WHY GARCIA PROVES TRADE DEADLINE DOESN'T MATTER

(Photo: Getty)
The Yankees won 3 of 4 against the Baltimore Orioles, but more importantly, they beat Buck. That makes me happy. Don't look now but Freddy Garcia is 10-7. 10 wins for a guy that was on the free agent junk heap last winter and nothing could make me happier for him; 6 innings pitched, he gave up 5 hits and 2 runs and he struck out 6 and walked 5.

In a week of wild trade rumors and possible Yankee moves, it's ironic that old man Freddy Garcia, whose starting job was in jeopardy if the Yankees got another starter at the deadline, blocked out all the talked and blabber and pitched his heart out. You proved your point Garcia, we appreciate you.(Photo:Getty)
The offense highlights today were simple, Brett Gardner had a triple in the 4th inning and cleared the bases. Then Curtis Granderson knocked him home with a groundout RBI. That was it, wonderful job considering the Orioles scored one in the 3rd and one in the 6th.

The best part for me is Buck Showalter may be a well respected man and manager, but the bottom line is, you don't talk trash about our captain to try and motivate your O's team and expect to not get the crap kicked out of you. Just to recap, remember when Showalter took a shot at Jeet and said this in an interview?

"The first time we went to Yankee Stadium, I screamed at Derek Jeter from the dugout. Our guys are thinking, 'Wow, he's screaming at Derek Jeter.' Well, he's always jumping back from balls just off the plate. I know how many calls that team gets -- and yes, he [ticks] me off."

That worked for your team's motivation, right Buck? Blah. (Photo: New York Times)
Yes, it's true, in the back of my mind I thought about that quote when Jeter got hit in the middle finger today and was pulled from the game. X-Rays were negative, thank god. He's day to day, but seriously, it all came back to that childish quote.

Final Score: Yankees 4 - Orioles 2.

Next up, the Chicago White Sox... Let's Go Yankees.

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BYB YANKEE TRADE RUMORS: PART 6

(Photo: Getty)
Wandy Rodriguez: He's a lefty and he's overpaid. That's my opinion of him. Yet, the Yankees are reportedly pursuing him and to me, I understand the logic, but wouldn't that be wasting money on a guy that clearly to me, is not a number 2 guy? Wandy had a 3.47 ERA this season with a 7-7 record for the Astros. The big thing about Rodriguez is the money, he is stilled owed $36 million and if the Astros are willing to pay the majority of that, I say do it. Personally though, this is not the "big" deadline guy we want. Yes, the Yanks want him because he's a lefty, but is he better than what we have? I'm not so sure. Read MLB Trade Rumors HERE.(Photo:Getty)
Heath Bell: I love this guy. I will stand on the rooftops and tell the world. But can the Yankees land him? Jon Heyman from SI says they are in on him, but seriously, what does that mean? Plus, can the Yankees land any of those Padres relievers? There's no question, the Yankees need a starter, but it would be nice to have 1 more reliable reliever in the already dominant pen. Mike Adams, Chad Qualls, Heath Bell, all are reliable, but can the Yankees get someone like Bell? I hope so, I really do.

Stay tuned for more trade updates here at Bleeding Yankee Blue.

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WHY THE YANKEES SMASHED THE O's...AND I LIKE IT

Saturday was a great day for the Yankees all around. They played a day-night doubleheader against the last place Baltimore Orioles. Going into the day, I knew for sure the Yankees would sweep this double dip especially after losing the first game on Friday, and sure enough I was right. Not only did the Yankees sweep the doubleheader, but they destroyed the Orioles and more importantly, Buck Showalter. Let's get right to the action.

