TAMPA – For those concerned that nerds already have a lot to say about the Yankees, it certainly won’t cheer you up to know that the team’s ultra-popular machine won a Klubot.
Then again, who wouldn’t want Corey Kluber to become DJ LeMahieu’s version for the team?
In fact, the Yankees would probably settle for Kluber, twice winner of Cy Young of the American League, providing half the amount LeMahieu averaged (4.45 wins over substitution, according to Baseball-Reference.com) in their the Yankees’s first two seasons, as long as he’s ready to go for October. While Brian Cashman and company wagered $ 11 million that Kluber, 34, could recover from two injury-prone seasons, his mechanical approach to the game and his potential benefits were not lost on them.
“I think when we started this journey with Corey, and you start to dive into a guy’s makeup or whatever, some of those comparisons were made naturally just because the DJ is here, obviously, so there are probably some similarities,” said Aaron Boone Friday, after training pitchers and catchers at the Yankees player development complex. “I also like to think that, as much as these guys are The Klubot and The Machine and discreet in some ways, they are also guys who, when you get there, have some really cool personalities.”
Kluber, who defended Stetson University alongside another silent fellow named Jacob deGrom, said on Friday about his nickname: “I wouldn’t say I don’t like it. I think maybe it was a little overblown, I thought. I would not say that I am for or against. It makes no difference to me, honestly. “
If you watched Kluber take the Indians to Game 7 of the 2016 World Series, a timid victory to end the franchise’s title drought, you can argue that control was underestimated, so prominent was its coolness on the hill and dryness in the media room. . When his manager, Terry Francona, lifted him up during the seventh entry of the AL Championship Series Game 1, with the Indians holding a 2-0 lead, Kluber walked to the reserve bench and did not receive a standing ovation from Progressive Field. When a troublemaker from New York (OK, it was me) asked him about the possible cover-up, a surprised-looking Kluber replied: “I’m still in prison at the moment. I can’t just flip a button and turn it off. “
Spoken like a real Klubot, don’t you agree?
“I think it’s his character. I wouldn’t say ‘dry’ in my words, but I think it’s very concise and efficient in its language and communication, ”said Yankees pitcher Matt Blake, who met Kluber while working in the smaller Indian leagues. “I think it opens up more in part to the social fabric of a team. I think he takes a lot out of these relationships. I think the most valuable part of him that many people talk about is just his consistency and his preparation and the way he does his job and is very focused, detailed and intense. This will fit right here with a lot of guys. “
“For sure. I don’t think I’ll ever be the most vocal person in a room,” admitted Kluber. “But I think probably like most people, the more comfortable you are in a situation, the more open you are to people. I think that this is part of team building ”.
LeMahieu joined the Yankees in 2019 after receiving a surprisingly large commitment ($ 24 million over two years) and coming out of some unimpressive seasons. The soft-spoken veteran quickly became the favorite of the club and the crowd, his actions loud and his few words resonating, and the Yankees hired him for $ 90 million in January.
It is very difficult to imagine Kluber arriving in similar circumstances, reaching a new career peak in thin stripes like LeMahieu. It’s easier to imagine if he can join ace Gerrit Cole as an initial post-season option. And if he can imbue his teammates with wisdom and steadfastness along the way.
It is anything but a nerdy proposition. All eyes are on Klubot to see if he can make it a reality.