THE YANKEES ARE ABOUT TO FIND OUT WHO THEY REALLY ARE

The Yankees received the news every fan feared this week when Aaron Judge was diagnosed with a stress fracture of the first rib on his right side and placed on the injured list. The good news is that doctors ruled out thoracic outlet syndrome, a far more serious condition that could have jeopardized not only the rest of his season but potentially his career. The bad news is that the Yankees are now without the best player in baseball for at least four to six weeks, and there is no replacing what Judge brings to the lineup, the clubhouse, and the standings. That's the bottom line.

The injury itself is frustrating enough, but what has become almost comical is the way the Yankees communicated it. They are BAD at this. As is often the case with moron Aaron Boone, what started as soreness turned into a bone bruise, which turned into additional imaging, specialist visits, discussions about obtaining "clarity," and eventually the revelation that Judge had a stress fracture. Yankees fans have heard this script before. Every injury seems to begin with a relatively harmless description before evolving into something much more significant. Whether that's a communication issue, an organizational issue, or simply bad luck is open for debate, but the pattern has become impossible to ignore.

Boone, of course, did what Boone always does. He spoke. A lot of words, no clarity. Yankees managers have traditionally been measured with the media, but Boone has elevated the art and is the worst at it. Every struggling hitter is "close." Every injury requires more information. Every losing streak is a product of a process that is supposedly working despite all available evidence suggesting otherwise. Listening to Boone explain injuries has become like listening to a politician answer a direct question. You know there are words being spoken, but you're not entirely sure an answer was ever given. And as a fan, how can you not be fed up with this guy?

The larger issue, however, is not Boone's explanations. It's the fact that the Yankees have spent years constructing a roster that appears to have one overriding strategy: hope Aaron Judge remains healthy enough to cover up its weaknesses. 

For all the money spent and all the talk about organizational depth, the Yankees continue to look suspiciously dependent on one player. When Judge is in the lineup, everyone else's flaws become easier to overlook. When he's absent, those flaws suddenly become glaring.

This is where the Yankees' offensive concerns come into focus. Paul Goldschmidt has provided valuable production, but he's no longer the MVP-caliber force who terrorized National League pitching in his prime. Anthony Volpe continues to show flashes of becoming a below average player, but it's not enough. Austin Wells sucks.  Giancarlo Stanton can't stay healthy.  We can't ask Ben Rice to be on every game.

Judge's absence also changes the way opposing teams approach the Yankees. Pitchers no longer have to navigate the fear of facing one of the most dominant hitters of this generation. The lineup becomes less intimidating. Mistakes become easier to make. Opposing managers can attack situations more aggressively. The ripple effect of losing Judge extends well beyond the numbers he produces himself.

Then there is Aaron Boone, whose tenure continues to divide Yankees fans. His supporters point to the regular-season success. His critics point to the lack of postseason results and a growing sense that the Yankees routinely underachieve relative to their talent and payroll. What cannot be disputed is that Boone now faces perhaps the most important stretch of the season. Managing a healthy roster featuring Aaron Judge is one thing. Managing a flawed roster without Aaron Judge is something entirely different.

For years, Boone's approach has often seemed built around patience and protection. Slumping players are reassured. Injured players are handled carefully. Public criticism is rare. While maintaining clubhouse harmony has value, there are times when fans wonder whether the organization mistakes comfort for accountability. The Yankees frequently talk about process, preparation, and trust, but those concepts eventually need to translate into results on the field.

The next month may tell us more about the Yankees than the first two months of the season combined. If the offense continues producing, if players such as Bellineger take meaningful steps forward, and if veterans like Goldschmidt carry a greater share of the burden, then the Yankees can survive this injury and remain legitimate contenders. If the offense collapses and the team struggles to score runs without Judge in the middle of the lineup, it will confirm what many observers have suspected for years: that Aaron Judge wasn't merely the Yankees' best player. He was the foundation holding everything together, not Boone.

That's the uncomfortable reality facing the Yankees today. Aaron Judge's injury didn't create the roster's weaknesses. It exposed them. For years the organization has acted as though there would always be another trade deadline, another offseason, another opportunity to patch the holes. Now those holes are being tested in real time. Judge is on the injured list, the excuses are running thin, and the Yankees are about to discover whether they're truly a championship contender or simply a team that has been fortunate enough to employ the best player in baseball.

RAMBLINGS OF AN 82 YEAR OLD YANKEE FAN: WHERE ARE WE GOING?

Interacting with our Bleeding Yankee Blue readers is something I love, especially if everyone is respectful in the conversation.  I want to introduce you to Len Ferrara who reached out to me and had a few things to say.  So, I asked that an article be written. Here you go, folks, enjoy. And thank you Len.

-Casey

Every once in a while, on Facebook, an ad pops up for people to show that they are the oldest Yankee fan. I have put my name in, but I am obviously not the oldest because every Wednesday I have breakfast with a bunch of guys, three of whom are Yankee fans and are older than I am. Thus, age is just a number.

