(WFAN) Cubs outfielder Clint Frazier returns to Yankee Stadium this weekend when his club visits for a three-game series – and if any of Yankees Universe reads the Chicago Sun-Times, he might have a less-than-friendly reception if and when he plays.
In an interview with the Sun-Times this week, Frazier noted that he’s looking forward to seeing a lot of former teammates he’s still close with but also had this to say about his Yankees tenure.
"A lot of it is hard to really look at and understand where it went wrong at times," he said.
Frazier was acquired as one of the centerpieces of the Andrew Miller trade with Cleveland in 2016, but over five-plus seasons in New York, he never seemed to find his footing. Whether it was injuries (mainly the concussion that cost him a good chunk of time over two seasons), off-field shenanigans (whether the Mickey Mantle number snafu was true, his hair situation sure was) or just plain inconsistency (he hit .239 overall as a Yankee), he just never became the left fielder of the future.
The New York situation is in the rearview mirror, but in terms of the present, he’s seeing a similar situation play out in Chicago: He just isn't getting the reps he feels he needs to break out.
“I didn’t play super consistently a lot in New York,” Frazier said. “And it’s kind of trending that way here, where I’m having to be ready in the high-leverage situations in the eighth inning, pinch-hitting off guys who are throwing 1,000 miles per hour.”
Frazier also echoed many who have left the Yankees in that he certainly doesn’t miss the “cookie-cutter” aspect of being part of the organization – comparing playing for the Yankees to playing for the White House.
“You had to be a cookie-cutter version to be on that team, and if not, then you were, like, a really bad distraction, it seemed like. So I don’t miss being told how I had to look for the last five years,” said Frazier, who now sports a beard as seems to be required when a player leaves the Bronx. “I like it here and certainly don’t miss some of the things over there. It seems like there’s a lot of guys in here that are just accepting of everyone, and it’s been really good for me.’’
Frazier is slashing .216/.356/.297 with one RBI in 19 games for the Cubs this season, and with outfielder Seiya Suzuki possibly returning this weekend, how much playing time Frazier gets this weekend remains to be seen. But he’ll be ready if and when called upon.
“I’ve been feeling really good at the plate,” he said. “I’m really hoping I can get some more at-bats here soon because I want to play.”
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