Melky Mesa & The Race For Left Field

Well, what do you know? There's another competition going on in Spring Training and it's much more interesting than the one between a couple of backstops. Thanks to Curtis Granderson's fractured right forearm,  ten outfielders are hoping to play left field for the first six weeks of the 2013 season:

Melky Mesa

Zoilo Almonte

Matt Diaz

Tyler Austin

Adonis Garcia

Slade Heathcott

Ronnie Mustelier

Thomas Neal

Juan Rivera

Rob Segedin

Only Mesa and Almonte are on the 40-man roster. The others are Spring Training invitees.

When I look at this list I see the experience in Diaz and Rivera but I also see the hard work that Mesa and Almonte have put in as Yankee farmhands. In fact, I am partial to Mesa who I saw play at single A Staten Island several years ago. I also like the fact that he decided not to play in the World Baseball Classic because he really wants to be in left field on Opening Day. 

It would be fun seeing a new Melky in the outfield, even if it is only for six weeks (and even if if the original one did turn out to be a bad guy). My cries of "Bring back the Melkman" would finally be answered and, as long as he doesn't forget to touch third base again, I'll be a happy woman.