In Oswaldo Cabrera’s first week in the majors, the Yankees made the most of the multiple gloves that occupy his locker. On any given day, he found he could be sent out at one of four different positions and be expected to hold his own.
That kind of versatility is bound to make a player stand out, as is a No. 95 jersey being worn by a middle infielder for a first-place team with a $250 million payroll. But Cabrera, 23, has upped the ante by injecting some flair into his uniform with an imitation pearl necklace that, thanks to its mix of white and colored beads, clashes just enough with the Yankees’ businesslike approach to make it pop for viewers watching at home.
“I like it,” said reliever Ron Marinaccio, another Yankees rookie who has teamed with Cabrera in the minors and the majors this year. “It’s his thing. That’s what I like about Oswaldo. He’s not really worried about what anybody else is thinking. He’s doing his own thing, and he’s having fun doing it.”
Cabrera, who has instantly found his way into the steady stream of highlight videos on social media thanks to his defensive prowess, received the handmade necklace from Milton Ramos about six weeks ago.
Ramos, an infielder who was a third-round pick of the Mets in 2014, broke his hand on a swing at one of his minor league stops and ended up founding the company PawGripz, which makes rubber batting grips to protect players’ hands. Eventually, he decided that his company ought to sell something stylish, too.