Since I’m rambling, I thought I would share some Yankee Stadium experiences.

My first trip to Yankee Stadium happened when I was seven or eight. I can’t really remember how old I was. You have to understand that was 75 years ago. It was a bus trip from Saint Anne’s Church in Newark, New Jersey. Basically, most of my family went.

Since I was an insignificant seven-year-old, I got to sit directly behind one of the vertical girders in the original Yankee Stadium. I can't recall how little of the game I saw, looking back and forth on either side of the girder. Since the year would have been 1950 or 1951, let me list some of the people who would’ve been playing in that game: Berra, Mize, Coleman, Rizzuto, Brown, Woodling, DiMaggio, and Bauer.

Now let me jump forward to when I was in the eighth grade. I was a school crossing guard. The reward for eighth graders who got the crossing guard assignments was a trip to Yankee Stadium. We sat in the bleachers. It was a sunny day. We roasted.

I remember telling the chaperone, my history teacher, that we had “found our place in the sun” (you have to dig back into your history book to understand that reference). The highlight of the day was my favorite player, Andy Carey, who played third base. He hit a home run right in the direction where we were sitting, but it didn’t quite reach us, proving you can’t have everything in life.

Some 25 years later, in the “new” Yankee Stadium, I was able to grab a foul ball that came into the upper deck at the weirdest angle I could ever imagine. I never thought you would get a foul ball sitting in that section, but I did.

That brings us to the latest and current iteration of Yankee Stadium. The best thing about it, I find, is the steak sandwich.

Was I there for Mariano’s last game? Yes, I was.

Am I crying now as I write about it? Yes, I am.

We, as Yankee fans, are so spoiled by players of that caliber, and I guess it’s just that we demand excellence, which is so hard to come by at this point in time.

As far as the current team is concerned, I don’t think it’s difficult to point to the holes. I don’t think you can win a championship when you have three guys batting below .200, or close to it. I also don’t think a hitting coach can take a .210 hitter and make him into a .250 hitter, but I have been known to be wrong a few times in my life.

Does the bullpen need help? Absolutely.

What I don’t understand is why we seem to have excellent prospects in the minors who stay in the minors while we get to watch relievers give up runs every time they come in.

The Yankees are worth $7 billion, or something like that, and Hal Steinbrenner thinks salaries are out of control. He's in favor of a salary cap that may cause him to cut $70 million in payroll. How is that going to happen?

Did the fans vote to give Trent Grisham $20.2 million for the year?

Will he be on the team next year?

Why do the owners vote in favor of selling teams to guys or groups that have absurd amounts of money and then complain when those same people give out absurd contracts?

Why did the league allow the bankruptcy sale of the Dodgers, and now they have a ridiculous financial advantage? Excuse me, you didn't see that coming?

When Stanton is healthy, will Boone put Rice in at catcher so the lineup would include Goldy, Rice, and Giancarlo? Or are they worried that his legs are not in shape to catch? Has Boone noticed the increase in Rice's size over the last two years?

Will Volpe playing second help with his hitting or mental gaffes? Or do we have to settle for a shortstop with less range?

You know Hal does not want to pay Jazz.

What is it about Yankees prospects that causes them to flame out in New York and then succeed elsewhere?

I still have my 1959 and 1960 Yankees yearbooks. I have a scrapbook with a newspaper clipping from April 18, 1948. That should tell you who I am.

Do you think I bleed Yankee blue?

I love the Yankees, but sometimes they just tick me off.

I am an observational scientist by occupation, although you can tell by my age that I am retired.

These are a few of my observations and concerns.

--Len Ferrara

UP SCHLITT'S CREEK?

Cam Schlittler has been one of the best stories of the Yankees' season. The stuff is electric, the poise has been impressive, and perhaps most importantly, he's shown the kind of command that usually takes young pitchers years to develop.

But there's a fine line between confidence and cockiness.

I was one of the first people to roll my eyes when Schlittler was tweeting "Keep hating on us" back in March. MARCH. The Yankees were playing well, sure, but maybe pump the brakes a little. In reality, this kid hadn't accomplished anything then. Now he's getting real good, he's going to be great, but alittle early to act like Cy Young, no? 

There's a reason veterans always say this game humbles you. Baseball has a funny way of finding anyone who starts believing their own headlines.

That's why Tuesday night's outing against the Guardians caught my attention.  For the first time this season, Schlittler looked mortal. Cleveland tagged him for five runs, four earned, on five hits in just 4.1 innings. He struck out only three batters, marking the first time since September of last year that he'd allowed more than three runs in a start.

One bad outing isn't a crisis. Every great pitcher gets knocked around eventually. The bigger concern was what happened underneath the box score. Schlittler's fastball averaged 96.8 mph, roughly one mile per hour lower than normal. His cutter, sinker, and curveball also showed velocity drops. Across the board, his stuff just wasn't quite as sharp.

