Tuesday, April 15, 2008

All Smiles

Carlos slumped in a seat at the back of the 2 train this morning.

“Are you alright?” someone asked.

“Sure,” Carlos answered. “I’m just recovering from a late night.”

Then he smiled and added:

“But it was a great game.”

Ian Kennedy started it with six strong innings. Robinson Cano salvaged it with a pinch-hit homer. And Mariano Rivera finished it with a strikeout.

“It was tighter than I wanted at the end,” Carlos admitted, “but a win is a win and they’re all nice. I think the smiles in the dugout were equal parts joy and relief.”

No one had a bigger smile than Cano.

“Robbie really needed that,” Carlos said. “He’s been struggling, but I bet that’ll get him going. We need his bat and his glove and his smile, too.”

Carlos slumped back in the seat and flashed his own smile – Cano style – as the 2 train rumbled on.

8 comments:

Henry said...

We all needed that win. It was way, way too close at the end.

Ron W. said...

That was a good win.

Ron W. said...

…Sorry, I had not finished typing… Let’s get another win tonight!

Donna said...

Absolutely, Ron W. The more wins the better.

rodg12 said...

Todd:
I'd like to hear your friends and your thoughts on the LaTroy Hawkins switching numbers issue. Thanks.

Todd Drew said...

Rodg12,
I’m sorry that I didn’t respond sooner, but it’s busy at work today. I will try and write something about this after the game and post it tomorrow. I have written about LaTroy Hawkins a couple of times this month:

http://yankeesforjustice.blogspot.com/
2008/04/turning-page.html

http://yankeesforjustice.blogspot.com/
2008/04/21-forever.html

If you read those pieces you will understand that I love Hawkins and everything he has been as a person and a player and a teammate. I wish he could have worn the 21 forever and I am ashamed that he was treated this way in my country and my city and my neighborhood. I think it’s important to understand that all the people I know in the South Bronx are very ashamed of this, too.

I read some of the comments about this over on Pete Abraham’s blog and I felt very sad. I can’t believe this has happened, but I think it shows that the work started by Jackie Robinson and Buck O’Neil and Roberto Clemente and Martin Luther King and millions of other great people is far from completed.

rodg12 said...

Thanks for the reply Todd. I figured that was what your thoughts would be on the topic after reading your earlier posts. I'm also comforted to know that a lot of people in the South Bronx feel this way as well. If you or any of your friends ever get the chance to talk to LaTroy during BP or while getting an autograph after the game or something like that, please convey to LaTroy that not all Yankees fans (and I hope the majority) felt he should give up the number or had any displeasure with him wearing that number. In fact, I believe most of us thought it was a very honorable thing he did in wearing it.

Todd Drew said...

Rodg12,
Thanks. I certainly plan to pass that along if I ever get to speak to LaTroy. I hope he knows how we all feel.