Ex-Yankee Clint Frazier back at Stadium with Bleacher Creatures
Former Yankees outfielder Clint Frazier, center, sits in the Yankee Stadium bleachers alongside Steve Sobo, right, and Bleacher Creatures roll call leader Marc Chalpin during ALDS Game 3 on Tuesday. Credit: Newsday/Ben Dickson
It was October 2016 when Clint Frazier was the Yankees’ No. 2 prospect, one spot behind Gleyber Torres and four ahead of Aaron Judge, according to Baseball America.
Nine years later, during Tuesday night’s Game 3 of the American League Division Series at the Stadium, the 31-year-old still was sporting a Yankees hat — this time with the Bleacher Creatures in rightfield.
Frazier, who Brian Cashman once said had “legendary” bat speed, arrived in New York with great expectations in July 2016 as the headliner of a trade package that sent reliever Andrew Miller to Cleveland. The outfielder’s roller-coaster Yankees career, which featured electric highs and unfortunate lows, with both physical and mental health issues, ended in November 2021 when the team released him.
After posting a .239/.327/.434 slash line in five seasons (228 games) with the Yankees, Frazier played 19 games for the Cubs in 2022, 33 for the White Sox in 2023 and 44 for the Charleston Dirty Birds of the Atlantic League (which includes the Ducks) last year. He retired last July.
So what led Frazier, who confirmed on X that he would return to the bleachers for Wednesday’s Game 4, back to Yankees’ Universe?
“It’s just been the fact that I’ve been doing a little bit of [my] Yankee podcast lately, and I’ve been received well online and embraced a little bit in the fashion of just telling people what they want to hear, because I think it’s what they believe,” Frazier told Newsday during the Yankees’ 9-6 win over Toronto. “It caught on pretty quickly, and so I just sent a joke out, saying, like, ‘Hey, what do you [think] about me going to the Bleacher Creatures?’
“And I got a lot of yeses. So I was already going to be in New York City for something else, so kind of just hitched a ride over here, and I’m embracing it right now.”
Since Aug. 9, Frazier has uploaded Yankees content and his “Life After The Show” podcast to YouTube. With nearly 110,000 followers on X, Frazier already had a voice that Yankees fans heard.
He said he has been “enjoying the ride” with his channel, which has 15 new videos in the past two months, including a 10-minute vlog from Tuesday night’s experience.
But his reemergence has ruffled some feathers.
Hall of Famer CC Sabathia, who threw out Tuesday’s ceremonial first pitch, was Frazier’s teammate before retiring in 2019. His feelings for Frazier are well-documented.
In a December 2021 episode of his “R2C2” podcast with Ryan Ruocco, Sabathia said: “If I see another Clint Frazier story, bro, I’m going to punch somebody in the [expletive] face. [Expletive] is ridiculous. That kid played 15 games in the [expletive] big leagues.”
Last Friday, Frazier posted on X: “do i full send it and sit with the bleacher creatures in new york for game three? might have to do thattttttt.” That post was shared in an Instagram post by The Yankee Report, and Sabathia commented a clown emoji with an expletive attached.
Of course, Frazier saw the comment. He said: “To each their own.”
“I’m not really entertaining it too much,” he added. “I think if you know me any bit, you know that I don’t really care what people say or think. So I’m just going to keep chugging on.”
He said most of his Yankees-related relationships are with former players, though he has a rapport with some currently in the clubhouse. Like most, he has the utmost respect for the Yankees captain.
“I think Judge is in a good position, obviously,” Frazier said. “Who he is is why they [named him] the captain. And, I mean, it’s rightfully deserved. And I think that every single player in that locker room, regardless of the fact that they share the same field with him, they respect him probably more than anyone else. So you got to be feeling good having 99 being the voice of your team.”
Frazier hopes to continue being involved with baseball media. He said he has been offered positions at some places and “you might see some stuff,” but he is focused on growing his own channel.
His experience with the fans opened his eyes even more.
“This is crazy out here,” Frazier said. “I’ve gotten a lot of really positive interactions. So for me, this has been sweet, bro.”
Ben Dickson is Newsday Sports' general assignment reporter. He joined Newsday’s high school sports staff in 2023 after graduating from Maryland, where he covered several of the Terrapins' teams.
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