In game one Bartolo Colon got the start. He was good, not great, but he picked up the win. He went five innings, allowed two O's to score, and he punched out six.
Big Bart did get plenty of support in this one. But it was from the bottom of the order. Nick Swisher, Eric Chavez, Jorge Posada, Chris Dickerson, and Francisco Cervelli combined to go 10 for 19 with six of the eight runs driven in. The top of the order--Brett Gardner, Eduardo Nunez, Mark Teixeira, and Robinson Cano--combined to go 1 for 17 with two Brett Gardner RBI. I guess it doesn't matter who drives in the runs, just as long as the runs get driven in.

In game two of this series, the Yankees went on an historic offensive barrage in the first inning. The Yanks got out to a quick 12-0 lead after the first inning. That is the most runs in the first inning ever by the Yankees. If you watched this one, you saw something that has never happened in the history of the Yankees. Amazing.
Anyway, since there was a ton of scoring--17 runs to be exact--there had to be key contributors. In fact, everyone contributed. All nine starters got at least one hit and scored at least one run. Robinson Cano got a career high five of the Yanks 24 hits, and a game high five RBI. Nick Swisher clubbed his 14th homer of the season in the 12 run first, while Andruw Jones hit a mammoth shot in the third.Ivan Nova got the start in this one, and with scouts in the ballpark, he impressed. The young right hander got his 12 run lead and ran away with it. He went seven strong, allowing two runs, and he struck out six. Remember, Phil Hughes had a 12 run lead against Oakland and he couldn't get out of the fifth.

Also a quick note in game two of the doubleheader; Rafael Soriano made his first appearance since May 13th against the Red Sox. He pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning, and he struck out two batters. It was his first 1-2-3 outing since Opening Day. Nice to see, all be it in a 14 run game.

Final Score:
Game 1: Yankees 8 - Orioles 3
Game 2: Yankees 17 - Orioles 3

I could sense that doubleheader sweep, and I sense another Yankees win today. Freddy Garcia (9-7, 3.23 ERA) will continue to try to defy the odds as he matches up against Jake Arrieta (10-7, 5.12 ERA).



--Jesse Schindler, BYB Staff Writer




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BYB YANKEE TRADE RUMORS: PART 5

The latest from the Trade front, right here at Bleeding Yankee Blue.
(Photo: NY Daily News)
Ubaldo Jimenez: Ken Rosenthal says the Yankees believe that the Rockies may be lowering their demands for Jimenez today. Really? And I'm the Pope. The Rockies aren't going to just give Ubaldo away, although, in fairness to the Rockies, it would be smart to lower demands alittle. It's unrealistic to ask for Dellin Betances, Manny Banuelos, Jesus Montero and Ivan Nova for 1 Ubaldo Jimenez... I mean, this is not Nolan Ryan. He's a 2nd or 3rd starter but in my opinion, not 5 times better than AJ Burnett. Instead, it's my estimation that Jimenez is a talented young pitcher with a few good years under his belt. If he comes to New York, it will be a huge help to the team no doubt, but Jimenez is being billed a Superstar... I'm not jumping on that bandwagon yet. Read HERE.(Photo: Getty)
Heath Bell: The Padres are looking to deal him ,along with Mike Adams and Chad Qualls. All are reliable relief and according to MLB Trade Rumors and Ken Rosenthal, the Yankees are continuing to monitor these guys. The big thing to know here is, Mike Adams is someone the Padres really do not want to part with. As I've said time and time again though, no one is untouchable. Stay tuned on this one. Personally, having a likable and great pitcher like Heath Bell in the Bronx would be alright with me, any day of the week.
(Photo: Getty)
Hiroki Kuroda: The Dodgers would be willing to pick up Ivan Nova and a catching prospect for Hiroki, according to MLB Trade Rumors, and the Yankees are more inclined to go after Kuroda than Erik Bedard. Bedard apparently did horribly last night in his pitching performance. People like Kuroda, I don't think he's anything better than what we have, but if we did get him, I'd use him as our number 3 guy behind AJ Burnett. Read about it HERE.

Updates coming fast and furious, keep checking here at Bleeding Yankee Blue.

