After eight years in the minor leagues, Matt Crook is one step closer to making his major league debut.
The Yankees added lefties Saturday morning. He's filling in for Randy Vasquez, who made his major league debut Friday night against the Padres. Vasquez is surprised by the loss, but was expected to get right back to Triple A because the Yankees needed a starting pitcher and a fresh arm on Friday.
Crook could be that guy, as the new rookie worked as a multi-hit contributor with the RailRiders. The job suited him, posting a 1.04 ERA in 12 games and 17.1 innings. entrance to Triuko-An. He also scored 34 as he walked 12.
"I really like it -- it usually gives me a chance to face the team once. I can throw four pitches, get the guy in one shot, so that's fine with me," said Crook, whose arsenal includes weights, washers , cutters and chainsaws "When you start out, you talk to a guy three times. Sometimes you can hide something or not show something very quickly. Slap a guy in the face, you can go straight to your best stuff."
Aaron Boone attributed Crook's success to his cunning, reach, and deliverance. He also noted that the Yankees have long had an interest in Crook, so much so that they considered adding the minor league veteran to their playoff roster last October.
"He's hard to hit, and he's especially hard to hit against lefties," Boone said. "We learned him really well last year, to the point where we were seriously considering playing with us this season. And then, of course, we made the [40] list for him in the winter because we were hoping to be a part of him at different times in the season. year. And he almost makes a team in the spring. But we certainly expected him to be in the game."
Crook, 28, played in 172 minor league games and had 518 innings between the Giants, Rays and Yankees. He did not play in 2020 when the minor league season was canceled due to the pandemic, but as of 2021 Crook has performed mostly well in the Yankees' system.
Of course, the news of his promotion got Crook excited as he found out Friday night and drove from Scranton to the Bronx Saturday morning. The Yankees probably would have called him sooner if it weren't for a long-standing issue he faced earlier in the season, but he's now two weeks behind.
"It was a long career in the minor leagues, probably longer than most," admitted Crook. "So it means a lot to me to be here and I'm really excited about it."
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