REFLECTING ON LIFE & FAMILY ON CHRISTMAS DAY

Every person has ups and downs. I’m just blessed to have both.  If you don’t, you don’t know how to deal with challenges and rise to the top, in profession, in life, in baseball.

Bleeding Yankee Blue has become big, much bigger than anything I’ve ever accomplished in life and it was an accident, but much like PSY and Gangnam Style, if people latch onto it, you keep going and let it blossom.  It’s blossomed, we’re relevant… how did it happen? You.


BYB isn’t here because of me. I mean, sure, I created this, but you read it.  And what started out with me turned into a group of wonderful writers that had a love for the game, love for the Yankees and love for writing.  It’s the perfect combination for this website, because when it’s done in that regard, it’s not a chore, it’s an activity. We long to put something new up for you.

It’s Christmas. There’s plenty to be thankful for and plenty of challenges ahead, much like the Yankees.  This month has been a blur to me personally. There is so much hustle just to get to today. Then it happens and it’s over, just like that.  Do if I can offer one piece of advice, it's this... Reflect.  Take 5 minutes when the kids go to bed, pour a glass of wine and put on the Johnny Mathis Christmas album, or whatever you like and sit in the family room in front of the fire or the lit Christmas tree and just reflect.  Don’t say a word...Think...and I’m not talking about thinking about baseball, I’m talking about think about life or the kids or your sister across the country or the old lady next door… whatever.  Sometimes it’s the greatest 5 minutes you can ever have in this crazy world.  You’d be amazed what comes to mind.  You may cry... you may even smile alittle.

December is way too busy... it’s the end of the year already. Sure, the Yankees have made their moves or lack their of and in reality, that's irrelevant to us. In the end, the big picture is we trust our guys, they always bring us a good group of guys and we always play well, somehow.

This note is turning into more of a ramble than anything else, but it’s actually meant to be a "Thank you."  This year was nutty.  BYB has everlasting bonds and friendships these days, a second family. A second outlet.  It all started with  you all, and then David and Erin Robertson and their kindness, wearing out Bleeding Yankee Blue shirts and doing an interview with us (Read EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: HIGH SOCKS FOR HOPE.)  We raised good money for the Robertson's High Socks for Hope and it's been all delivered! Nice work to you who donated, and great work on the Robertson's part! We love them.

 Then, we chatted it up with Marty Appel and Bergen Record writer Pete Caldera, Ray Negron from the Yankees organization, Dave Goode, 4 guys I admire tremendously.  

The Posadas are extraordinary people. Laura iswonderful and I appreciate that friendship she and BYB has and we hope it becomes bigger and better over the years.   And who could ever forget Dante Bichette Jr and his mother Mariana who did a wonderful piece about family for Mother's day.

And yes, the Henlsey family.  This Thanksgiving Mariana Hensley gave us an inside look at the Hensley family and her son Ty, read THANKSGIVING WITH THE HENSLEYS.

What do all these people have in common? Family.  Whether it’s a Yankee fanily or a real life family, it doesn’t matter.  We all have each other's back. We care deeply about each other and in some regard, have just become real good friends and that in turn could be charaterized as “family”. In other words, the bond is there and we've chosen to accept it, because we appreciate each other.

Family is also our writers, the closest group of people who have ever essembled since the Super Friends, I'm serious.  We want to please you, we want you to enjoy us and we appreciate the feedback.  Thank you.

So enjoy Christmas and the rest of this holiday season. Love each other, give back, keep reading Bleeding Yankee Blue and keep interacting with us and do whatever makes you happy.  Look, we try to communicate with all of you. but in this busy world we can’t always be there, but trust me, you guys have turned our BYB world upside down and I smile more these days than I have in a while. You’re my second family. That’s not only words, that’s the truth!

Thanks for your support reading Bleeding Yankee Blue. Sure, we may not be the best… but I sure feel like we are… and it has everything to do with you.

Oh yeah… and GO YANKS!

-- R. Casey, Creator of Bleeding Yankee Blue
   Twitter: @BleednYankeeBlu





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