Curtis Granderson is a happy camper. The Yankees officially welcomed him to New York with a press conference this morning and Granderson was a star. He was incredibly charming and engaging. He was genuinely excited about playing for the Yankees and got several laughs from his new bosses and teammates (CC Sabathia and Alex Rodriguez were there to welcome him) and the assembled media. A few highlights:
On the number of text messages he received when rumors of his trade to the Yanks caught fire: "I'm glad I got an unlimited plan."
On superstitions: "I've got to play with sugar-free bubble gum."
On possibly getting hit with a pie in the face after a walk-off win: "I'm afraid it's going to burn because I've got sensitive eyes."
When he was asked about his troubles against lefties this year, he seemed pretty confident about regaining his previous success. He was also excited about the prospect of playing center field and following in the footsteps of Yankee greats such as Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle and Bernie Williams. "It's going to be pressure, but it's good pressure," he said.
He will be a great representative for a team with an international fan base. Granderson is an avid traveler (like me!) and he talked about how no matter where he went (China, Europe, Africa, Latin America), when he talked about baseball, the New York Yankees always came up first, even in places not known for a love of baseball. "They know the Yankees," Granderson said.
Brian Cashman, Girardi and Hal Steinbrenner all talked about what a great clubhouse and community guy he is. That's critical. Team chemistry was a major plus for the Yanks this year and Granderson seems like he will contribute to that positive vibe.
Welcome to the Bronx, Curtis.
Thanks to TheKuLeR via en.Wikipedia for the photo.
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