Harrison Bader has been an unlikely hero for the Yankees this postseason, his two-run homer in Game 4 of the ALDS now his third of the series – and enough to get him the Yankees’ championship belt for player of the game, as that dinger was the difference in a 4-2 win.
“He’s electric, an impact player,” Gerrit Cole said after the win. “He’s got moxie, got baseball awareness, gets after the ball on defense. A lot of good things to say about him. He’s had a really good series for us so far, and it’s been fun to watch.”
Bader’s .286 average is tied with Anthony Rizzo for the best in this series and his three homers lead the team, an offensive outburst many may not have expected given he was heralded for his defense when he was acquired at the trade deadline.
That was a deal that many doubted even into September as Jordan Montgomery excelled for the Cardinals, but Bader never doubted himself after being immediately accepted into the clubhouse.
“It means a lot. A lot of things can happen when you get traded,” he said. “Being totally honest, there are a lot of organizations that are not like the New York Yankees – just the standard that everyone holds themselves to - it's just such a winning culture, it's a winning mentality. These guys are awesome and have been since day one, which is no surprise to me, and the level of expectations of the fans is high. I wouldn’t want it any other way.”
Nor would his skipper.
“He’s been awesome. You know, he worked so hard to get back, worked his tail off rehabbing after showing up in a walking boot. He tried right away to just endear himself in the clubhouse and absolutely has,” manager Aaron Boone said. “We got to see it there the last couple of weeks in the season when he was able to get back, just kind of what a gritty kind of gamer that he is. He loves to play the game.”
Bader missed nearly two months due to plantar fasciitis, and everything he did in that time to get back on the field is more than worth it right now.
“That was always the goal, just getting myself to a place where I was physically and mentally ready to go out there and compete and be a winning player for my team,” Bader aid. “Not forcing myself to rely on one aspect of my game to do it, just getting to a point where I was getting in a good routine physically to come out, and just be totally reactionary and go out there and play some ball. And again, I really do attribute that a lot to the staff behind the scenes. All those days when the team was doing their thing on the road and we were just in Yankee Stadium, you know, those early mornings were all for a reason. It is a team effort. I'm just happy that we're delivering in a positive way.”
Now, four games into his Yankees postseason career, he’s been the offensive leader for the Yankees in a series that will end, win or lose, in the stadium he grew up going to, with the team he grew up rooting for with him.
“I’m just tremendously grateful and fortunate for the opportunity. Every day I wake up it feels good to be a Yankee, and I carry that with me, in my preparation and on the field,” Bader said. “I’m excited, and it’s been a lot of fun. I’m happy were playing winning baseball, and have a chance to play winning baseball tomorrow.”
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