According to the New York Post, the dip was largely attributed to mechanical inconsistencies affecting his four-seam fastball, which then dragged down his overall velocity. Aaron Boone noted that it was the second straight start in which Schlittler struggled to find a consistent feel for his mechanics. While some wondered about arm fatigue, Schlittler insisted there were no injury concerns and no structural soreness.

That's encouraging. But it's still something worth monitoring. Look, the league adjusts. That's what it does. Every young pitcher looks unhittable until major-league hitters start collecting data, studying tendencies, and making counter-adjustments. Then comes the real test.

Can you adjust back? I actually think Schlittler can. He seems smart enough and competitive enough to make those changes. One rough start doesn't suddenly erase months of success. Still, maybe this is a reminder that baseball isn't conquered in March.

Thankfully, Gerrit Cole has looked exceptional since returning, giving the Yankees some stability if Schlittler experiences a few bumps along the way.

And if there's a lesson here, it's a simple one: don't start taking victory laps before you've run the race. Confidence is necessary. Every successful pitcher has it. But when you're a kid with barely any major-league experience, acting like you've already arrived can come back to bite you.

As for Schlittler, maybe he's still the real deal. Maybe this is nothing more than a temporary mechanical hiccup. I believe that over time he will be a true monster and success story, but I'm a realist.

Look, for months, Yankees fans have been calling him "the Schlitt."

The next few starts will tell us whether he really is the Schlitt—or whether the honeymoon phase is officially over.

CHISHOLM GETS MOCKED FOR APPEARING ON JIMMY FALLON

Jazz Chisholm is just cocky.

Sometimes it's entertaining. Sometimes it's refreshing. And sometimes it leaves Yankees fans wondering if anyone has checked the stats before handing him a microphone.

Jazz made an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and confidently predicted that New York will win the World Series.

"To win the World Series. (We're gonna do it)..." Chisholm said with a grin.

Now, confidence isn't exactly a bad thing. Nobody wants their players predicting a second-place finish. But there comes a point where the bold declarations start sounding a little different when you're hitting in the .230s and carrying a .699 OPS.

Remember when Chisholm spent spring training talking about becoming a 50-homer, 50-steal player? Yankees fans were excited. Chisholm was excited. Then reality showed up.

His season got off to a rough start, and at one point he suggested the cold weather was part of the reason for his struggles. Fair enough. Hitting a baseball in 40-degree weather isn't exactly a day at the beach.

But here's the problem.

October baseball isn't played in paradise.

If the Yankees want to win the World Series—the same World Series Chisholm just guaranteed on national television—they're going to have to play in cold weather. Maybe in New York. Maybe in Cleveland. Maybe somewhere even colder. At some point, "it's too cold" stops sounding like an explanation and starts sounding like something fans don't want to hear.

Which brings us to the funniest part of this entire story.

After Chisholm's appearance on Jimmy Fallon, Cleveland broadcaster Tom Hamilton delivered what might be the quote of the week.

Hamilton basically laughed at the idea that Chisholm was even a guest on Fallon in the first place, joking that it was surprising a guy hitting in the .230s got invited onto the show.

And honestly? It was hilarious.

Not because Hamilton was being mean. Not because Chisholm deserves to be mocked. But because it was the exact thought a lot of baseball fans probably had when they heard the interview.

You don't usually see struggling hitters making headlines for predicting championships. Usually, they're busy trying to get their batting average above the Mendoza Line.

That's what made Hamilton's jab land so perfectly. It wasn't some personal attack. It was baseball's version of a perfectly timed fastball right down the middle.

And the worst part for Chisholm?

Hamilton wasn't wrong.

If Chisholm were hitting .310 with 18 home runs, nobody would blink at a World Series prediction. Fans would probably love it. But when you're batting in the .230s, carrying a sub-.700 OPS, and still talking like you're the star of the league, you're practically inviting broadcasters to have some fun at your expense.

To be fair, Chisholm has never lacked confidence, and that's part of what makes him such a fascinating player. The swagger, the personality, the energy—it's all part of the package. Baseball could use more players willing to show some emotion.

But confidence and production work best as a pair.

Right now, Chisholm has plenty of the first one.

The Yankees are still waiting on more of the second.

THE YANKEES NEED TO FIX THE CATCHER POSITION FAST!

The Yankees have a catching problem, and it's becoming harder to ignore with each passing week.

Neither JC Escarra nor Austin Wells has managed to seize control of the position. Wells has not shown anything. Escarra's story remains one of the best feel-good tales in baseball, yet sentiment alone won't solve a lineup that desperately needs more production behind the plate. For a team with championship aspirations, the Yankees can't afford for catcher to remain an offensive black hole. This is a position we here at Bleeding Yankee Blue was concerned about in the off season. It's amazing how the Yankees front office thought this duo could actually work.  

