Talk about timing.
The morning after Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez lollygagged it not once, but TWICE, in a 7-6 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla., his backup is rewarded for, you guessed it, hustle.
Austin Romine is the Yankees' winner of the Heart and Hustle Award, presented by the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association. One player from each of the 30 MLB clubs is honored, with the overall winner announced in November.
On Monday night, in the first inning, Rays first baseman Jake Bauers scored a two-out run from second base because Sanchez didn't initially hustle to chase down a passed ball that bounced off his glove and rolled about 15 feet up the third-line line in foul territory.