With this past offseason’s blockbuster trade with the Detroit Tigers that sent Dontrelle Willis and Miguel Cabrera to motown, Marlins fans are skeptical about their team’s chances to compete in the rough and tough NL East.
But never fear, Alfredo Amezaga, and his Jheri-curl, are stll here.
Listed generously at 5′10”, 165lbs., the scrawny Amezaga is best known for his ability to play every position, except pitcher and catcher–a perfect fit for the cash-strapped Marlins. You might be accurate if you think the Fish would let him play two positions at the same time if it was humanly possible.
But aside from his versatileness, Amezaga is also a possible future contestant on the hit TV show Dancing with the Stars, although his dancing partner from last season, Cabrera, will have to be replaced. For those who don’t remember, the two choreographed a post-homer dugout routine in which Cabrera lifted Amezaga off the ground and swung him side to side, almost as if they thought they were the next contestants to dance-off against Danny Zuko and Cha Cha DiGregorio.
“I always wanted to hit a home run every game,” said Amezaga, who doesn’t hit many, in an interview with the Miami Herald, “just so we could do our dance.”
While something that special is difficult to replace, let’s go ahead and nominate Cody Ross to pick up the slack anyway.
But that’s not all; Amezaga is also an incredible judge of talent. Just listening to him rave about Cabrera gives you the impression that he’s on his way to a career in scouting, that is of course, if the dancing doesn’t pay off.
”He was skinny and had big ears,” Amezaga said. “I didn’t see any talent in this guy. Sooner or later, there was the 2003 championship over the Yankees, he hit [a home run off Roger] Clemens the other way, and I’m like, ‘Wow, the people were right about him.’ ”
Watch out Billy Beane.
So, fear not Marlins fans–believe in Amezaga. He’s our little baseball secret. Just hope the rest of the baseball world doesn’t catch on.
“The first thing [after the trade] he [Cabrera] said to me is, `Man, I’m away from you now. What are you going to do?’ ” Amezaga recalled. ‘I said, `I’m OK, what are you going to do without me? He said, `Well, I’m going to try to get you here to Detroit, too.’ ”
Before he hung up, Amezaga said, “I’m good here.”
You sure are Amezaga, you sure are.
