Tell us about your favorite childhood memory playing ball in Mount Vernon.
The fun I had going down to Brush Park, whether it was playing with friends on the weekend or the one or two baseball games that we would have during the week. There was camaraderie. You tried to win, but at the at the end of the day, it was about enjoying the game. The memories of playing ball and having a hot dog with my dad on the way home are special.
Any particular hot dog?
There was a concession stand at Brush Park. We’d go after [playing] to get hot dogs and put all the Cheez Whiz we wanted all over them.
Who was your favorite player growing up?
Darryl Strawberry. He stood out because he was the biggest power hitter at the time. I also loved Ricky Henderson because of how he caught balls in the outfield. He was the first guy I saw doing things with style and swag. You wanted to be him and try to catch balls like him. I wanted to hit like Daryl and play defense like Ricky.
What’s been your best moment so far with the Yankees?
Getting to the World Series last year. I’ve never gotten to that point in my career. It was cool to take that in and realize that you were one of the last two teams playing. Looking at all the work that went into it from the players, being a part of everything that those guys had gone through, and seeing that even with the ups and downs they stuck together—that was really special. Obviously, we didn’t finish it off, but only one team can win. All the work our team did wasn’t in vain.
Any young players you’re particularly excited about?
I like catcher Rafael Flores, he looked really good early in camp. I like the veterans that we brought in, Goldie [Paul Goldschmidt] and Belly [Cody Bellinger]—they’re going to help majorly this season. It’s exciting to see some of the young guys that haven’t had a lot of, or any, at bats in the major leagues yet, like George Lombard Jr. and Everson Pereira, find their groove.
What advice do you give to young and developing hitters?
To be comfortable in your skin and to be yourself. These guys all got here for a reason—they got drafted for a reason and they made it to the big leagues for a reason. The one thing you want to make sure you don’t do is try to change them into someone they’re not. The job of the coach is to learn how the player has success and then work from there.
What’s the one piece of coaching advice someone’s given you that’s really stuck with you?
I’ve been mentored by some great people, including Mark Newman, who used to be here with the Yankees, and Gary Dembo. I’ve had enlightening conversations with Reggie Jackson over the years—he’s let me pick his brain and ask him anything. I’ve been blessed to be around a lot of amazing baseball people. It’s all about passing on information, so I hope to do my part for the next group of players. Hopefully it means as much to them as it meant to me when I was learning and growing.
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