Melky Cabrera considers it “an honor” to be starting Opening Day at Yankee Stadium at the most famous position in the team’s history.
Cabrera, the only Yankee regular who never has started a season opener, was slated to bat ninth yesterday afternoon against the Blue Jays before the game was washed out. He’ll be in center field tonight in The Bronx only because he is appealing a three-game suspension he and Shelly Duncan received for their roles in a spring-training fight against Tampa Bay.
Johnny Damon for the past two years was in center field on Opening Day for the Yankees. Asked if he had talked to the 23-year-old Cabrera about the significance of following in the Joe DiMaggio/Mickey Mantle/Bernie Williams Opening Day tradition, Damon replied there really was no need.
“No, I haven’t,” said Damon, who will be in left field and bat lead-off tonight. “But Melky Cabrera has done a great job at playing center field there that I don’t think he has anything to worry about.
“The way he goes and gets balls, the way teams respect his arm, so that’s all we want Melky to be able to do, is run, catch, throw the ball and whatever else he hits, it’s a bonus for us.”
In 2007, Cabrera played in 150 games and batted .273 with eight home runs and 73 RBIs. He enjoyed a terrific spring training, hitting .322 with two homers and seven RBIs. While it was only spring training, the production came in 59 at-bats. That was the second-most on the team.
Cabrera’s offense this season may bear watching. He ended last season by batting just .180 in September, then went just 3-for-16 in the Yankees’ ALDS defeat to the Indians.
Cabrera, who was on last year’s Opening Day roster, is coming off an impressive season defensively, racking up more assists (14) than any center fielder in the majors.
“It is an honor to play there,” Cabrera said back in spring training. “But I have a job to do, and I know my team relies on me to do it.”