Imagining the Yankees as Thanksgiving dishes

Happy Thanksgiving, everybody! Earlier today, Tom Krosnowski told us things that Yankees fans should be thankful for. Now as we’re gearing up for the Thanksgiving feast by eating some chips to stretch our stomatchs, I thought it would be smart to dive into what’s about to be consumed.

Here at Pinstripe Alley, we’ve run series in the past comparing Yankees players across a wide spectrum of ideas. Some of my favorites have been comparing Yankees to Pokemon, U.S. Presidents, beers. Most recently I examined which Yankees best represented the individual Infinity Stones. So today, as Thanksgiving feasts are about to be devoured across America, I wanted to take a look at which Yankees best represent different Thanksgiving dishes*.

Aaron Judge - Turkey

This one is really simple. Without the turkey, the whole Thanksgiving meal falls apart. The Yankees are built around Aaron Judge. He is the centerpiece of this team, and especially its offense. As we all saw when he missed 54 days with a wrist injury, without him the whole thing falls apart.

Didi Gregorius - Stuffing

Stuffing is the heart and soul of the Thanksgiving dinner. Without it, the meal feels incomplete. When comparing Yankees to Infinity Stones, I referred to Didi Gregorius as the heart and soul of the team. He’s captured the hearts of his teammates and fans and without him the team isn’t whole.

Gary Sanchez - Mashed Potatoes

When Gary Sanchez burst onto the scene in 2016, he became the fastest player to reach 19 home runs. Since then, Sanchez has taken lots of criticism, but one thing is certain, he loves to mash. There are things he needs to improve, mainly the passed balls, but Sanchez is great, even when he comes with a few lumps.

Giancarlo Stanton - Gravy

When the Yankees traded for Giancarlo Stanton, they already had a great team. They had come just one win away from reaching the World Series, defying odds and exceeding expectations along the way. The acquisition of Stanton was just the gravy on top.

Luis Severino - Mac & Cheese

Luis Severino can be one of the most electrifying pitchers in baseball. His first half this year and his 3rd-place Cy Young finish in 2017 shows exactly the type of pitcher he can be. Unfortunately, as we saw in the second half this year, that Sevy isn’t always there. Just like mac & cheese, which isn’t a staple at all Thanksgiving dinners, but it’s great when it’s there.

Brett Gardner - Rolls/Biscuits/Bread

There’s nothing particularly flashy about Brett Gardner these days as he’s far removed from his 40+ stolen base days, but he’s still a solid contributor to the team. Not many people come to Thanksgiving dinner looking for bread, but are always happy its there. (Also...Bread Gardner).

CC Sabathia - Wine

While CC Sabathia isn’t exactly the pitcher he used to be, he has aged incredibly well. After a few down seasons where it looked like he was just lost, Sabathia reinvented himself as a pitcher and turned the story around in the twilight of his career.

David Robertson - Corn

David Robertson isn’t the flashiest reliever in baseball. He doesn’t get the attention Mariano Rivera used to get, or that Kenley Jansen, Aroldis Chapman, and Craig Kimbrel get these days. Yet for the last decade, he’s been one of the most consistently good relievers in baseball. He tends to get overlooked often, but he’s always there when you need him.**

Masahiro Tanaka - Pie/Dessert

When we compared Yankees to Pokemon a few years ago, I suggested Masahiro Tanaka was Mew and my reason was simple: “Because they’re adorable and I want to hug them both. Oh and they’re hella powerful.” Just take a look at Tanaka’s Twitter and Instagram and tell me he’s not the sweetest, most adorable person in the world. All I want in life is to hug him.

Austin Romine - Cranberry Sauce

Full disclosure: I was initially just going to call Romine cranberry sauce because I don’t like cranberry sauce and assumed no one else did either. I caught a lot of flack for insulting cranberry sauce by comparing it to Romine from the PSA staff. But the more I thought about it, the more the description fit.

There were so many qualifications on cranberry sauce that I heard (“can is good and fresh is bad” was the consensus), that it just reminded me of Austin Romine. I’ve often criticized Romine for not being particularly good at, well, anything. That opinion has brought much criticism in and of itself from a vocal community of fans who defend Romine, with qualifications. “He’s good for what he is” or “he’s good if you look at it this way.”

Jacoby Ellsbury - Political Conversation

It’s never a good idea to find out your loved ones political beliefs, especially over a nice family dinner. Just like it was never a good idea to sign Jacoby Ellsbury. Yet, we’re stuck with both anyway.

If you have any additions, feel free to add them in the comments. Now go ahead and make a nice plate full of Judge, Didi, Gary, and Sevy if you have it. Oh don’t forget the Giancarlo on top. And make sure to go back for seconds and thirds.

Happy Thanksgiving!

*I know Thanksgiving dishes vary from family-to-family, these were just some of the most common dishes.

**He’s a Yankee, please don’t ruin my Thanksgiving by reminding me he’s a free agent and technically might leave again because I will cry all into my Didi.