Yankees’ sudden Greg Bird fear: next Nick Johnson

Greg Bird hits a homer for the Yankees last Sept. 7.Greg Bird’s personality stood out as much as his power during his major league cameo.

Every player must prove he can handle The Show – on and off the field. New York and particularly the Yankees, owing to their history, often provide an additional hurdle for new players, young or old.

Bird, however, had a Jeter-ian quality about him. He was unfazed from the moment he walked through the door. He had mastered polite, but vanilla. He was respectful, but not intimidated. For wont of a better term, he looked as if he belonged in the majors and in pinstripes. That only made the revelation that Bird would miss the 2016 season due to a torn labrum…