The moment New York Yankees outfielder Clint Frazier went crashing into the wall attempting to make a spectacular catch, you can only imagine the fear and nostalgia that occurred all at once. Frazier has experienced this once before in the past, running into a wall covered by a chain-link fence in Bradenton, which caused lasting concussion effects.
“I felt like I wasn’t physically there, like something I couldn’t get out of. I was scared,†Frazier said years ago regarding his concussion symptoms. “There were times I’d be driving, like I was on auto-pilot or something. I’d look around and think, ‘How did I get here?’ â€
Luckily, this time around was much different. Frazier gave himself a good scare and the rest of his teammates, but after being checked on, he remained in the game and toughed it out.
“He came out fine,’’ Aaron Boone said. “He was very clear-eyed and said he was fine. He said, ‘I know what it feels like when I hit the wall [with my head] and this was nothing like that.’ â€
“He hit the wall pretty well right there,’’ Aaron Hicks said. “He seemed like he was doing OK. Hopefully that continues.â€
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Regardless of the minor scare, Frazier is in line to take over the starting left-field job with Brett Gardner taking on a reserve role. The Yankees did retain Gardy for the 2021 season and a club option for 2022 — he understands that Clint will likely be the starter. The 26-year-old posted a .267 average with eight homers and 26 RBIs in 2020, and he earned himself a Gold Glove finalist accolade. He proved himself defensively and with more at-bats, Frazier is capable of being an elite offensive player. He’s not the traditional slugger the Yankees desire in the outfield, but he makes solid contact and has hidden power that flashes occasionally.