Now there are reports that the Yankees's front office is expected to keep a close eye on the trade market for a right-handed hitting catcher who can bring legitimate thump to the lineup. The Yankees don't need another backup. They need a difference-maker.

One intriguing option is Ryan Jeffers of the Minnesota Twins. We've mentioned him before. When healthy, Jeffers has demonstrated the ability to punish opposing pitching, providing the kind of right-handed power that would fit naturally in Yankee Stadium. Minnesota's uncertain position in the standings could make veteran pieces available, and Jeffers' recent hand injury may lower his acquisition cost. If the Twins decide to listen on offers, the Yankees should be among the first teams calling.

Another name worth monitoring is Dillon Dingler of the Detroit Tigers. The young catcher has developed into one of the more promising offensive backstops in the American League, combining power potential with solid defensive skills. Detroit may view him as a long-term building block, but every player has a price. If the Yankees are willing to part with some young pitching or prospect depth, Dingler could become an attractive target.

Then there's the dream scenario: Adley Rutschman. Let's be realistic—an Orioles-Yankees blockbuster is about as likely as seeing Red Sox fans cheer for Aaron Judge. But if Baltimore were ever willing to entertain the idea, Rutschman would instantly transform the Yankees' lineup. His switch-hitting bat would add balance, his on-base skills would create more opportunities for sluggers like Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, and his reputation as one of baseball's premier game managers would elevate the entire pitching staff.

For now, the Yankees continue to juggle Wells and Escarra while searching for answers. The problem is that October contenders rarely survive with uncertainty at catcher. If the Yanks are serious about making a deep postseason run, general manager Brian Cashman may need to stop patching the position and start solving it.

DO THE YANKEES HAVE A CHANCE TO SNAG TARIK SKUBAL?

Everyone is watching, waiting and wondering what the Detroit Tigers are going to do this summer, especially me. The Tigers are at the bottom of the AL Central which means the Tigers might be ready to move Tarik Skubal soon.

This season feels like it is moving faster than normal. Summer is here which means in a couple of months the trade deadline will be here. Teams will be looking to bolster their rosters for a postseason run and the Tigers and Skubal could be parting ways soon and another team could get a VERY good, shiny new rotation piece. 

"It's trending that way. Talking with people around the game, that is their feeling," Rosenthal said when asking if a Skubal trade on Saturday’s MLB on FOX pregame show was realistic. "The outlook right now is rather bleak, and honestly, it's difficult to imagine them making up a 14-game under .500 deficit, getting back to .500, and then contending even in a weak American League. So the question becomes, 'Will Skubal be healthy enough?' It's what we don't know." Read more HERE.

That is a wild card, but if he is what an amazing instant upgrade. Before Skubal hit the Injured List he had a 2.70 ERA on a terrible Tigers team that doesn't score a lot of runs. It would be fun to watch what he could do on a team with a more potent offense. It would be even nicer to have Skubal plug into a rotation with Max Fried and Gerrit Cole. But is THAT realistic?

Probably not for more than one reason. I'm sure Brian Cashman will be listening like he always does but if Fried's elbow injury is just a contusion and he comes back healthy the Yankees have other strong pieces like Cam Schlittler, Carlos Rodon and progressing Will Warren. The Yankees have some strong pieces in the rotation, there wouldn't be a great need to trade top prospects to get a short rental for Skubal. So there's reason number one.

When you look at the Yankees trade chips, they have some pieces but not ones they are willing to part with to get the Tigers to send us Skubal. If we could dangle Spencer Jones and they would bite that would be one thing but Detroit is going to want a lot more than Jones and that likely starts with George Lombard Jr. or Carlos Lagrange.

 The Yankees don't want to part with Lombard Jr at all, let alone for a short term rental. There are other teams out there with a deeper pool of top prospects that will not only have more to offer the Tigers, but will also be willing to deal them and the first team that comes to mind should be no surprise....the damn Dodgers. They have more top ranked prospects than any team and are highly motivated to do what it takes to complete a dynasty run for another championship. It could happen, but I am not sleeping on the Cubs or the Padres either.

So, there it is. I sit here and drool thinking about Skubal but realistically have to tell myself he's an unrealistic move for the Yankees. A girl can dream, I guess.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

DON'T BE FOOLED BY VOLPE'S HOT START

Jose Caballero should remain the Yankees' everyday shortstop, regardless of Anthony Volpe's latest hot start. If that sounds harsh, it's only because Yankees fans have watched the same cycle play out enough times to recognize it immediately.

Volpe starts hot. Headlines follow. Social media fills with breakout-season predictions. Analysts begin talking about the former top prospect finally putting it all together. Then somewhere along the way, the production starts to disappear, pitchers adjust, and the numbers begin trending in the wrong direction.

At some point, a trend stops being a coincidence and becomes part of the scouting report.

