A Look Back to 2015: Greg Bird
A Look Back to 2015 is a monthly offseason feature recapping the season of members of the 2015 Thunder
The first at-bat of the 2015 season for Greg Bird took place in Erie, PA batting third for the Trenton Thunder against SeaWolves RHP Derek Hankins. The final at-bat of his season took place against LHP Tony Sipp in the American League Wild Card game at Yankee Stadium, capping off a whirlwind season that saw Bird go from double-A to the major leagues. Recently, Bird spent a few minutes reflecting on his season with Thunder radio broadcaster Jon Mozes.
On what he'll remember most from 2015:
"It was crazy, started in AA, went down to Tampa [to rehab an injury], came back to Trenton then Scranton and the Big Leagues. It was a wild ride.
On his first major league hit and home run:
"In those 90 feet to first there's a lot of emotion. My immediate reaction [off the bat] was I knew it was going to be a hit. At the same time it's just another hit and you're just playing baseball. Then you realize it's your first major league hit and it was something you've always worked toward. I gave the ball to my parents and I'll just be satisfied with the memory. As far as the home run, I'll always remember the smile on Carlos' [Beltran] face when I got to home plate. A lot of the guys on the team remember their first home run so it's cool for them to see someone hit their first. It was an unreal feeling and I'll never forget his smile."
On the differences in the game at the Major League level:
"It's always an adjustment when you move up, but it's partly that it's a new environment, new stadiums, new faces, new teams. But, once you settle in and get comfortable with those things the game slows down a little bit, at least for me. You're forced to learn faster and every single day matters, every pitch matters because you're trying to make the playoffs and win games. I was never part of a minor league playoff race, but to me winning has always mattered. You play games, in general, to win the game, but when you're in the minors it's also about development and getting to the big leagues."
On what he learned by being in a pennant race:
"The group of guys we had were mostly veterans which was cool to see because they very much approached [the playoff push] like it was business as usual. It wasn't like guys were really pressing, they weren't doing anything different. It was just business as usual which was great to see how they handled it each and every day."
On the Wild Card game against the Houston Astros:
"Its tough, you play such a long season to get to the playoffs and it's tough to go out there for one game and then it's just over. They outplayed us, we had three hits. It was really tough to lose that game."
On what improvements he made to his game in 2015:
"A year ago if you asked a lot of people they'd have probably said I was below average defensively, but, I worked real hard to change that and I think I'll continue to get better there. Hitting has come a little more natural to me in my life, but defense is just as important and will always be a focus for me."
On how he'll spend his offseason:
"I'll be in Tampa mostly. I've taken some time off and I'll kick it back into gear here soon. I've got a few trips planned, one to Rob Refsnyder's wedding, I'll spend some time in Colorado with my parents and travel to San Antonio to see my sister. But, mostly just work out and get ready for Spring Training."
2015 Season Highlights: Greg Bird
- Ranked #4 overall prospect in Yankees minor league system according to Baseball America's preseason list.
- Batted .258 with six home runs and drove in 29 runs in 49 games with the Thunder.
- Had a 15-game on-base streak from April 19-May 6 with the Thunder.
- Batted .433 (13-for-30) with 3 2B, 2 HR, 7 RBI and 8 BB (.553 OBP) in final eight games with the Thunder.
- Called-up to Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre on July 4, batted .301 with six home runs in 31 games for the RailRiders.
- Batted .378 with two home runs and ten RBI in nine August games for the RailRiders.
- Promoted to the Yankees on August 13 and made his major league debut against the Cleveland Indians.
- Recorded his first major league hit off of LaTroy Hawkins of the Toronto Blue Jays on August 15.
- Hit his first two major league home runs off of Ervin Santana of the Minnesota Twins on August 19 at Yankee Stadium becoming the third Yankee, joining former Thunder Shelly Duncan and Jesus Montero, since 1914 with a two-homer game within his first five major league games.
- Became the first Yankees rookie since Alfonso Soriano, in August of 2001, to hit at least seven home runs in a calendar month.
- Hit a game-winning three-run home run in the top of the tenth inning off of Mark Lowe of the Toronto Blue Jays on September 22.
- Batted .261 with 11 home runs and 31 RBI in 46 games with the Yankees.