What Drives Bobby Abreu

Bobby Abreu made his debut for the New York Yankees last night, going 0-for-3 with a walk as the Yankees took over first place for the first time in almost two months. It's a love fest in the Bronx so far, which is to say, it has been about 24 hours.

Much discussion of Abreu of late has revolved around his lack of power since his monstrous performance in the Home Run Derby last year. What is rarely brought up, or remembered even, from that time is what was going on with Abreu's personal life back when he was hitting homers so regularly.

Excuse us while we we quote from our own post.

The Phillies outfielder — right around the time this story broke, he hit homers in six consecutive games — was engaged to former Miss Universe Alicia Machado. In May, she appeared on a Mexican reality television show called "La Granga (The Farm)" and, in a video you can find on Limewire, had sex with a fellow cast member on camera. Needless to say, Abreu was not a fan of this, called off the engagement and subsequently went on his homer barrage.

So, to serve notice to Brian Cashman and George Steinbrenner: We think you guys know what you need to do. Make it happen: You have a legacy of championships to live up to.

Bobby Abreu's Otherworldly Restraint [Deadspin]

(UPDATE: And you can also find the video on YouTube. It's MOSTLY safe for work, but click with caution nevertheless.)