Who is Slade Heathcott?

      Yankee fans now have a new name stuck in their head. Slade Heathcott. Heathcott was the 29th overall pick in the 2009 MLB draft, and after six years of bouncing around the majors, he has tasted the big leagues. In four games this season, Heathcott has batted .417 with a home run and three RBI's. This past memorial day, Slade got his first start, when both Ellsbury and Beltran were out.
     
     So who is Slade Heathcott and what's so special about him? When Slade was a junior in high school, he was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol, and thus started his alcohol problem. On top of that, Slade was also arrested for pointing a 12 gauge shotgun at his father's head during an argument. He grew up in a tormented house with divorced parents, and his upbringing was not perfect. His alcohol abuse continued until the Yankees learned Slade was blacked out and lost his passport the night before he was to fly to the Dominican Republic. The Yankees introduced him to Sam Marsonek, a former MLB pitcher, who took Heathcott to AA meetings. Heathcott also found a new life through religion, and claims that god saved his life.
   
  This man made it all the way from the bottom, and he has the skills to make it in the MLB. In seven seasons in the minors, Heathcott had a .270 average, which is fairly strong. He doesn't necessarily hit for power, but like Yankee fans saw this past Memorial Day, he can hit the occasional dinger. In the minors he was a great fielder, with an almost perfect fielding percentage in the minors. This kid is an all around strong player, who could play a significant role in the Yankees future. With an up and coming outfield, Heathcott could certainly find a spot somewhere in there. Beltran will be on his way out, and Ellsbury has been injury prone. Once Heathcott proves himself more worthy to be in the outfield than Garrett Jones, who is a 1B as well as RF, he will find himself in the rotation with Chris Young for the outfield spots.

    Personally I have become fond of Heathcott after hearing his story and watching him play. The fact that he turned his life around and now is doing great things, and has a family now is inspiring. His play on the field was fantastic. I truly think that Slade Heathcott belongs in the MLB, and I urge you all to keep an eye out for him.