WHY THE YES NETWORK DOES IT BETTER

If you’re a Yankee fan, you want Yankee news. Thank God the YES network has provided that, and still they are probably one of the fairest group of individuals out there. Look, it’s the YES network; That stands for the Yankees Entertainment & Sports Network. They are giving me what I want, I couldn’t be happier.

Bob Lorenz: The guy is too much fun for me. He’s likable, he’s the guy you’d see on the street and want to hang out with. How do you NOT like this guy? Plus, when he’s in the studio, he’s at his best. You know I’ve said that before with Jack Curry in JACK CURRY: NEW YORK BAD ASS. Both he and Jack give the best analysis and opinion not seen anywhere else. I’m not kidding. Remember Fred Hickman? Anyone? He was the first guy at YES… that didn’t work out too well, did it? Thank God for Bob.

Jack Curry: This guy rocks. Not only a fan favorite, but just smart as a whip. The guy’s been doing this for a long time and when he gives you his analysis, he actually did his research, plus, he’s not afraid to give it to you straight. Since Jack came aboard, there’s a bigger, better energy on the desk. Lorenz and Curry just seems right.

Kimberly Jones: Fantastic is every way. I could never say a bad thing about this woman, she’s in the middle of it every time. I love when she’s in the moment with Derek Jeter or Mariano Rivera and who wouldn’t want a champagne party with the players? Me, me. Again, she’s in the trenches and shows us viewers that she loves every minute of the greatest job in the world.

John Flaherty: What can I say, you always want a guy that actually played professional ball and knows these players because, let’s face it, he played with them and he has that extra that the other’s don’t...It's the player's standpoint. Flaherty kicks ass and while his baseball career wasn’t a Hall of Fame body of work, his broadcast career sure is.

Ken Singleton: You know me, I’m a fan of Ken Singleton. Read THE JOY OF KEN SINGLETON. He's another guy that’s been there and played with the greatest players ever. Singleton was the baseball card that I always got a lot of. I always had 5 or 6 of his 1983 or 1984 Topps cards. But back to now... I like what Kenny does for YES, he too has that player’s perspective and you can’t help but love this guy.

David Cone: Jack Curry gave Coney a huge compliment in EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: JACK CURRY when I asked about who he admired:

"Jack Curry: In more than 20 years of covering the Yankees, I've developed a working relationship with a lot of different players. If I had to pick one player who was always a pleasure to deal with, it would be David Cone. Interestingly enough, we're now colleagues at YES. If David's baseball career hadn't worked out, he talked about how he wanted to be a sports writer. What I liked about David was that he gave thoughtful answers and didn't act as if every interview needed to be conducted as if there was a 30-second play clock over his head. They were conversations, not interviews. He didn't dismiss questions or issues. He embraced them. Cone was so approachable that his willingness to talk to players ended up helping his teammates. Since Cone was willing to deal with reporters and was very good at it, other players were allowed to avoid interviews."

Cone does a great job and as a player, I loved watching him pitch, and even though I was a Yankee fan, I had an enormous liking for this guy on the field. He was such a gamer and it translates to the booth to this day. He was on some amazing winning teams and understands the Yankees mentality ever day they're out there.

Paul O’Neill: What can you say about "the Warrior" except thank God Paulie’s still hanging around. Now that he’s retired, I love hearing the stories about the Yankee teams of the past that he was apart of. Paulie seems more relaxed these days, but I always feel like Kay wants to get him all riled up. I know what he’s doing, but O’Neill’s at peace these days. I like him in the broadcast booth…after baseball, it’s where he belongs.

Nancy Newman: One of my friends once said a nasty thing: “Who did Nancy Newman sleep with to get that gig?” I quickly came to her defense like many of us would... Nancy's quite attractive and she does a great job...bottom line. Look, you could have some young hot blonde reading prompter who knows nothing about the game, OR you can have Nancy Newman doing Yankees Magazine and filling in for Bob Lorenz when needed. She's freakin' good at what she does! She's someone with knowledge of the game and alittle sparkle in her eye to boot. Nancy Newman, I’m a fan.

Michael Kay: I mean, Michael Kay is the hardest working man I know I just wish Don LaGreca could be with him everywhere. I love them together as a crew. Too bad Don's on 1050 ESPN with him and not on YES. But seriously, about Michael Kay... Yankee fans, we are damn lucky to have a guy so dedicated to what he does... for us! Kay is the best and does it better than anyone and he's been doing it for years. He's awesome.

Al Leiter: Leiter may be the most knowledgeable baseball mind ever. When he's in the booth with Singleton and Flaherty, it's the great conversation of baseball because every guy in the discussion has stepped foot on the field and knows the different angles and situations these players are in. Without Leiter there, it is a different dynamic in my opinion, plus he has damn good stories and is not afraid to share. You got to love that!

Yes, the YES Network gives me what I need, Yankee news and analysis and opinion all the time. No, they don’t slant it the Yankees way, but they give me Yankee news straight and if they need to be critical, they will. I’m not sure I have ever heard the commentators at YES hold back if a Yankee player stinks up the joint. They won’t gloss over it. I like that. When they talk to us viewers, they don’t talk down to us. When the Yankees do something great, they are sure to point it out and yes, because it’s YES, they will do it more than ESPN who clearly has a hard-on for the Yankees and always have. Bottom line, I love my New York Yankees and thank the Good Lord for the YES NETWORK.

Please comment, we have DISQUS, it's easier than ever. Let me know what you think and follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook, just type it in.