YES Network studio analyst Jack Curry may have jumped the gun when reporting last month that the New York Yankees’ broadcast home’s newest hire, former MLB player Cameron Maybin, would be in the booth for about 40 games. For anyone who saw or heard his March 17 appearance on “The Michael Kay Show,” and his subsequent debuts as part of this week’s Spring Training announcer crew(s), can concur that he’s a natural born killer in the booth.
So much so, that the 34-year-old journeyman-no-more’s “stealth, wisdom and candidness” trifecta proved his slate is worthy of reconsideration, and perhaps should be doubled, at the least, for next year and beyond. After all, anytime the ultra-personable game – and “game above the game” – breakdown guru won’t be in the booth this season just may reflect in the ratings.
“I did a ‘tryout’ game with Cameron Maybin about a month ago and he was incredible,” Kay tweeted at the time of Maybin’s hire, later reiterating the same sentiment on his YES Network and ESPN 98.7 FM Radio-simulcast afternoon drive show. “First time he had a headset on and he was a natural. Get ready Yankees fans because he is going to be a TV star. Yes, he’s that good.”
Where exactly did Maybin come from? As many know, the once highly-touted up-and-comer first broke into the league in 2007 where, as a mere 20-year-old, he debuted in grand fashion: taking Roger “The Rocket” Clemens deep at the old Yankee Stadium – his first career home run, and hit.
Later that year, he was one of the few key prospects the Detroit Tigers dealt to the then-Florida Marlins in exchange for future MVP Miguel Cabrera. Maybin would bounce around the league for the next decade-plus, alternating between starter and fourth-outfielder duties for the San Diego Padres, the Atlanta Braves, the Tigers once more, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, the Houston Astros, the Seattle Mariners, the Yankees, the Cubs, and lastly, the New York Mets.
As Maybin mentioned on “Kay,” he prided himself on cultivating “that spark there’s no stat for” by the tail-end of his career, wherein he had become a regularly sought-after commodity – ever on the radar of teams in the playoff hunt looking to amplify their bench alignment.
One such team was the Yankees, whose injury-plagued 2019 roster benefited from Maybin’s circumstantial steady-hand in the lineup – .285 Batting Average, 11 Home Runs 32 Runs Batted In and an .858 On-Base Plus Slugging Percentage – and in the clubhouse. Highlights recycled in conjunction with the announcement of his latest gig depict Maybin with an infectious “perma-grin,” hugging everyone from the sociable Luke Voit’s to the deadly serious DJ LeMahieu’s of the bunch.
“I cannot for the life of me figure out why DJ LeMahieu is not penciled into the lineup every game (in not-as-accredited Internet users’ mock lineups),” Maybin declared on “Kay.”
This burst signified the perfect demonstration of Maybin’s analytical chops future viewers will come to appreciate. Maybin is one of the few so-called millennials with enough longevity at the highest level that is uniquely qualified to comment on guards both old and new with equal fervor; because he’s been there, and was also just recently doing that.
“He’s a guy, talk about consistency, he’s one of the top 5 pure hitters in the game; it’s mind-blowing,” Maybin added. As Kay’s co-host Don LaGreca mentioned immediately afterward, Maybin, now paid to give his opinion, wasted no time in doing so.
Many originally assumed Maybin was the replacement for veteran Ken Singleton in the YES rotation. However, by the final swing of Singleton’s two-pronged All Star career, Singleton was only on the call for dozens of games per season, if that.
In actuality, Maybin is picking up much of the slack left by the departure of longtime Yankee ace-turned-Michael Kay batterymate, David Cone. Poached by ESPN in a brilliant maneuver to boost their new-look Sunday Night Primetime “Game of the Week” lineup, Cone will remain at YES in a reduced capacity. If his and fellow late ‘90s dynasty alum Paul O’Neill’s second acts are any indication, this is just the beginning for Cameron Maybin, who admits he can’t wait to “learn from the best” opposite Kay.
The 61-year-old TV voice of the Yankees since the YES Network’s sports media tide-shifting inception asked why Maybin, a young man, has chosen the road less traveled this soon.
“After 2019, having the experience, the chance to play on the biggest stage, play for a team with such nostalgia, and do what I was able to do for the Yankees — to have 22-plus minor league offers after that? You could say it broke my spirit,” Maybin revealed.
Now, his spirit is back for the count. And we will all reap the benefits.
