There is no magic formula for putting on the Yankees pinstripes and fitting in immediately, making people forget that there was an adjustment period at all. A select few can do it; many star-caliber players have struggled with the task.The Captain also chimed in with this about the Grandy Man:
Curtis Granderson appears on track to be one of the lucky ones who adjust seamlessly to life in the Yankees fishbowl. While the sample sizes are tiny, he has hit the ground running in his new digs, seeming to find a way to make everything click from minute one."I understand my role here and I'm happy with wherever they happen to put me in the lineup, defensively and whatever they call on me to do," Granderson said. "I understand that I don't have to go out there and hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases. I can just go out there and play."
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"It's always a good thing to go ahead and get hits anytime, whether it be early or late," Granderson said. "The fact that they happened to come early, you just hope you can continue it. There's going to be some ups and downs, but for the most part, as a team, we're playing well. If we play well, I'm going to be happy."
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"I'm just trying to play baseball and learn a lot from these guys here, the coaching staff here, and just go out there to keep it fun," Granderson said. "If you continue to keep playing, that's the big thing. I'm not trying to do too much.
"It's not a rebuilding team here. We're not trying to go from last to first or anything like that. I just come in as another small piece to the puzzle and try to continue to keep this team winning."
"Curtis is a good guy," said Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter. "I played with him in the World Baseball Classic [last year] so I got a chance to get to know him a little bit. Outside of the fact that he's a good player, he's a good person, so he fit in perfectly. And he's done that so far."I've been very impressed with Granderson over the first 11 games, both on and off the field. Not only has he hit, but he's been fantastic in centerfield as well, and he's saying all the right things to the media. Listening to the guy speak makes it seem like he was made for Pinstripes.
He also started his Yankees career in about the best way possible with a home run in his first at bat against the Red Sox in Fenway, and then ended that series with another home run off Papelbon which led to a Yankees win. Hoch is right, there's no magic formula to fitting in in the Bronx, but when you do something like that the rest is going to be pretty easy.
