicted this? It seems that Aaron Hicks is back in camp uninjured, and reinvigorated by the idea that he won't have to hit against the shift!
https://www.nj.com/yankees/2023/03/yankees-aaron-hicks-finally-has-legit-reasons-for-optimism.html
So who had this in the "Predictable Spring Training Stories" predictions? Oh, yeah. I think it was everybody.
Poor Aaron. He went through so much:
The fan abuse got to Hicks last season. The benchings upset him. He didn’t like being switched from center field to left or dropping from high up in batting order to seventh, eighth or ninth.
Uh-huh. Again, all the fans' fault. And the fact that he had to occasionally change position—oy!
But my favorite part of the piece is this: Aaron's extended disquisition on the shift:
As much as anyone, Hicks is relieved that this year’s new rules include the banning of the shift.
The switch-hitter lost dozens of hits to it over the years while batted left-handed. Finding a hole wasn’t easy batting with three and sometimes four infielders on the right side, especially with one of them always out in short right field turning liners to the outfield grass into easy outs.
After going 0-for-3 against the Pirates, Hicks is 2-for-8 this spring with two singles that would have been outs in past years. He’s not thrilled that those are his only two hits, but he says he’s never been much of a Grapefruit League hitter. But the two singles, that’s confirmation that a lot more of the balls he pulls when batting left will result in a hit.
“A hundred percent,” Hicks said. “My first two hits … via the no shift. My first hit, I automatically assumed that I was going to be out. It’s exciting to be able to go into the season with no shift, especially since that’s all I’m used to.
“There’s definitely going to be more opportunities there, especially towards the middle-right side of the field. I’ll definitely try to utilize that spot right there. And after getting hit, I feel I’m free to swing willingly.”
Think about this for a minute. He's a switch-hitter—who can't hit against the shift.
Sigh.
Yeah, gonna be a long year. A short one for Hicks, though. Can't wait until he's back on the links.
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8 comments:
You have to hold your breath to stop from exploding with laughter at the shenanigans. So is his batting average going up by .025 this year? What'll it matter when he gets hurt again and misses most of the year?
Of course, all of it is on Cashman. Hicks was nothing more than a .220 hitter, a bench player, a fourth outfielder at best, when all of a sudden Cashman signed him to a long, rather lucrative deal. HAL must've ordered Cashman to find a way to spend some money back then. So that's what Cashman did with Hicks and Severino. And having signed Hicks to a millstone contract, albeit a small millstone, compared to guys like Donaldson or Stanton, Cashman never unloads these guys unless he receives a signed & sealed parchment from HAL with orders, emblazoned with the Steinbrenner family coat of arms.
Why would anyone boo this poor bastard? He sucks, he can't help it. Aim your vitriol at Ca$hman or Mr. Bean for throwing him out there everyday.
I won't boo Hicks for the same reasons as Mr. Sanchez states above.
However, I will resume tormenting him if he starts whining again.
He should just admit that he is basically a good 4th OF, take his money and punishment and STFU.
Hicks just dropped an easy fly ball..
CAN WE FUCKING DFA HICKS?
Hicks just dropped an easy fly ball by the first batter of the game.
So apparently he still sucks.
Hicks totally butchering the first ball in play for an error. (He was bailed on out a great DP by Rizzo)
No way he is going to last the entire season in LF. Steinbummer needs to pull his chair up to the table, open wide and eat that effin’ contract. Don’t like the taste Hal baby? THEN FIRE THE FUCKING CHEF!
I will disagree with AA on this. We could not possibly torture Hicks to the extent that his presence on the roster (and line-up) tortures us.
(ditto Donaldson)
It's like all that stuff the nuns told us (as kids) that the devils would do to us if we ended up in Hell (which actually sounded likely).
All that poking with pitchforks, putting bamboo shoots under the fingernails, and shoveling coal into furnaces while being incredibly hot. You remember?
That's Hicks for us.
And he gets paid for it!
It's nice to know that, among other things, he's a whiny douchebag.
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