Christian Vazquez Bashed By New York Daily News Back Page After Game-Winning Home Run
By Michael Hurley, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- Pay attention, rest of the world, because the ascension of Christian Vazquez is upon us.
That may be a slight exaggeration to describe the performance of the Red Sox' 25-year-old backstop, but at the same time, it may be necessary after Sunday night's performance and the follow-up back page on a New York tabloid.
Vazquez stepped into the batter's box in a tie game in the eighth inning against the Yankees at Fenway Park late Sunday evening. He got a first-pitch fastball from Dellin Betances and promptly sent it to the moon. The two-run homer proved to provide the winning run in the ballgame, leading to the Red Sox' first sweep over the Yankees at Fenway since September 2013.
So late Sunday night/early Monday morning, the folks at the New York Daily News showed their saltiness by writing this headline for the back page:
Excuse me (EXCUSE ME) but did you just write "Someone Named Christian Vazquez"? Did that just happen? I think it did. First of all, how dare you. Secondly, a brief education is in order.
Christian Vazquez is a 25-year-old from Puerto Rico. He missed all of last season due to Tommy John surgery. He was called up on April 15, and the Red Sox are 11-6 since that date, and 7-4 when Vazquez has started.
He is the greatest defensive catcher of all time*.
And occasionally, he can take an all-star setup man to the moon.
(*An intentionally hyperbolic statement, but only slightly so.)
"I was trying to get the fastball, and I got it, and so I hit the ball," Vazquez carefully explained after the Red Sox' 8-7 win. "He throws hard. He throws 100. So I was trying to hit the fastball in front, and it happens."
It did. And now everyone should not only know his name, but even if he never again hits another towering homer to send the Yankees home in a very foul mood, the folks in Cooperstown might as well get a head start on molding a plaque for Someone Named Christian Vazquez. Perhaps one day, Dellin Betances can visit with his family and check it out.
You can email Michael Hurley or find him on Twitter @michaelFhurley.
