"It was a lot of fun," Bird said. "I was looking forward to playing and having fun. That's what these kinds of games are all about. The fact that this happened, it's cool, I'm honored."
Howard retired the East in order in the first inning, then battled with Bird, who worked the count to 2-2 before sending the ball to the third level of the batter's eye.
"I was fouling off some pitches; he was making some really good pitches," Bird said. "I was just trying to stay alive. I got one I could handle. I tried not to do too much with it. When I'm just myself, good things happen. I have to remember that and stick within myself."
Bird has managed to be himself for most of the Fall League and good things have definitely happened. As a result, it's hard to find an offensive category where Bird isn't among the leaders in the AFL.
Sure, it's a small sample size, but Bird currently tops the AFL in home runs and RBIs. He's second in slugging, fourth in OPS and sixth in batting average. That made him a pretty good choice to start at first base and bat cleanup for the East, a selection that seemed even smarter when he hit his seventh homer of the AFL, even if it doesn't officially count toward his league-leading total.
"I just finished the year where I wanted to be," Bird said. "I got a late start, but once I got going and kind of got settled in, I felt great. So I was looking forward to coming out here and playing more. I think that attitude has helped me."
Yankees 11th-ranked prospect Greg Bird talks about working on his defense and other expectations while playing in the Arizona Fall League
Bird missed the first month of the Florida State League season because of a back injury. He slowly worked himself back and got bumped up to Double-A for the final month. He hit .253, but with .379 on-base and .558 slugging percentages. Always known for his on-base skills, Bird has a career .407 OBP. At times, he admits to being too selective, and one of the things that's worked for him in the AFL has been finding a balance between discipline and aggression at the plate.
"I think the right attitude is to look for your pitch. If you don't get it, take your walks," Bird said. "I think in the past, I was a little more passive in those count-related situations. I've tried to be more aggressive for my pitch early in at-bats and let the walks come more, rather than, 'Maybe I'll walk, maybe I'll hit.' It's been good out here."
He's been particularly adept at driving the ball in the AFL, with his .632 slugging percentage as proof. First basemen are typically expected to be power-hitting run producers, and there has been some question whether Bird would have enough pop to profile well at the position. He works hard at not worrying about those expectations. Like with his Fall Stars home run, it was all about trying not to do too much.
"We joke around, me and the hitting coach, 'Birdy's good enough,'" Bird said. "What I do, when I just stick to my plan, that's good enough. It's when you try and be someone else and do something else that you run into bad results. For me, it's just staying within myself and enjoying it."
The more he enjoys it, the more talk there's been about his ability to be a regular first baseman. Mark Teixeira is under contract through the 2016 season but has struggled with injuries and performance of late. There might be growing confidence that Bird can be the heir apparent, though Bird said questions about Teixeira have been limited.
"Not too many," Bird laughed -- then added when told he should start expecting more of them, "Who knows? I'm just looking forward to finishing up strong here, and we'll take it from there."
Jonathan Mayo is a reporter for MLBPipeline.com and writes a blog, B3. Follow @JonathanMayoB3 on Twitter. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
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