The best example remains 2024. Through his first 264 plate appearances, Volpe looked like a completely different hitter, batting .282 and appearing ready to establish himself as one of the league's better young shortstops. Then the league adjusted. Over the remainder of the season, he hit just .221/.256/.325. That's not a slump. That's a collapse.

To Volpe's credit, he delivered some huge postseason moments, including a memorable World Series grand slam. Nobody can take that away from him, except for the fact that the Yankees lost, and so, it really means nothing. One October highlight doesn't automatically erase years of offensive inconsistency. The Yankees cannot continue making lineup decisions based on what they hope Volpe will become rather than what he has consistently shown himself to be. But that's what Boone does.

Meanwhile, Jose Caballero keeps doing something that has become strangely undervalued in today's game: he shows up every day and performs.  Caballero doesn't arrive with the prospect hype. He doesn't have the first-round pedigree. He isn't the player featured in marketing campaigns or pushed as the face of the franchise's future. All he does is play winning baseball.

His defense is elite. His instincts are exceptional. He makes routine plays look effortless and difficult plays look routine. His baseball IQ consistently shows up in every phase of the game. Whether it's positioning, anticipation, baserunning, situational awareness, or simply understanding how to execute winning baseball, Caballero brings a level of polish and consistency that the Yankees have desperately needed.

Even Friday night against the Athletics provided another example. Back at shortstop, Caballero went 2-for-4 with a run scored in the Yankees' 8-2 win. It wasn't a headline-grabbing performance. It was something even better: reliable.

That's become his trademark. But here's another one. Saturday? Volpe? 0-4 in the Yankees loss to the A's. I can't deal.

Plus, the defensive conversation should not even be close at this point. If we're being completely honest, the Yankees' strongest infield alignment features Jazz Chisholm at second base and Jose Caballero at shortstop.

Chisholm is simply a better defensive second baseman than Volpe. His range, athleticism, reactions, and comfort level at the position are evident every night. Likewise, Caballero has shown superior consistency at shortstop. Together, they give the Yankees an athletic, dependable middle infield capable of turning difficult plays into outs on a regular basis.

Which brings us to the strange sight of Volpe taking ground balls at both shortstop and second base before games. For optics, it makes sense. For baseball reasons, it makes far less sense.

The Yankees may want fans to believe they're exploring versatility, but it's difficult to envision a realistic scenario where Volpe becomes the preferred option at second base. Why would he?

If Chisholm is the better second baseman and Caballero is the better shortstop, where exactly does Volpe fit into that equation? You don't weaken two positions just to create room for one player, unless of course you're obsessed with Volpe like Boone is.

For years, the Yankees have seemed determined to make Volpe work regardless of performance. They've remained patient through prolonged offensive struggles, extended slumps, and repeated second-half fadeouts. At some point, however, patience has to be rewarded with results.

This season should be viewed as a proving ground for Volpe. If he truly has turned the corner, fantastic. Let him prove it over six months instead of six weeks. Because history suggests caution.

Pitchers have consistently followed the same blueprint against him. Early in seasons, they challenge him with fastballs and he takes advantage. Then scouting reports circulate. Opposing staffs identify the holes in his swing and stop giving him pitches he can drive.

The diet shifts toward breaking balls and off-speed offerings. His chase rate begins to climb. His hard-hit rates begin to fall. His swing often gets longer. His strike-zone discipline deteriorates. Weak ground balls start replacing line drives. The production dries up. The pattern has become so familiar that many Yankees fans can practically predict it before it happens.

That doesn't mean Volpe lacks talent. Quite the opposite. The raw tools are obvious. The speed is real. The athleticism is real. The defensive flashes are real. The consistency is not. And consistency is what separates good players from cornerstone players. It's my opinion the minors is where he needs to be to get consistency.

Jose Caballero has earned the opportunity to keep playing every day because he has consistently impacted games. Not because of prospect rankings. Not because of draft status. Not because of organizational investment.

Because he has performed.

The Yankees' best defensive alignment right now is staring them directly in the face: Jazz Chisholm at second base, Jose Caballero at shortstop, and everyone else figuring out how to fit around that reality.

If Anthony Volpe wants that shortstop job back permanently, the path is simple. Sustain the production. Make the adjustments. Prove that this year's hot start won't become another chapter in a story Yankees fans have already read multiple times.

Until that happens, Caballero deserves the job, and frankly, he deserves far more credit than he's getting for being one of the most reliable players on the roster.

BABE RUTH: HOME RUN NUMBER 714

By the spring of 1935, Babe Ruth's legendary career was nearing its end. His days as baseball's most feared hitter were largely behind him, and his brief stint with the Boston Braves had done little to recapture the magic that made him the sport's biggest attraction. But on May 25, 1935, at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh, Ruth delivered one last unforgettable reminder that even an aging Sultan of Swat could still put on a show unlike anyone else.

