New York Yankees: Top 15 Moments of the 2017 Season
By Sean Dyer
5. Greg Bird Breaks Scoreless Tie With Solo Home Run in ALDS Game 3
That 1-0 win we just talked about? Aaron Judge took care of the defense and Greg Bird took care of the offense.
With lefty Andrew Miller on the hill, Bird had quite a task at hand. However, the dominant reliever turned out to be no match for the first baseman.
Bird ripped a 1-1 fastball down the right field line into the second deck of Yankee Stadium, giving New York a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the seventh inning. The Yankees would hold onto that lead all the way to the finish.
Bird caused a lot of frustration for the New York Yankees this year, spending a majority of the season on the disabled list with an ankle injury that doctors just couldn’t seem to figure out.
Someone inside the Yankees organization even went as far as criticizing Bird’s desire to play.
However, Brian Cashman and Joe Girardi stuck with Bird, choosing not to add a first baseman at the trade deadline, and Bird rewarded them with a solid postseason. Bird hit .244/.426/.512 with three home runs and six RBI in the playoffs.
Bird has a great eye and patient approach at the plate and he showed that this October. He also picked up some big hits, none bigger than his ALDS Game 3 homer.
Greg Bird has given Yankees fans something to look forward to next season as long as he can stay healthy.