TAMPA — The primary shelf in many of the lockers contained in the Yankees’ clubhouse at Steinbrenner Field is populated by one or two versions of the identical glove, plus hats, sunglasses and other personal belongings.
Oswaldo Cabrera’s is overflowing with an assortment of gloves that he needs depending on which of his soon-to-be seven positions he might be playing on a given day — and that doesn’t even include the primary baseman’s mitt he has lent to prospect Andres Chaparro.
On Saturday, Cabrera began in right field for the primary time this spring. In his previous 4 games, he played left field once and third base thrice.
He can also be expected to see time at shortstop, second base, first base and even center field, for the primary time in his skilled profession, in case he wasn’t busy enough.
“I like it,” said Cabrera, who homered within the Yankees’ 14-10 loss to the Rays at Steinbrenner Field. “I don’t don’t have any problem once they move me around. I just enjoy it. I would like to maintain playing and that’s my mentality: The position that the manager wants me to play today to assist the team win, that’s what position I’m going to play.”
The budding utilityman emerged as a helpful player last season after he was called up in August.
He had played just 4 profession games within the outfield before making his big league debut, but then began 32 of his 44 games with the Yankees in considered one of the corner outfield spots, filling a necessity and delivering a jolt while he was at it.
Cabrera’s impressive late-season run all but ensured his spot on the Opening Day roster this yr. It’s only a matter of determining how best to make use of him.
The Yankees are having competitions for his or her starting shortstop and left field jobs, but Cabrera could also be most useful as a flexible player who can move throughout the sector.
“I believe we must always get those shirts made: Where’s Oswaldo?” manager Aaron Boone quipped.
The 24-year-old is prepared for anything.
“It tells you all you want to know concerning the variety of kid he’s — he’ll do whatever it takes to assist the team,” bench coach Carlos Mendoza said. “It says loads concerning the makeup.”
Mendoza and Boone have their hands full this spring training ensuring Cabrera gets enough work in at each position to completely prepare him for the regular season.
Communication has been key, with the staff trying to present Cabrera at the very least three or 4 days’ advance notice of where he might be playing in upcoming games in order that he can spend time figuring out at those positions beforehand.
“If you happen to put in your mind that it’s hard, it’s obviously going to be hard,” he said. ”But I just attempt to be essentially the most easy that I might be, to not put too many things in my mind. Just go there, rejoice and do the things I’ve been working on for some time.”
To assist in that pursuit, Cabrera has 4 different Wilson gloves at his disposal — plus a couple of more latest ones that he continues to be breaking in.
Except for the primary baseman’s mitt, the most important one is for the outfield while the opposite two are for the infield — one for third base and one for shortstop and second base, plus sometimes third base since it is the glove he’s most comfortable with.
It’s the smallest glove in his collection, one with a brown hue that he called “my favorite glove in my life.”
No matter what glove he wears on his left hand on a given day, Cabrera has made his impact felt while handling the transition to ultra-utilityman easily.
“[It’s because of] his ability to slow the sport down,” Mendoza said. “His ability to anticipate, position himself, read swings. It helps him when he’s gotta go from the left side to the precise side, from the infield to the outfield. He’s got such a superb feel for the sport. He’s got really good instincts that sometimes he makes it look really, very easy. However it’s not as easy as he makes it look.”