Facing the Pittsburgh Pirates, the 40-year-old Ruth enjoyed one of the most remarkable farewell performances in baseball history. He went a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate, blasted three home runs, drove in six runs, and nearly single-handedly kept the Braves competitive in an eventual 11-7 loss. The Braves lost the game, but nobody remembered the score. They remembered the home runs.

And not just because there were three of them.

The final blast of the afternoon was home run No. 714—the last home run Babe Ruth would ever hit in a Major League game. Think about that number for a moment. When Ruth retired, 714 home runs stood as one of the most untouchable records in sports. He didn't just hold the all-time home run record; he had completely redefined what was possible. Before Ruth arrived, no player had ever reached 200 career home runs. Ruth more than tripled that total.

His third homer that day was vintage Ruth. The ball rocketed off his bat and sailed completely out of Forbes Field in fair territory, becoming the first fair ball ever hit entirely out of the stadium. Witnesses offered varying estimates of the distance, with some claiming it approached 600 feet. Whether it actually traveled that far may never be known, but one thing is certain: nobody in attendance had seen anything like it.

The baseball eventually landed in a nearby yard beyond the ballpark. Ruth later signed the ball for the man who found it, and it ultimately found a permanent home in the National Baseball Hall of Fame, preserving a piece of one of baseball's most iconic afternoons.

The scene that followed was pure Babe Ruth.

After circling the bases for the final home run of his career, Ruth completed his trot, then casually made his way toward the Pirates' bullpen. There, according to popular accounts, he helped himself to a towel, sat down among the opposing pitchers, patted one on the knee, and remarked, "Felt pretty good out there today, boys. Felt pretty good."

It's hard to imagine a more fitting curtain call.

Three home runs in a single game. A perfect day at the plate. Six RBIs. Home run No. 714. The first fair ball ever hit completely out of Forbes Field. It was as if baseball's biggest star had saved one final performance for the closing act.

Ruth would play only a few more games before retiring, but May 25, 1935, remains one of the greatest farewell performances in sports history. It was the last time fans saw the Bambino at full power, launching baseballs into the stratosphere and leaving opponents shaking their heads in disbelief.

Baseball has spent nearly a century searching for the next Babe Ruth. It has produced Hall of Famers, MVPs, record breakers, and home run kings. Yet when conversations turn to the greatest player the game has ever seen, Ruth's name never stays out of the discussion for long. A career that ended with 714 home runs was impressive enough. Finishing it with three in one afternoon felt almost too perfect—a final reminder that the game's biggest legend still had one more Ruthian performance left in him.

--Alvin Izzo
BYB Yankee History Contributor

DO THE YANKEES EVEN NEED AARON BOONE?

The Yankees swept the Royals, and somehow it still leaves me wondering if Boone is the problem. Crazy, right?  Look, The Yanks handled the Kansas City Royals 3 straight losses.  

They outclassed them. Out-hit them. Out-pitched them. Out-everything’d them. For three games, the gap between the two teams looked significant. Let's say it though. The Yankees are supposed to do that. The Royals are in 4th place in the AL Central and 10 games out.  They're not very good.  

But when everything is clicking, baseball is simple. The Yankees are good enough to make it look almost unfair alot of the time.  And that’s exactly why the uncomfortable conversation always circles back to Aaron Boone for me.

For those 3 games, the talent did all the heavy lifting. Start with the obvious headliner: Aaron Judge.

Judge hit and helped despite a mini-slump, Amed Rosario turned the Yankees-Royals series into his personal batting practice session. During the sweep, he was the Yankees’ hottest hitter — and in the historic 15-1 demolition, he went a ridiculous 4-for-5 with two homers, a pile of RBIs, and enough fireworks to make Kansas City wish for a rain delay.

Then there’s Gerrit Cole.

When Cole is right, and he is, everything else becomes easier. The bullpen breathes. The lineup loosens up. The dugout stops feeling like it’s waiting for something bad to happen. Against the Royals, Cole didn’t manage the game — he erased the need to manage it at all. He went out, attacked hitters, and pitched like a guy reminding everyone that he’s supposed to be the ace of a championship-level rotation.

And that’s really the theme of the entire series:

When Rosario is on fire and Cole pitches like Cole, the Yankees don’t need inspiration. They don’t need strategy. They just need to show up. And it wasn't just them... it was contagious. Many did their part for the Bombers.  Which brings us to the part nobody in the front office likes to say out loud.
When It’s Easy, It Looks Fine. When It’s Hard, It Falls Apart. Admit it.  And you know why.

It is my decision that the Yankees didn’t win these games because of clever managerial decisions. They won because the talent gap was so wide it could cover up anything short of total self-sabotage.

But this is where the Boone experience always gets interesting. Because when things are easy, everything looks fine. Lineup decisions disappear into the background.  Pitching changes don’t get questioned.  The game flows, the scoreboard stays in your favor, and everyone can pretend the process is airtight.

