Yankees to Power Up Through Nutrition

By Lionel Olivo | Mar 23, 2015

For several years New York Yankees coach Joe Girardi has become somewhat of a wizard, assembling lineups with the leftover parts of rosters ravaged by injury. That is about to change if Yankees General Manager, Brian Cashman, has his way.

During the off-season the Yankees arguably made their most significant addition: Cynthia Sass, a nutritionist. Their plan is to build a more formidable team by providing players healthy food and persuading them to eat it. “we’re trying to build a more perfect beast,” Cashman said about his new gameplan.

Their strategy is not based on forcing players to eat what the team deems suitable. It is built around educating them about what the advantages of a healthy diet can do for them. We’re not the food police,” Cashman said. “We cant force them to eat it. We will provide healthy alternatives and help them understand why those options are good. The rest is up to them”.

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For example, consumption of carrots may help and/or improve night vision according to Scientific American, a publication with a long history of presenting scientific information on a monthly basis to the general public. Furthermore, the consumption of lutein, a yellow pigment found in kale and spinach, improves glare and contrast sensitivity according to research published in the Nutrition Journal.

Why is all this important? The Yankees have a roster that relies on veterans. It is only natural for the body to begin breaking down as time passes. “Most major league players have learned that the smallest eyesight problem can be a handicap,” said Dr. Bill Harrison, who has been treating MLB players for the last 30 years.

“The vision problem may be minor but if it results in a slight misjudgment of pitch velocity by 5 mph their bat position will be off by 2 feet. Or if it delays the hitter’s ability to read the pitch by ten feet, the result is a shortening of the amount of time [the player has] to react,” according to Dr. Harrison.

Another, more crucial aspect of nutrition is recovery. Even though baseball is not a high activity sport like basketball or soccer, the grueling length of the season and the travel involved in Major League Baseball can sometimes be enough to bring an athlete to his knees. Eating the right food at the right time will enable an athlete to play at 100% of his potential, instead of 80%.

The person tasked with helping the Yankees become healthier, Cynthia Sass, has 20 years of experience in nutrition. Three of which were spent with the Philadelphia Phillies and the last eight with the Tampa Bay Rays, according to her.

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