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It was a memorable day for former SI Yank Colin Curtis in yesterday's Yankee win over the Angels.
Imagine your team is up by two runs in the bottom of the seventh and looking for insurance with two runners on. Then, the unthinkable happens when your outfielder buddy who you know well from the minors gets ejected for the first time after falling behind 0-2.
Suddenly, the skipper calls your name and you must inherit the count before plenty of screaming Yankee fans in the Bronx. Not too much pressure, eh? Apparently, that was the case for Colin Curtis yesterday after he stepped in for Gardner and hit a clutch pinch-hit three-run home run into the right field stands, increasing the Yanks’ lead to 10-5 in a game they’d win 10-6 to square the series versus the Halos. Did we mention it was the 25 year-old former Staten Island Yankee’s first major league homer? What a way to get it. Plenty of columns on the Yanks’ 25th man today, including from Cooperstown bound Bill Madden of The Daily News.
“He’s had a ton of big hits for us without a lot of starts,” a pleased Joe Girardi explained. “That’s not easy for a young man that’s used to playing and getting at-bat after at-bat. To come into that situation down 0-2 and hit a home run, that’s some kind of at-bat.”
“To take three pitches like he did … it was an amazing at-bat,” Girardi added of the scrappy player, who had a similar at bat in a great come from behind win over the Dodgers last month. “But that’s the one thing he’s shown. He’s gotten pinch-hits in key situations and puts a lot of long at-bats on people.“
Not bad for a guy who entered the batter’s box with just 26 major league plate appearances posting half a dozen hits and four RBI’s. One thing we didn’t know about the former ’06 fourth round selection out of Arizona State was that he’s overcome testicular cancer. As a matter of fact, it’s the 10-year anniversary- demonstrating the kind of mental fortitude you’d expect from a hard working player who impressed us when he helped lead the Baby Bombers to the NY-Penn League crown four summers ago.
So, what was his reaction to being an unlikely hero Wednesday? A nice excerpt from Madden’s piece on Curtis’ unpredictable adventure describes it best:
Nevertheless it was understandable if Curtis didn’t quite know how to react. Touring the bases, he said, he was trying to hold back a big smile. And after he reached the dugout, he admitted to being confused when his teammates began imploring him to heed the fans’ curtain call.
“I had no idea what to do,” he confessed. “I was high-fiving everyone and they kept saying, ‘You gotta go out!’“
A couple of minutes later, Curtis walked down the runway from the dugout and saw Gardner next to the batting cage.
“What did Gardner say to you?” Curtis was asked.
“You’re welcome,” Curtis replied, chuckling.
Later, Reggie Jackson, who has seen and hit his share of historic home runs, continued the playful chiding of the personable rookie who, 10 years ago, was diagnosed with testicular cancer. Jackson handed him a baseball with a congratulatory inscription on it.
“I’m a little behind you,” Curtis joked.
“Maybe,” said Reggie, “but you’re one closer and I’m not going anywhere.”
Pretty cool stuff which we’re sure he won’t forget. As a sidenote, they were able to retrieve the ball to a lucky fan who wound up with an autographed baseball from Alex Rodriguez. The larger than life superstar two shy of 600 homers. Or 597 more than his younger, bright eyed teammate who’s doing what he can to stick.
“Running around the bases, I think you’re still kind of in the moment of hitting it. Once you get around, the curtain call is just a lot of excitement. I’ve seen a lot of players do that in the past. To get that opportunity, it’s a thrill,” a thrilled Curtis said of the fun Stadium moment.
“That home run for Colin broke our backs,” Angels outfielder Torii Hunter lamented. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen that before. A guy getting thrown out and the guy hitting a home run in his spot.”
Neither have we.
