A lot of Yankee fans are probably trying to get themselves acquainted with Cody Ransom right now. It doesn't take too long to go through his major league record, there's just 183 at-bats scattered over the last eight seasons. If you're looking to get a read on the man himself, however, you might want to check out Ian O'Connor's profile of Ransom from the Bergen Record.
Ransom and his teammates at South Mountain Community College were heading to a game when their van's tire blew out. The van hit a tree, flipped and the aftermath was ugly.
Ransom opened his eyes when the violent sounds of steel and glass meeting asphalt finally quieted, replaced by the desperate screams of his friends. Near the back of the van, Cody was South Mountain’s last man standing, suffering only minor cuts on his forehead and back. But before him was a scene of unspeakable horror. Tommie Eaton, the 19-year-old pitcher and van driver, was crushed behind the wheel. Alfred “Junior” Stell, a 19-year-old catcher sitting a row behind Ransom, was among the many players thrown out of the vehicle.
Eaton and Stell were killed in the wreck, and Ransom admits to suffering from some phobias about car trips following the accident. He stuck it out, though, through another junior college, Grand Canyon University and 4,111 minor league at-bats to get to this point. He may not be the ideal replacement for Rodriguez, but given everything he went through to get here, he's probably not going to be cowed by the spotlight either.
Josh Alper is a writer living in New York City and is a contributor to FanHouse.com and ProFootballTalk.com in addition to his duties for NBCNewYork.com.
