How to give a player hope, and the fear over Judge's new teeth

O, those Yankees... they really know how pump up a guy.

Wow. They "haven't forgotten" him. For Miguel Andujar, this must be like Christmas. The Yankees remember him! A coach even said so. Publicly! They said Miggy's name. Pronounced it: AnDUjar. It was like being mentioned by Sally Field at the Oscars. Something for the scrapbook. Someday, when he's old and phlegmy, he'll be able to prove 2018 actually happened.

Yesterday, Yankee bench coach Carlos Mendoza told the NY Post:

“I haven’t forgotten about Andujar and the coaches for sure haven’t forgotten about Miggy. We know what type of player Miggy could be. We know the season he had.” 

He's talking about 2018, the year his highness married Meghan Markle. Remember the Winter Olympics? Midterm elections? That year, Miggy hit 27 HRs, channeled Joe Dimaggio for doubles, finished 2nd for Rookie of the Year, and seemed to nail down Yankee 3B for the next decade. 

Now, they haven't forgotten him. Said Mendoza:

“Our job is to stay positive with him.”

Here's what's really screwy. Unless he hits .500 in camp - and maybe even if he does - the Mig Man will probably experience opening day in Scranton. Right now, on the depth chart (death chart?), he's the sixth  outfielder - after Judge, Stanton, Frasier, Hicks and Gardner - and the 4th who hits RH. Worse, the franchise seems to have given up on him playing 3B, a decision that dramatically lowers his value.

Of course, nobody wanted this. There's nobody to blame. Andujar missed 2019 due to surgery, Gio Urshela happened, and - really - did 2020 even qualify as a year? But now, here's a former future Yankee star... and they're assuring us they haven't forgotten. Yeesh.  

Okay, I know what you're thinking: There will be injuries. Fake games start tomorrow, and by Wednesday, Hicks and Stanton could be roommates at the Mayo Clinic. Also, we cannot turn away from the new Yankee existential question: 

Will Aaron Judge be the same with new teeth? 

Remember the old teeth? The gap? Not saying I believe in such things, but what if that was Judge's power source?  

Samson had the hair. Green Lantern, the Oan Power Ring. Remember Dale Murphy of the Braves? He had the mole removed. Was never the same. Remember Jennifer Gray, from the 1987 movie Dirty Dancing?  Had a nose job. Lost her mojo. 

What if Judge's gap teeth were the key to his superpowers? 

Mark these words: The Yankees better not forget Miggy...