But when the game tightens up — when the opponent actually punches back — that’s where things start to feel different. That’s where Boone has a habit of turning manageable situations into chaotic ones.

A bullpen move one batter too late. A matchup that makes no sense on paper. A refusal to ride the hot hand or, worse, the insistence on “staying the course” when the course is clearly sinking.

The Yankees can win 15–1 and nobody notices it. But the postseason doesn’t look like Kansas City in May.  And that’s the problem. That's what I've been saying for years.

Look, this series didn’t prove Boone is good, it proved he might not matter. I'm serious. The Royals series didn’t require managerial brilliance. It required the Yankees to not mess it up.

And they didn’t. Judge helped, Rosario was on fire.  Cole did his job. Hell, even Volpe did his job.  In fact, many of the supporting pieces filled in the gaps when needed.

That’s what a good roster is supposed to do. But at no point did it feel like Boone added anything to the equation.  If anything, it felt like a situation where the Yankees were winning around him, not because of him.  And that’s where my real question starts to creep in. Do We Even Need Boone?

It’s not a troll question anymore. It’s a baseball question. If the Yankees’ wins are driven almost entirely by elite player performance… If their losses often feature questionable in-game decisions by our manager… If the team looks identical whether the manager is praised or criticized…

Then what exactly is the managerial value of Aaron Boone really adding to the Yankees except for headaches in close games? Great teams don’t just need talent. They need leadership that can turn talent into championships when margins shrink and pressure increases.

Right now, the Yankees look like a team that can dominate Kansas City in May with or without a manager in the dugout.  But the real test — the one everyone already knows is coming — is whether Boone can survive when “easy wins” disappear. Because against the Royals, baseball was simple.

Against October opponents, it never is. And that’s where the Yankees still don’t have an answer.

Think about it.

THE MCMAHON EXPERIMENT NEEDS TO END

What a hot start the Yankees had. Keyword is had. It's easy to overlook flaws and holes in your team when you are doing well. Then, when you aren't it is easy to pick everything apart. We've got some guys that are ice cold and that are liabilities to the team so naturally, they are in the hot seat.

I was never a big fan of the Ryan McMahon move. He was force fed to us by a bizarre move from our out of touch General Manager Brian Cashman. His .250 BA glory days in Colorado were his best and that's exactly what Cashman chases. Now he comes here and he's got a nice glove but he's basically an automatic out with his .190 BA. He's a nice defensive flash of the glove and nothing more. The name of the game is to hit and score runs also because you know....the team with the most runs wins. That's the part that just doesn't exist and it's not getting better.

So now here we are talking once again about how to upgrade this roster by the trade deadline. There are so many needs beyond the obvious bullpen, David Bednar and Austin Wells disaster that we can't forget McMahon. All of these guys need to go, but the last two days have had increasing chatter about trading McMahon.

At this point, there are more people on the roster I'd want to trade than keep and McMahon is no exception. I just think the Yankees may be stuck with him. We owe him $16 million dollars this season and next. Given how lackluster his stats are, I don't see the Yankees moving as much of that salary as they would like so finding a trade partner may not be as easy as we would like.

Then there's the other question of, who should the Yankees move him for? There are guys out there that could be a nice upgrade, but that doesn't mean they will get what they want. One wild idea that I found HERE talked about trading with the Arizona Diamondbacks for Ketel Marte. What's that? Oh, sorry that's me laughing in the background.

I'd love to actually UPGRADE from McMahon, yes and actual upgrade not a useless Cashman lightening in a bottle acquisition but Marte is not happening. First, Marte signed a team-friendly contract for 6-years and $116.5 million through 2030 with a player option for 2031. The Diamondbacks structured his deal with $46 million in deferred money just so they can maintain some payroll flexibility as they try to compete in the NL West. Marte himself also stated he wanted to stay in AZ "forever" meaning he has no intention of waiving his full no-trade clause that just so happens to list the Yankees as one of the teams he wouldn't consent to move to. He has full 10-and-5 trade veto power and he's not interested in the Bronx. He's a fan favorite in Arizona and he loves Arizona just as much....oddly.

So as much as I would like the Yankees to get ditch McMahon for some real offensive power it isn't going to be for Marte. That's a pipedream that just isn't going to happen. Even if his full no-trade clause wasn't a thing, there is no way Cashman could even pull that off. He only knows how to dumpster dive....

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

A GOOD LEADER AT THE HELM IS THE ONLY WAY THIS TEAM CAN WIN THE WHOLE THING

Aaron Boone is weak.

You know how I know? Favoritism. Jose Caballero goes 0-3 last night and Boone couldn't wait to put Volpe at short today and move Jose to third. And he bats Volpe 7th and Jose 9th. Ridiculous. 

