It will have been six days since Pedro Martinez nearly decapitated Karim Garcia with a vicious high heater in Game 3 of the ALCS in Boston. Last night, in Game 7 of the ALCS, Garcia got to step in again against Boston’s nasty ace.
Garcia had no fear.
“Why should I be scared?” Garcia said Wednesday after the Yankees lost Game 6, 9-6, to the Red Sox. “I’m confident against Pedro. I’m confident against any pitcher.”
Garcia went from obscurity to the spotlight when a struggling Martinez deliberately threw at his head in the fourth inning of Game 3, which the Yankees won, 4-3. When paranoid Manny Ramirez thought a high fastball from Roger Clemens was inside, it nearly ignited a full-blown brawl.
Later in the game, Garcia, seeing a skirmish in the Yankees bullpen, hopped the fence and confronted Red Sox groundskeeper/cheerleader Paul Williams. Garcia might face criminal charges but those thoughts were far from his mind yesterday. So was Wednesday’s disheartening loss.
“I’m not even thinking about that game,” Garcia said. “I’m thinking about this loss. That’s over. I’m thinking about [yesterday] and what my plan will be. This is the championship series. I’m only thinking about winning.”
It’s taken until October for the Yankees to find a right fielder to replace the disgruntled Raul Mondesi. Looking to catch lightning in a bottle, as he said, manager Joe Torre gave Garcia the start in Game 3. He couldn’t play in Game 4 because of the bruised and cut left hand he suffered in the bullpen scrum but he’s been in right ever since.
Garcia has made a lot of the opportunity. Going into last night’s showdown he was 3-for-13 (.231) with one run scored and three RBIs. Because of his feistiness, Garcia, a career journeyman who the Yankees got from Cleveland in a trade this summer, has emerged as a favorite because he stood up to Pedro and the Sox.
With a good showing last night, Garcia may put himself in position for the Yankees to take a hard look at him next season. Gary Sheffield and Vladmir Guerrero are the names most often mentioned to be the Yankees new rightfielder next season but for Garcia, the moment is now.