"Robinson Cano doesn't need anyone to remind him about his baseball potential. He has a pretty good idea where he's going now. When he's through playing, "I don't want to be one of those guys [where they say], 'Oh, yeah, Robby Cano – he was OK,'Ÿ" Cano said on a recent quiet morning in the Yankees' clubhouse. "He's now over the phase of being content," said hitting coach Kevin Long, who first saw Cano six years ago in the minors – catching short glimpses of a "talent you just kind of marveled at." Was there a turning point to Cano's maturity, or was it just a natural progression? By hitting .400 in April, with eight home runs and a collection of defensive gems at second base, Cano's hot start has created an MVP buzz. At 27, he's at the threshold of his baseball prime in his sixth Yankee season. Though in September 2008, there were questions whether Cano could mature into the player the Yanks hoped for. After failing to scramble for a ball deflected off Jason Giambi's glove, Cano was benched by manager Joe Girardi. "It was a turning point," said general manager Brian Cashman. "And not just because of being singled out." By reviewing the play in the manager's office, "Joe really tried to make him understand it in a constructive way," Cashman said. "And I think right there the light bulb went on – this guy's trying to help me, he really cares about me – which made Robby even more receptive. "And Robby did the rest." Cano viewed it not as a lightning bolt moment, but a learning experience. "Those things made me work harder," said Cano, who believes too much has been made of his maturity issue. "I know I have to work hard to get to the next level. I don't want anybody here telling me I have to work hard." Instead of playing winter ball after the Yankees' world championship, Cano structured his day at home in the Dominican Republic around work – rising early to hit the field, then the weight room." http://www.northjersey.com/sports/p...50710_Yanks_Robinson_Cano_stirs_MVP_talk.html