Look, the Yankees going 4-10 over their last 14 games isn’t just a slump — it’s a full-blown Bronx stock market crash. In the span of two weeks, they went from sitting atop the division to staring up at a 5.5-game deficit. That’s not “bad luck.” That’s structural failure.

And let’s call it what it is: the bullpen has been a nightly arson investigation. Strong starts have been wasted because relievers keep turning late innings into batting practice. The offense has lost its rhythm, the pitching has come back down to earth, and honestly? None of this is surprising.

Because I said this weeks ago.

I told you the Rays were the better team. Not flashier. Better. More disciplined. Better managed. Breathing down our necks. More prepared. And now look who owns the AL East.

The funniest part? Yankees fans, our front office, they all keep acting shocked. Why? We’ve seen this movie for years. The script never changes.

And no, this isn’t just about the players. Talent alone doesn’t win championships. 

Leadership matters. Strategy matters. Accountability matters. The Yankees have enough talent to compete — what they don’t have is a manager capable of steering the ship once the waters get rough.

What makes a great leader in baseball — or business, for that matter? Three things:

1. Strategic execution.
2. People management.
3. Adaptability under pressure.

Great managers put players in positions to succeed. They know how to manage a bullpen without needing a fire extinguisher by the seventh inning. They make adjustments. They communicate clearly. They create accountability. And when adversity hits, they rally the room instead of serving the media a Caesar salad made entirely of buzzwords and excuses.

Good leaders don’t gaslight the press.
Good leaders don’t pretend fans can’t see what’s happening.
Good leaders don’t answer every tough question with a corporate TED Talk and a blank stare.

When a team is winning, managing is easy. Anybody can smile in postgame interviews after a 10-2 win in May. The real test comes when the team spirals, confidence drops, and hard decisions need to be made.

That’s where real leadership shows up. And that’s where Aaron Boone disappears. Why? Because he is not a good leader. WHY DOES NO ONE SEE THIS!

I’ve said it for years: the Yankees front office has handed fans a manager who may keep the seat warm, but he’s not bringing this franchise back to the World Series. Don’t confuse regular-season talent with championship leadership.

Because eventually, reality always catches up.

And right now, it’s lapping the Yankees.

WELCOME TO THE "DO LESS WITH MORE" YANKEES ERA

 "To see a team that has the ability to score without needing to run the ball out of the yard, it's really refreshing. But also, I do think it can lead to more sustainability. Teams that are dependent on homers are just that — dependent on homers to put up big innings. Yes, we'll always take them, and I'm definitely excited to see us hit some more, but it is really cool that our athleticism has the ability to put us in ball games." -- Drew Rasmussen

Just reading that, it makes me frustrated and the more you read THIS you might be in the same boat. The Rays don't have the same financial resources that the Yankees do and they don't even need them. They are still leading in the AL East because they have proven for years now, they do more with less. 

I mentioned that to someone I work with the other day and I got the "Yeah, but how many championships do the Rays have?" Obviously none, but everything we have is in the past. We just like to reminisce about it because we have been fantasizing about it since 2009 with no results and a terrible manager in Aaron Boone and a washed up GM in Brian Cashman and owner Hal Steinbrenner who doesn't care about winning like his old man did.

So neither team is basking in championship glory, but the Rays have the competitive edge that the Yankees just don't. That's why we are 4.5 games behind them and chasing them with our old tactics. We are that team that needs to launch the ball out of the yard and relies on the long ball. We obsess over launch angles, exit velocity instead of focusing on fundamental baseball.

The Yankees and their bloated $336 million payroll can flaunt their league leading home run honors all they want but the $108 million Rays are playing better baseball with the most sacrifice bunts, fourth most in stolen bases AND have the fewest strikeouts. The strikeouts is one of my biggest pet peeves with the Yankees. They are all or nothing. We've been running this same playbook over and over again and it isn't running. 

When do we stop and realize maybe we shouldn't be putting all of our eggs in "top prospect" players baskets like Spencer Jones who are incomplete players and just groom good ballplayers like the Rays? It hasn't worked. It really isn't rocket science. The old cliche says "if it ain't broke don't fix it!" and it's time to face the music, the Yankees are beyond broken. They are worse than the IKEA furniture sitting in your living room that you didn't read the instructions when you tried putting it together. Instead, you had a bunch of leftover pieces from the box and suddenly one day your furniture collapsed on you.

That's the Yankees. Filled with a bunch of leftover pieces because the team wasn't properly assembled. Because let's just keep Anthony Volpe up in the majors even the he sucks while we also have a capable Jose Caballero. It's stupid! The Yankees do LESS with MORE resources. The Rays are just the opposite. At some point one of these teams is bound to figure it out. My money goes on the Rays figuring it out first though because the Yankees are just an insanity train. 

I'm tired of being the team that does less with more. I'm tired of writing about it. I am tired of complacency. We have more financial resources than the Rays do....we just don't have the baseball brains to run it and win.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj