TROY, New York – Greg Bird is a huge baseball fan. So he found himself at the pretty but rather quiet stadium in Troy, New York, on Tuesday night for his first game against the Capitales of Quebec.
Nothing to do with Yankee Stadium, where the new wearer of the Capitals colors has already caused quite a stir, most notably with 21 home runs in the Bronx Bombers jersey during the regular season.
“I love playing baseball and it’s a blessing to be able to do it again,” Bird said just before the Frontier League game between the Capitals and Tri-City ValleyCats at Joseph L Bruno Stadium.
You should know that Bird has not been spared from injuries over the years. From 2016 to 2019 he suffered a labrum tear in his right shoulder, surgery on his right foot, then an ankle and plantar fasciitis in his left foot. But Bird still plays and it makes him smile.
“He’s happy and smiling,” even Capitals manager Patrick Scalabrini noted on Tuesday. However, we do not see him as a savior. As long as he didn’t play in the summer, we’re going to put him in the wolf’s mouth for a bit. His background makes him a nice addition.”
Scalabrini used Bird in the eighth row of the offensive lineup on his debut in the Capitals jersey. The 30-year-old American also patrolled in left field.
“I’ve been told the team needs someone to help. I’m a good friend of Evan Rutckyj, so here I am,” Bird said. What I like most is the people… I look forward to playing, especially in the playoff race.
At a stadium near you
After currently six games abroad, Bird will try to cheer up baseball fans at Stade Canac in Quebec starting next Tuesday.
“Coming together with a new group, in a new city and with a different culture is very fulfilling,” admitted the Colorado-born athlete.
Despite the numerous injuries that derailed his major league career, he still has the power to impress. With a total of 34 doubles and 35 homers in Major League Baseball, Bird still hopes he has what it takes to return to the top one day, but that’s not an absolute goal.
“I think when you play baseball you always want to be in the big leagues, but right now I just want to play and see if I enjoy it,” he said.
One of Bird’s greatest moments at Yankee Stadium was a home run during the playoffs. A solo longball goal in a 1-0 win over Cleveland Indians reliever Andrew Miller in Game 3 of the 2017 Division Series. That night, October 8, 2017 to be precise, the 48,614 fans gathered at Yankee Stadium watched Greg Bird as a demigod.
At the Blue Jays Camp
Most recently, in 2022, the American had also joined the Blue Jays organization on a minor league deal to secure a spot on the team. Despite hitting two homers in 23 official at-bats during the prep calendar, he was released in April and then returned to the AAA-level Yankees’ school club for about three months.
Bird, a free agent, was officially signed by the Capitals on Sunday. The club needed reinforcements after Quebec outfielder Marc-Antoine Lebreux was injured at the end of the season. Since the arrival of the former Yankees exceeds the deadline for transactions, according to the rules, it is imperative that he play in the same position as the player he is replacing, in this case in the outfield.
worthy of a movie
At first glance, Greg Bird might seem just as charismatic as Kevin Costner. By joining the Capitales de Québec, the former Yankees remains an actor in his own story.
In the film Bull Durham, Costner plays the character of Crash Davis, a minor league veteran who breathes new life into promising pitcher Nuke Laloosh. As for 30-year-old Bird, his stay at the Quebec club could be more of a chance to get his own career back on track.
“Personally, I like pretty much all baseball movies, I like that little bit of magic that baseball has,” Bird said. In my case it was just a friend who asked me for help and here I am. I kept fit over the summer. So, we’ll see… These guys have been playing all summer. I don’t want to take anyone’s place either. I’ll go out there and give what I have.
Pitcher Evan Rutckyj is the one who got in touch with Bird, who met at Yankees rookie camp in 2011. Therefore, without playing the big head, Bird arrives with the Quebec team, ready to write a new chapter. If he can support David Glaude, Ruben Castro, Juremi Profar, Kyle Crowl, Justin Gideon, among others, as a supporting actor, he will be very happy.