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BOSTON – Brett Gardner is not a big hug. Yet, like all the Yankees this season, he's got used to Cameron Maybin's wraparound embrace after a tour of the basics.
So, after Gardner crushed a solo explosion on Friday against the Boston Red Sox, he expected Maybin to take him for a hug in the dugout. But Maybin, who worried that his tradition of hugs for homos has become a little too expensive, has instead opted for a top five.
He said, "Bring him back. I want a hug, "Maybin recalls, adding," All the others are still coming to me, giving me hugs, so I guess we'll continue. "
Maybin, 32, is one of the alternate players who helped the Yankees (95-51) stand out in a season of high injury, which particularly decimated the outfield. Stars such as Aaron Hicks, Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge missed a record time. Maybin believes he will remain a key player, especially after the injury to Mike Tauchman's calf that ended the season this weekend and the persistent elbow injury that compromised Hicks' availability.
Acquired in cash for the Cleveland Indians AAA class at the end of April, Maybin experienced a resurgence of the end of his career thanks to the changes he had made to his momentum before and during the season. Despite a left wrist injury that has slowed him in recent weeks, Maybin has been hit by .287 with eight home runs. By scoring Thursday with a .843 percentage on base plus slugging, his best score in any major league season, aside from an eight-game cameo for the Marlins in 2008, when he was 21 years old.
The impact of Maybin however extended beyond the field, to the dose of cheerfulness it brings to the clubhouse.
"It's one of the coolest things we have as a team: when something good happens, you'll be welcomed with a hug," said All Star league player Gleyber Torres said.
And the Yankees have had plenty of hugging opportunities this season. Within three weeks of the regular season, they sent 276 balls over the fence, shattering the 267 team record they had set last season. More than 230 have been touched since Maybin joined the Yankees.
"I was gone for a little while, but I easily gave as many hugs, and not just for the circuits," said Maybin, referring to the 27 games that he missed during from the summer with a calf injury. Fans also embraced the eternal tradition, which even inspired several t-shirts sold online, with profits being donated to a Maybin charity to support a chartered school in Harlem.
As ridiculous as Maybin's hugs may seem, research confirms the link between physical contact and success. according to a study conducted in 2010 by three researchers from the University of California at Berkeley who studied a B.A.A. In season, teams in the highest strokes, chest bumps, head slaps and hugs also cooperated more, played better and won more.
For Maybin, a first-round pick of the Detroit Tigers in 2005, hugging has been important since childhood. He said that they were the usual way to say hello in his hometown, Asheville, NC, but especially in his family.
"If I take you to Thanksgiving dinner, everyone kisses you," he says. "It's not a handshake.
"Hugging makes people feel good. Everyone sometimes needs a good hug. Even when you do not think you want one.
Great men on the baseball field, too. But it's not until you become a teammate with Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman in Atlanta in 2015 was welcomed by Maybin. Instead of highfives or handshakes during games, Freeman kisses. Maybin said that Freeman's hugs – "he holds you, pulls you, puts his head on your shoulder and takes a deep breath" – not only makes him laugh, but also makes him feel good.
"A hug is really personal," said Maybin. "If you give a hug to a teammate or a person, it lets them know that you really love him."
Then Maybin adopted the practice herself and pursued her during the difficult times of her life.
During a mediocre spring training with the San Francisco Giants that led to his release, Maybin was arrested on March 1 for driving under the influence of alcohol in Scottsdale, Arizona. He apologized and, according to court records, reached an agreement in July in which he pleaded guilty to one charge, while the others were dismissed, paid fines and entered into a program. screening. After landing in Columbus, the home of the highest Indian minor league team, Maybin has always offered hugs to all his teammates who hit a home run. Even though he was worried about his mother who was battling breast cancer and getting surgery earlier this year, Maybin continued his merry tradition.
Shortly after his acquisition by the Yankees at the end of April, Maybin began to hug his new teammates, whom he had known for several years as opponents for 13 years since he was part of the major teams with eight teams. different. "That's how I break the ice immediately," he said. "I'll get you out of your comfort zone and put you a little uncomfortable."
Even teammates eager to hug have learned to love Maybin's hugs. The normally booked D.J. LeMahieu, an all-star championship player, opts for a quick hip hug with Maybin. When asked if he liked hugs, LeMahieu stopped before saying, "Cam only."
Among the team-mates who really appreciate Maybin's hugs are third baseman Gio Urshela, starting pitcher Domingo German, Torres and the Judge. "He likes it when I take it because he's so fat," said Maybin, of Judge, who measures four inches and weighs nearly 70 pounds. "Few people choose A.J. up. "
"A veteran player who still has that fire and energy like he was 22, is special," said the judge about Maybin. "It ignites us all. This is something you hope for after your homerun, you know he'll wait at the end of the canoe. "
It's part of the welcoming atmosphere that many newcomers to the Yankees have cited this season to help it flourish. Zack Britton, a big Yankees relief pitcher, said Maybin helped make everyday work enjoyable. When tension rises in the playoffs in October, his embraces become more important than ever.
"Taking someone in his arms creates good energy," said Maybin. "Especially when you're with a group of guys for eight months like us, you want to keep the energy as good and upbeat as possible all year long. When I arrived, I just wanted to add something new.
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