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BYB YANKEE TRADE RUMORS: PART 4

More names and more rumors and no one knows for sure what will happen, but the trade deadline is approaching, so maybe, just maybe there's something to these rumors. Take a look.Rich Harden: The Yankees scouted Harden, according to Ken Rosenthal, but the Red Sox are too. I like Harden although, is he better than AJ Burnett? Bartolo Colon? Freddy Garcia? Look, if we were to get this guy from the Athletics, to me, he's a 3rd starter. There is nothing overly outstanding about Rich Harden, he will however help the rotation without a doubt. This year Harden is 2-1 with a 4.30 ERA in 5 games. Read about Rosenthal's story HERE.Kyle Farnsworth: That's right, I said it, yes, he's available, but do we really want to go there again? While we're at it, why don't we talk about bringing Pavano back, right? This post wasn't to scare you, it was just to tell you Farnsworth is on the trading block and this nugget comes from Buster Olney. I strongly doubt the Yankees will bring Farnsworth back. The bullpen will be too small for the ego's of Soriano and Farnsworth. Don't worry, it's not happening. Read about it HERE.
Craig Breslow: Breslow is in the Athletics bullpen and the A's are willing to not only part with Breslow, but also Brian Fuentes and Grant Balfour, for the right price of course. Breslow's a lefty and that's a positive. He's 0-2 with a 3.93 ERA in 45 games. He has 31 strikeouts and 13 walks. I'd pull the trigger on this one. Boone Logan has lost it and a lefty specialist would be nice right about now. Read about it HERE.Sean Burnett: Ken Rosenthal has it again, suggesting the Yankees are talking about Sean Burnett but the Nationals have not engaged in talks as of yet. Who knows, I know this, Burnett's ERA is not nice to look at and it worries me a bit. If I need to choose at this moment between Burnett and Breslow, I'm going Breslow hands down. Burnett this season is 5.59 ERA in just 29 innings.Yes, he could improve, but we don't need adjustments in August, you know what I mean? Read about it HERE.

Keep it at Bleeding Yankee Blue all weekend for opinion and news on trade rumors and your favorite team, the New York Yankees.

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WHY I HATE LOSING TO SHOWALTER

AJ Burnett did a great job tonight and for some strange reason, Twitter is blowing up suggesting that AJ sucks and the offense gets a pass. Why? For 8 innings the Yankees could not score. In fact, it was only a solo home run by Mark Teixeira that even put them on the board. If I'm AJ, I'm disappointed at my team who can't score off the last place Orioles. I mean, AJ kept us in the game. 8 innings, 10 strikeouts and very few mistakes. Oh well.(Photo: Daily News)
Yeah Tex had a shot tonight and it was beautiful, his 29th homer of the year. Granderson has 28. Yes, the Yankee home run race as slowed down, but I still love to dream.

The ninth inning was exciting, right off the bat, literally, Robinson Cano smacked a shot down third that was knocked down, but he was able to get a double. Next batter, Nick Swisher cranked a double to score Cano and suddenly it was 4-2. Suddenly Jorge Posada walks. Hmm. With Russell Martin coming up, I was smelling pie. After a ground out and a man on first and third, Gardner came up. My heart was beating out of my chest; "What the hell are the Yankees doing to me?"

Well, the final pitch of the game was sweet. It was laid right in the strike zone and I know that because when Gardner struck out, he literally beat the shit out of his bat as he smashed it constantly into the ground until it cracked apart. That's passion, I like it.Final Score: Orioles 4 - Yankees 2. Yankees lost tonight. Damn shame, because I hate losing anything to Buck Showalter. Tomorrow's a double header, we need to take them both.

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WHY IT ENDED, BUT IT'S ONLY THE BEGINNING

Our kids lost the second round of the playoffs against a team that kicked our butt the first time we played them this year. This time around...well, let's just say it was a contest, but we just fell short.

The kids were sad but at the same time proud and the look on their faces said it all. they knew they did something special. There was no crying and no anger, they matured before our eyes, the finally understood winning and losing and sportsmanship. They shook hands with the other team and said "Good Luck". I think the coaches for more upset for our kids, and maybe that's because we felt like we failed them but one things for sure, our kids certainly didn't fail us. They played hard and did their best.

It was a long year but they were finally a ball club, working together and supporting each other. As I've stated many times, you watch kids start out on a team in Little League and it's a mess; sloppy throws, sliding into first base, never choking up, and as time progresses, they become a team. They become talented and this year, they came damn close to winning it all.

These kids, or at least a few of them will advance in baseball in their lives. Some will become better than others, and some will burn out by high school, but at the end of the day, every single one of them knows what "team" means and it's awesome to see.

Congratulations to our boys. They did damn good this year. True, it wasn't the Major Leagues, but it was to them and that brought a smile to my face. Why? I'll tell you. Because it doesn't matter how old you are or what team you're on or even what field you play on, at that moment you're on that diamond with your socks high and the mitt fitting snug on your hand staring into home plate, you can be who ever you want to be... Derek Jeter... Nick Swisher, or Robinson Cano. For that moment, you're a ball player... you're you! To me, that's the greatest feeling in the world.

Comment here please, and give our boys a Congratulations shout out, thanks.

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WHY HBO'S "DEREK JETER 3K" GOT IT RIGHT

"At least I'll have it for my kids one day, because they won't believe me when I tell them." --Derek Jeter

Maybe because it's fresh in my mind or maybe because I like to teach my kids the way a true professional baseball player should be like, but I must say, Derek Jeter may be the classiest and non-selfish ballplayer of our time. He is truly loved by the world of baseball, because he plays the game hard everyday, he understands people, respects them and of course has pride for the pinstripes.HBO really handled the 3K documentary well, and while I was worried it would be a rush job, I was happy to see that that wasn't the case at all. I loved that he was followed around in Tampa during his rehab and I love the fact that I now know where Gerald Williams is. He's one of Derek Jeter's best friends and I am thrilled to tell you, Gerald Williams is alive and well.I talked about Derek's upbringing and his family in WHY JETER IS EPIC FOR 1 GOOD REASON. He's learned from the best, his parents, and when I sat down last night to watch this special event in my home, my sons were sitting with me.

Extended Tease

My kids saw a guy, who may not be the biggest guy on the field and he may not be the strongest, but he is in fact still larger than life to so many kids and adults out there. Derek Jeter represents determination and persistence. Derek Jeter represents class.

HBO will be running it over and over again I'm sure and all I can suggest to you is to really sit and watch it, like my kids did. In my house, it will be on a loop if I know the way my 8 year old operates, and I think I do. I always talk to him, who plays baseball, about how Jeter handles himself on the field and I notice he tries to imitate it, saying "good job" to his teammates and tapping them on the helmet when they come into the dugout. My other son is a swimmer and believe me, it translates there too. I use Jeter as a life lesson.

Jeter's toughness and dedication is also important on the field. It helps tremendously with team and with the fans. And all of it starts at home stays with a player, in this case Jeter and you have to give his family so much credit.In the end, Jeter explained how he wasn't sure if he wanted to do a documentary because he's a private guy, but he did it because one day, he'd have something to show his kids. That's the beginning of Derek Jeter learning that it's OK to open up alittle bit. He's achieved something huge, the first Yankee ever to hit 3000. Now that that's over and now that the camera's captured it all, I see a new, relaxed Jeter, the next step in his life, and I like it.

Congrats Jeter, you're the perfect role model for my children and I appreciate all you do.

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BYB YANKEE TRADE RUMORS: PART 3

New day and a new list of updates and names of players the Yankees may or may not interested in and my thoughts on some as well. Cashman has already stated that he expects the Yankees to have a quiet deadline, and if I know may man Cash, and I feel like I do, he may be right, but you know what happens, right? Sometimes these deals get done after the deadline, and believe me, the Yankees may be acting quietly, but I strongly believe that some type of move can be and will be made.

Erik Bedard: Bedard seems to be drawing some interest from the Yankees. Apparently they are scheduled to scout him today. This is a guy that had some injury in his career, but has some potential in the Yankees roster. Now, in my opinion, he really doesn’t offer what a number 2 starter needs to do, and to me, that's what the Yankees really need right now. The Red Sox like Eric Bedard too, according to Ken Rosenthal. Bedard is a lefty. The one issue with Bedard is he has not pitched since June 27^th because of the strained knee, yet another injury. We should watch this one, but I don’t like Bedard and I’m not so sure I want him in New York. His record this year though is a 3.00 ERA with a 4-6 record. Is he really any better than what we have already? Read about Bedard HERE.

Bill Hall: For the San Francisco Giants to make room for newly acquired Carlos Beltran, they needed to designate Bill Hall for assignment. Hmm, a thought. The Yankees were attached to Bill Hall on and off all year, perhaps there is something to this and perhaps, this is the extra bat help the Yankees are looking for. Hall can play second base and has a power bat. I’d be curious to see if the Yankees try pursuing Hall. It makes sense.

Ubaldo Jimenez: The Yankees are still attached to this kid, but I would not unload the farm for him like I would for the Mariners Felix Hernandez. The Rockies are being ridiculous asking for all they are for Jimenez; it’s just not a fair trade. One thing is for sure though, much like a said about Zambrano (see below), if they were to lure Jimenez to New York and unload a few farm guys that wouldn’t hurt us in the future, Jimenez would be a number 3 guy in the Bronx, in my opinion. Jimenez is 6-9 with a 4.20 ERA this year. Read about Ubaldo HERE.

Hiroki Kuroda: Terrible record for Hiroki and I am not understanding the appeal of him to the Yankees. In my estimation, Kuroda is another pitcher that is no better and no upgrade to what the Yankees already have. Now, if the Yankees have a plan to help stabilize the bullpen with Freddy Garcia and move Kuroda in the rotation, that may make sense, but again, I’m thinking we need a number 2 guy in the rotation and to me, Kuroda is no number 2. Read HERE.

Carlos Zambrano: Buster Olney says the Cubs are doing everything they can to get the Yankees to take Zambrano, even offering money so they can take him off their hands, but the Yankees are not biting, yet. To me, I say work out a deal for Zambrano. He has potential and passion even if he’s no longer a number 2 guy, he is a number 3 guy in the rotation the Yankees have. You could easily have CC Sabathia 1, AJ Burnett 2, Zambrano 3, Colon 4, Hughes or Garcia 5. Yes, it’s true, this year Zambrano’s ERA is a high 4.70, but for this guy, maybe a change of scenery would help. Who knows.

Doug Fister: He’s a Mariner who pitches well, he’s in every game but his record isn’t too good, probably because he’s on the Mariners and their dropping like a rock right now. 3-12 with a 3.33 ERA. I like the ERA and if he was a Yankee starter, that record would improve because he’d have better run support. I don’t have an opinion on him yet, but I can tell you that many teams are looking at Fister and the Yankees should as well.

More rumors coming, and so is the deadline. Continue reading on Bleeding Yankee Blue.

