Greg Bird was once thought to be the Yankees' next best first baseman and could be part of a new championship core.
Injuries derailed that dream, and he bounced around between the Phillies, Rockies, and Blue Jays before joining the Yankees for a second time in 2022, where he briefly spent time in Triple-A.
His inability to find his game again ruined his relationship with the sport he loved.
“I think I've been obsessed with baseball for a while,” said Bird, who hasn't played in the majors since 2019. recently spoke to The Athletic.. “I've talked to a lot of people, and a lot of people go through that. You get angry about certain things, you get angry at people. But everyone tries to do their job. Just being there – just like me. I think that's a lesson in growing up in this world. When you play baseball your whole life, what do you know? Stop and go out and see the world. And it’s a big, old place with a lot going on.”
Now, Bird is enjoying baseball again in an unexpected place.
The 31-year-old plays for Australia's Melbourne A's, hitting .273 with seven home runs, 29 RBIs and an .867 OPS in 29 games.
This came after a brief summer stint with the Quebec Capitals of the Independent Frontier League, followed by a period where Byrd spent time with his family in his hometown of Colorado while coaching baseball at his alma mater's high school.
“A lot of people said the same thing: 'If there's a part of you that wants to play, you need to play again,'” Byrd told The Athletic. “There's still a part of me that wants to play. To be honest, I needed a little bit of a break overall. Now I can say I have a slightly different perspective, but you can't go to the big leagues.” You're going down that path, you get drafted, that's what you do. Of course, it's a great opportunity and it's a great thing. Gifts — I know there's a world outside of baseball, but… I've never actually seen it. Now that I see it, my respect for the game changes and I learn different things because I'm seeing something different, a different culture.”
Bird showed off his potential in 2015 with 11 home runs, 31 RBIs, and an .871 OPS in 178 games, but a shoulder injury forced him to miss the entire 2016 season. That was just the beginning of a series of injuries. injury setback.
Bird wanted to be everything the Yankees wanted him to be, but he shut down his feelings as his career went sideways.
“The biggest thing is not to let it consume you. That's what's been happening for a while,” he told The Athletic. “On the surface, I know that I'm not usually a very emotional or excitable person, but deep down it bothers me. I want to be the guy that people can rely on.'' It's definitely taken a toll on me, and I know others have as well, dealing with everything that goes along with it. Maybe people know by appearance. I definitely wore it inside.”
Bird wants to return to the majors, but right now he's more interested in having fun.
“Why worry about something you can't control? You can't do that,” Bird said. “It's just a waste of time and effort. It's a valuable lesson, and I wouldn't have learned it without baseball.”
