EX-ROCKIE DJ LEMAHIEU THRIVING WITH THE YANKEES
N EW Y OR K » Let’s address the elephant in the room.
A bunch of baseball pundits and a number of major-league front offices considered DJ LeMahieu something of a Coors Field creation. But the Yankees’ all-star infielder is not the least bit surprised that he’s thriving outside the Mile High City.
“I feel like I’m a good hitter no matter what ballpark I’m hitting in or what pitcher I’m facing,” LeMahieu said Friday afternoon before his new team hosted the Rockies at Yankee Stadium. “But I’ve got to say it’s nice to not be asked a bunch of questions about Coors Field.”
LeMahieu, who signed a two-year, $24 million deal to come to New York, entered Friday’s game leading the American League with a .329 average and batting .439 with runners in scoring position, second in the majors behind Detroit’s Miguel Cabrera.
LeMahieu, 31, has already driven in 65 runs, one shy of his careerhigh with the Rockies in 2016 when he won the NL batting title with a .348 average.
Last season, however, he batted just .276 with a .321 on-base percentage. On the road, he hit .229 with a .277 OBP. He also went on the injured list three times after having never been on the IL before. Those facts made many in baseball skeptical.
Still, the Yankees kept their eye on LeMahieu. Special assistant Jim Hendry, who knew LeMahieu when he played at LSU and drafted him in 2009 as general manager of the Cubs, lobbied all winter for New York to sign him.
LeMahieu, one of the Rockies’ most dependable and popular players during his seven seasons in Colorado, exchanged hugs and fist bumps with several of his former teammates Friday, including close friend and former roommate, all-star outfielder Charlie Blackmon.
“Sure I miss Colorado, and I especially miss the guys,” LeMahieu said. “Charlie, of course, but Nolan (Arenado) and Trevor (Story) and Chris (Iannetta). I miss everybody over there, but we have a really good group of guys here.”
Rockies manager Bud Black remains fond of both LeMahieu and former Colorado reliever Adam Ottavino, who signed a three-year, $27 million deal with the Yankees.
“Two of my favorites,” Black said. “I think about 2017 and ’18, our two playoff years with DJ, and I think about what a steady, dependable player he was for us. Not just between the lines when the game started, but he’s truly a thinking man’s player. That translated well to the entire team. I think the result was a comfort level in having him out there for the other guys.”
In New York, LeMahieu’s been tagged “LeMachine,” and he’s loving life in the Big Apple, where the Yankees are the toast of the town with a 62-33 record that gives them an eight-game lead over Tampa Bay in the AL East.
“It’s been a fun clubhouse to be a part of and it’s a very talented group,” he said. “I enjoy playing at Yankee Stadium and this is a cool division to be part of, especially with the Red Sox-Yankees series and the intensity of those games. I have really enjoyed it.”
Footnotes. Outfielder David Dahl, originally slated to start in left field Friday night, was a late scratch. He’s dealing with a bruised left foot after fouling a ball off it in Wednesday’s game vs. San Francisco. … There is a ray of hope for the Rockies’ pitching staff as it opened a crucial 10game, 11-day road trip. Colorado’s road 3.96 ERA ranked second in the NL entering Friday’s game. Over the past 18 road games, the bullpen had posted a 2.62 ERA.