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WHY YU COULD BE THE ANSWER

As I’ve said countless times, the Yankees have been skating by with a hodge podge rotation and frankly we’re lucky that it has held together to this point. The other day Bartolo Colon reminded us again why he’s more than a serviceable #2 pitcher with a dominant 7.0 IP, 2 ER outing against the Athletics. Freddy Garcia has posted some unexpected great numbers, despite his peripherals and FIP being almost identical to those he had last year.However, the fact that either of the two have made it to this point can be considered nothing short of a miracle, and if they can make it all the way through the season and perform well in the post-season it will be even more of a miracle. With the fact that we have been lucky, let me ask you this: What are we going to do next year? Maybe Colon continues throwing darts and maybe Freddy keeps getting lucky. But who’s to say they even stay with the Yankees if they’re still healthy? I’m not going to even get started on the question marks. I think I’ve made my point. Next year’s rotation is going to need a big addition. So who?Well C.J. Wilson is an option, but we can’t place all of our hopes in a converted reliever with 1.5 successful seasons under his belt, especially since we can’t guarantee we will sign him. There are the Killer B’s, Banuelos and Betances (sorry Brackman, get your ERA under 7 and we’ll talk…), but both have had troublesome command issues this season. There’s no reason to panic and give up on them, it’s just part of their development, but it shows that they are not ready to carry a rotation and there is no guarantee that both can perform exceptionally at the Major League level.

And as everyone, including myself, has suggested we could put together a package for Ubaldo Jimenez who would help for a few years, but the price is even higher than I predicted (they’re asking for Montero, Banuelos, Betances, and Nova) and it would ultimately be a deal we’d regret.

And then there’s Yu Darvish: 2x NPB MVP, 2x NPB ERA leader, 2x strikeout leader, and indisputable best pitcher in all of Japan.

Yu Darvish will be a hot commodity if he is auctioned off to the highest bidder, which is very likely for the 6’5” right hander. Through just over 5 years in the NPB, he has compiled a 75-32 to go with a 2.12 ERA. Since 2007, he has not recorded an ERA over 2.00 (2007-2010 ERA is 1.81), his WHIP has been under 1 in all but one season (2010), his BB/9 has been at worst an excellent 2.2, and his K/9 is consistently over or just under 9. He has pitched over 200 innings in every one of those seasons except 2009, and has pitched an absurd 40 complete games from 2007-2010. Mind you the Japanese season is shorter, so he’s had only 98 starts…and 9 of those were shutouts…. Wow.

If you need any more convincing, he’s having a career year with a 1.44 ERA and a 13-2 record (stats subject to inaccuracy, they’re difficult to find). He’s only 24 years old, and about to enter the 27-31 year age prime that is typical of ball players. He’s the Felix Hernandez of Japan.

Numbers only mean so much, so here’s a video to show you just what he can do:



Now to explain what he’s doing: Darvish has a mind blowing arsenal of 7 pitches, all of them nasty. He has a 4 seam fastball that sits from 91-94 and tops out at 97 (hit 100 once), a 2-seam/shuuto with heavy movement, a changeup, a splitter, a slurve, a curveball, and a cutter. Unlike many Japanese pitchers he does not have a particularly violent pitching motion, so health isn’t a huge concern.

Needless to say, if Darvish is available to MLB teams, every team in the league with any room on their payroll is going to be all over him. However at the risk of sounding entitled: we’re the New York Yankees, when it’s a bidding war, we get it if we want it. One could point out how we failed to sign Cliff Lee last offseason, but that wasn’t a bidding war, it was the man’s preference. Trying to get a player from Japan is essentially nothing more than a rich man’s auction, everyone interested gives their highest bid and if they win, they win. Kei Igawa’s horrific contract expires after this season ($4 million), Jorge will likely retire ($13 million), and we failed to sign Cliff Lee ($23 million-$14 million for Soriano=$9 million). That’s $26 million open on the payroll, not to mention the Steinbrenner’s can always dig deeper in their pockets. The Yanks have a lot of money clearing off the payroll next offseason, and they will undoubtedly have the money to win the bidding war for Yu Darvish and sign him to a big contract.

