Yankees Ellsbury “Feels The Pressure” – He Should!

Yankees centerfielder, Jacoby Ellsbury, reported to Spring Training and spoke with reporters, indicating that he was “feeling the pressure” to have a good season for the team in 2017. Hopefully, that’s a sign that he’s ready to go full throttle as a step towards earning money he’ll be spending on Pampers for his new baby.

Yankees centerfielder, Jacoby Ellsbury, appears to be a good man. And his failure to provide a return to the team equal to the $153 million dollars he is being paid has been well documented over the course of the winter, including some biting columns from this writer.

But the thing is that the Yankees need him in their lineup as a run scorer, if not a producer, for the team to improve on the woeful number of runs they were able to score last season.

The Yankees Are Not The Chicago Cubs

The Yankees are not the Chicago Cubs, who could withstand the horrendous season they received from Jayson Heyward and still win a World Championship. And yes, they are bound to be better in that department given that Gary Sanchez, Greg Bird, and Aaron Judge will all be in the lineup for a full season.

The fact of the matter is that the Yankees need him to be productive. He’s not Jason Heyson Heyward on the Cubs.

But they are not table setters, and that is not their job description. Ellsbury, the table setter, spoke to reporters and NJ.com picked up the storyline. Here’s the way they reported the exchange when the topic turned to the Yankees disappointment with him:

"“I don’t know exactly what they said,” Ellsbury said, standing outside of the clubhouse at George M. Steinbrenner Field on Wednesday. “Last year, I hoped to have a little bit better overall season. So, I mean, that’s how I look at it. I’m going to continue to work hard. That’s all I can do.”"

And in previous conversations about Ellsbury, Joe Girardi and Brian Cashman added:

"Well, Ellsbury, here’s exactly what Cashman said Feb. 10: “We’re certainly looking for more from him. I think he’s capable of more.”And here’s what Girardi said on Wednesday: “To me, it’s him getting on base and scoring runs. If he does that, he’s going to do the job.”"

“Well, Ellsbury.” Brian Cashman couldn’t have said it any better. He’s an enigma. He’s talented. He’s a disappointment.

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Some players can live with being a disappointment when you are setting your table at home with the finest of China and Kobi steaks every night.

But the question with Ellsbury has always been if that’s the person he is or has he experienced some bad luck and things just haven’t broken right for him.

Or to put it another way, is he a head case, some bottom feeder reaping the rewards of one good season with the Boston Red Sox, or just simply a good to better than an average player who didn’t twist the Yankees arm to sign him to that big contract? Which is it?

Or is it something that the Yankees would need to hire a team of psychiatrists to figure out?

No one has time to figure that out. But if you look back to what Ellsbury said, he didn’t sound like he was aiming at charging the shore on D-Day. All he said is that he’s going to continue to “work hard.”

Which leaves most of us saying (I would think), well, you damn well better work hard for the twenty million the team is paying for your services this year.

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Still, the fact is that the Yankees need a productive Jacoby Ellsbury at the top of the lineup. And yes, whether he likes it or not, he will be under the microscope and because this is New York and the Yankees, he will be feeling the pressure.