In the offseason, Anthony Rizzo used his charm and dog photos to help recruit Aaron Judge to come back to New York.
This spring, he’s using the first part of that, at least, to try to help the Yanks’ other Aaron: Mr. Hicks, who for now is still the leading candidate to start the season as the Yankees’ left fielder.
Injuries and underperformance have hampered Hicks since he signed his seven-year extension four years ago, and that came to a head last September in a photo that has since become a meme: Hicks, after misplaying a second straight ball in the left field corner, standing there with his head down as play continued on the fair ball.
Rizzo saw it first hand, and understands that as much as Yankees fans are down on Hicks, the clubhouse sure isn’t.
“When that type of stuff happens, it sucks and it’s on us in the clubhouse to make sure you’re love and protected,” Rizzo said on Sunday. “When you hear outside noise, it’s hard to ignore it. But as professionals, you do ignore it and you do the best you can. The atmosphere you create in the clubhouse is the most important thing.”
Hicks hit just .216 in 130 games last year, lost his starting gig multiple times, and somehow found himself back atop the depth chart for the biggest games of the seasons in the playoffs until a knee injury knocked him out for the remainder of the year.
Related
Time, Rizzo said, to put all that behind him.
“It’s a new year, a fresh year,” Rizzo said. “What was done last year is done – good, bad or indifferent – and 2023 is going to be a whole new book, a whole new journey of ups and downs, ebbs and flows.”
Even before Hicks said Tuesday that “baseball wasn’t fun anymore” at points last season, Rizzo knew it would be tough for the outfielder to put the past behind him, but the rest of the Yankees will do what they can to help Hicks heal.
“Don’t get me wrong, you still have in the back of your mind subconsciously having a bad year or even having a great year, but you’ve just got flush it,” Rizzo said. “I think it starts with the clubhouse environment and making sure everyone’s on the same page.”
There will still, however, be plenty of questions surrounding Hicks for at least the next few months – first and foremost, whether he can win the left field job, and beyond that, whether or not he will be dealt before August, when he picks up 10-and-5 rights and can veto any deal.
Follow Lou DiPietro on Twitter: @LouDiPietroWFAN
Listen live to WFAN via:
Audacy App | Online Stream | Smart Speaker
Follow WFAN on Social Media:
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Twitch