The Yankees are the clear frontrunners in the Darvish sweepstakes, but there are a few reasons we could fail to even get him. First off, the failure of Kei Igawa may leave a bad taste in the organization’s mouth. It’s safe to say that Igawa is no Darvish though, even before coming to the U.S. he was clearly declining and the Yankees signed him as nothing more than a response to the Red Sox winning the Matsuzaka bidding war. Second, there’s never a guarantee that a Japanese player will sign with us, even if we win the “auction.” Personally, I think we have a better chance of getting him than not getting him if he becomes available prior to the 2012 season. In yet another off-season which lacks big name free agent starting pitchers, Yu Darvish could be just the deadly arm the Yankees are looking for.




--Grant Cederquist, BYB Staff Writer



--Jeana Bellezza, BYB Associate Editor



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WHY DJ3K WILL BE AN EVENT

If you want to teach your children about a true Yankee role model, make sure you watch HBO tonight.

Extended Tease

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BREAKING NOW: IRABU FOUND DEAD

Hideki Irabu was never a Yankee sensation and struggled in his Major League Baseball career. When he pitched in Japan though, he was a God. It’s being reported that 42 year old Hideki Irabu was found dead in his California home yesterday and the cause seems to be suicide. Read about it HERE.

In 1997, he came to the United States and his contract was purchased by the San Diego Padres. Soon after, he was traded to the Yankees. He was part of the 1998 and 1999 World Champion

Yankees.

He was never liked by George Steinbrenner who labeled him the “Fat Toad”. Irabu was shipped to Montreal in exchange for Jake Westbrook after the 1999 season and later on played with the Texas Rangers. He retired in 2002. Overall, Irabu played 6 years in the majors. He went 34-35 with a 5.15 ERA.

I was never a fan of Hideki Irabu, but that being said, it was clear this guy had a tough time in United States baseball and his talent never translated from Japan to our Major Leagues. Irabu struggled tremendously in baseball and in his private life when he had some run ins with the law.

Now, say what you will about the guy, a life lost is a life lost and you can’t help but feel for his family right now. It’s a life thing.

In life, you are constantly faced with struggle. Your job is live life to the fullest and never give up. It sounds like Irabu couldn’t do it anymore. Today’s a sad day, whether you’re an Irabu fan or not. He not being terribly talented is actually irrelevant in this sad situation. It’s a life lost, and that is where the focus should be. RIP Hideki.

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BYB YANKEE TRADE RUMORS: PART 2

It's that time of year again. The trade deadline. The Yankees are looking to gain an extra piece or two that can push them over the top. You can read part one titled BYB YANKEE TRADE RUMORS: PART 1 here.

Here's some intriguing players that the Yanks could acquire:
Randy Choate: Choate is by far the best LOOGY (lefty one out guy) in the game. This season for the Florida Marlins he has appeared in 47 games and has a 1.31 ERA, while allowing just 10 hits in 20.2 innings pitched. But, since he's a LOOGY, it's all about how he does against left handed batters. Against lefties, Choate has held them to a .121 batting average in 58 at bats. He's also struck out 23 of the 58 lefties he has faced. Not to mention, this season Choate has inherited 41 base runners this season, and he's only allowed just four to score. That's under 10% which is fantastic. But, there is one catch with Choate. He signed a cheap two-year, $2.5M deal before this season with the Marlins, so the frugal fish won't be looking to unload him just yet although they're clearly out of the race. You can read that story HERE.

John Grabow: Although the lefty Grabow hasn't had a great season overall, (5.19 ERA in 44 games) he's been pretty solid against left handed batters. This season against lefties he has held them to a .238 average, and has allowed just one homer to a lefty. Compare that to a .297 average and six homers allowed to righties. With that in mind, you know he can be valuable as a lefty specialist for the Yankees if used correctly. Remember, I wrote a piece that included him earlier. You can read that HERE.Ricky Nolasco: This season Nolasco has pitched pretty well for the Florida Marlins. He has a 7-7 record with a 4.04 ERA. But he's struck out just 106 in 140.1 innings and has allowed 152 hits in those 140.1 innings of work. The Yankees have been linked to Nolasco of late, but according to a report which you can read HERE, the Marlins aren't looking to move Nolasco just yet. The Marlins did sign Nolasco to a three-year contract extension following the 2010 season. You can read that HERE.

Personally, I think that the Yankees just need a good number two starter, and another lefty reliever. But Nolasco, or anyone else that could be available, may not be the answer as the number two starter. And honestly, I think guys like A.J. Burnett, Phil Hughes, Bartolo Colon, or Freddy Garcia can step up and be a number two starter going forward. As for lefty relievers, the Yankees have J.C Romero stashed in AAA Scranton/Wilkes Barre. In AAA, Romero has a 1.17 ERA in six games. He has also allowed opposing lefty batters to hit just .083 against him.

Stay tuned for more Yankee Trade Rumors here at Bleeding Yankee Blue.



--Jesse Schindler, BYB Staff Writer




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WHY WE NEED ALITTLE MORE REPLAY

Last night, the Braves and Pirates were tied at 3 in the bottom of the 19th inning. Braves pitcher, Scott Proctor hits a weak ground ball to third. Julio Lugo charges towards the plate. Catcher, Michael McKenry grabs the throw, applies what appears to be a swipe tag and gets Lugo by 5 steps. However the plate umpire called Lugo safe. Braves win 4-3.Now, in today’s information age this play was immediately seen worldwide. I’ve seen it 25 times, from multiple angles, and I’m convinced Lugo was out. Did McKenry tag Lugo? I think so. The throw clearly beat him by a mile. However you look at it, this play fits right in with the “vicinity play” at second base. That’s the one where the shortstop or second baseman swipes his foot across the bag while throwing to first in a double-play attempt. Whether his foot is actually on the bag while he has the ball, is a different story. He usually gets the call because he’s in the vicinity. This unwritten rule should’ve clearly applied last night.While, I don’t want to make games longer, the use of replay clearly should’ve applied here. I mean, how do we let a game end on such an egregious call? What if the Pirates miss the playoffs by 1 game? I don’t think too many people would be against reviewing a call that could affect a teams’ season. It would’ve taken less than 5 minutes and the game should’ve continued. If this play happens in the first inning, fine he’s safe move on. But to end the game?

Come on Bud, it's 2011, change with the technology; don’t be afraid of it.

-- Lem Allen, BYB Freelance Writer

bybcurmudgeon@gmail.com

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WHY IT WAS ONE OF THOSE DAYS IN THE BRONX

Phil Hughes actually looked good today. It made me proud and it made me feel bad that I would even suggest in my post WHY I'D MOVE HUGHES TO THE PEN, that, he should be out of the rotation. Hughes pitched 6 innings, allowed 9 hits but only 2 runs and struck out 3. He pitched against King Felix and it wasn't going to be easy and to tell you the truth, the Yankees did pretty good, until, surprisingly, the bullpen collapsed. Something that we rarely ever hear about. Yes, it's funny, I was listening to Sterling and Waldman and Cory Wade had just come in the game and John was raving about how great the Yankees bullpen was this year. Then of course, Suzyn chimed in reading some stat off of the jumbo tron and suddenly... it all fell apart. The best part for Seattle, was it was their first win in 18 games. The bad news, Hughes didn't want to be the guy to get that loss. Oh well, that's baseball.

The bottom line today was simple, the Yankees could not hit Hernandez and that's a fact. Plus, the defense wasn't too good. Cano with a botched ball, and a ball thrown away. Granderson had a misplay in the 7th and he lost the ball in the sun later on. It was just one of those days.
The Yankees had 6 hits today, the 2 runs consisted of Derek Jeter's sacrifice fly and Robinson Cano grounded out to short but Granderson, who was on base...scored. Other than that, the Mariners finally came to play today and that's the end, Yankees lost.


Final Score: Mariners 9 - Yankees 2. Next game is Friday verses the Orioles. Good luck Gentlemen, go beat Buck.

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