MICHAEL PINEDA DID WHAT?

Just when Yankeeland couldn't be more depressed... Michael Pineda pitches in his rehab, gets roughed up and many have to wonder if we'll ever get out of this rut as Yankee fans?

Andy McCullough of the Star Ledger reports HERE that: "In his second start with Double-A Trenton, he lasted only three innings and allowed four runs to the Mets’ affiliate in Binghamton.

Pineda gave up four hits and walked four batters. All the runs were earned. He struck out four.

Pineda only threw 67 pitches."

Now look, I'm not going to get all worried that the world is ending because Michael Pineda can't pitch well in his second appearance.  I will tell you that that is what these starts are for. Overall, I'm sure the guy will be fine, but this is what you do right now... you work your way back. 

Let's see what happens next time before we panic! Come on Michael, we're pulling for you!

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THE NEW BATCH OF YANKEE KIDS ARE COMING

It is a field of dreams for the kids? Like something out of a Final Destination sequel, it seems that some unknown forces are determined to send the Yankees’ most talented players, the stalwart foundations of the roster, to the dreaded disabled list. Other players who were supposed to be the next wave of young talent have not panned out, forcing the team to go to other players in the minor leagues to find some support. The silver lining in all this is that the Yankees get an opportunity to see how the farm stacks up against major league players and where they land in the development cycle. If you are a kid on the way up, this is the year!

Zoilo Almonte must think he won the lottery. With left fielder Vernon Wells becoming a virtual black hole in the lineup, the Yankees call Almonte up and he goes on a hitting rampage. He has yet to cool down, with a slash line of .318/.400/.545, and a perfect fielding percentage as of this writing. It is hard to call him a kid at age 30, but Jayson Nix is another player who has benefited from concurrent injuries to Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Kevin Youkilis, and Eduardo Nunez. He may not be winning any batting titles or Gold Gloves, but in the Yankees’ hour of need, he is hitting 25 points above his career batting average and fielding at 10 points above his career fielding percentage. David Adams initially starting hitting terrifically, but now he has faded. I think what we’ve seen is that Adams has the potential to be a real force in the future, but maybe he’s not quite ready for the big leagues. Still, we have all had a good view of what he can do.

(In Photo: Adam Warren)
What can we say about the pitching? Adam Warren has been stellar since the Yankees’ need for a more reliable bullpen surfaced. He had two bad outings around the end of May, but aside from those, his ERA is a hair above 1. The opposition is hitting .257 against him and he is sporting a K/9 of 6.69. At age 25, in his first full season, that is not too shabby. Preston Claiborne has been impressive since the Yankees called him up in early May. In 21 appearances, he has held the opposition scoreless 18 times and hitless 9 times. Seven times, he did not allow a base runner. Sixteen times, he recorded at least one strikeout. In short, he has been consistent and he has been good. Finally, while he has not pitched in the majors this season yet, Michael Pineda has been tearing up the minors, and the Yankees are expecting his imminent return to the rotation.

The news is not all rosy, however, even amongst the healthy. With the success of some of the recent call-ups, it raises the obvious question of what to do with the old guard. Joba Chamberlain should be feeling some pressure from the success of the kids. His ERA is still in the 6 range, and he has yet to put in consecutive run-less appearances in the month of June. Phil Hughes has turned into the poster boy for the failed experiment. Despite the potential we all saw earlier in his career, he is proving his supporters wrong and is the subject of many trade rumors. Likewise, for Ivan Nova, 2011 is far in the rear view mirror. I have always loved Super Nova, but he has lived up to his nickname – a huge explosion that emits huge amounts of energy, followed by a steady fade to dark.

The Yankees have had a great look at how the next generation of players will fare against top-line opponents. We have seen how they handle the pressure, and how well they can perform under that pressure. If nothing else, the Yankees are in a better place to make informed decisions on which players to invest in, and on which ones they can cut bait.




--Ike Dimitriadis, BYB Writer
Twitter: @KingAgamemnon
My blog is: Shots from Murderer's Row



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THE MICRO LEAGUE BASEBALL REDUX IS COMING...

Or... we hope so at least.

When we last left you, we were doing everything we could to figure out a way to get the old 1984 original version of Micro League Baseball back! We were trying to get it up and running and perhaps maybe... just maybe eventually get a network of Micro League Baseball nerds together for some online game play.  I know... I know... baby steps, but you need to think big to make things reality.

We have written a few articles about this game and how, as a kid, it literally changed my life. I started compiling stats, creating my own teams and making my own seasons.  Needless to say, I didn't have much of a life, but I loved baseball and that's where it really began for me.  It appears I'm not the only one.   Once we released LET'S MAKE A MICRO LEAGUE BASEBALL NETWORK we received this Tweet from "old buddy" Mark Simon of ESPN who Tweeted:

@BleednYankeeBlu Dibs: 1986 Mets
— Mark Simon (@msimonespn) June 10, 2013

We love Mark ever since he helped put us on the map introducing us in his ESPN article a few years ago when he wrote Yankees at Twins and wrote the paragraph:

 "David Robertson who got a day off yesterday, has been amazing in his last nine outings, allowing two hits and no walks in 9 2/3 innings pitched. One intrepid blogger has even started a Cy Young campaign for him."

That's another post for another time, but needless to say, we never forget, and we appreciated that and to be honest, if I could have my 1978 Yankees compete against his 1986 Mets in a Redux of Micro League Baseball, I'd absolutely love it.

So where are we at, you ask? I have a friend named Jim, a computer genius who is trying his best to figure it all out. He was able to secure a 5.25" floppy disk drive. He was able to hook it up to his computer. 1 problem we encountered, but fixable though; When we started the game, the computer was so fast, a 9 inning game lasted about 2 minutes if simulated on it's own.  Furthermore, if you attempted to play and put in your selection, the move would take place so quickly, you wouldn't be able see what the outcome was.  Remember this was played on a 1984 IBM PC Jr back in the mid-80's. Times has changed, technology is much more advanced.

No worries. Jim has a plan to slow down the game, but we need to get there first.  The biggest obstacle right now is getting this Micro League Baseball "self-booted" game read and copied as a file (almost like an APP), that I can eventually have downloaded from Bleeding Yankee Blue... and that's where were at... a road block.

Now, road blocks are made to be busted throug and Jim is working to figure this out. Again, the man is a genius, but as alittle extra backup, I ask all of you;  if you know how to get this 5.25" disk made into a file let us know. Remember this a a "self-booted" disk. Right now, because it's NOT a disk you place into the drive and boot yourself, we are thinking that's the reason why we can't make the file.  If you have an idea, let us know.  We'd love to figure this out. Email me Bleednyankeeblu@gmail.com.

Nerds stick together, you know.

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THE BRONX BUMMERS

That title comes from our BYB friend Holly who reads us and comments and interacts with Bleeding Yankee Blue alot.  She put that up on Twitter today and guess what... she's right.

@BleednYankeeBlu The Bronx Bummers...
— holly (@jeter626) June 29, 2013

I'm at a loss for words right now. My Yankees suck the life out of me.  I'd love to report a tough battle that we grinded out tonight,  but I can't.  There were 3 runs tonight by the Yankees... 11 by the Orioles.  I'd rather lose to the Royals by that score than to a division rival.  That's no way to go down... yet we did.

David Phelps went 2.1 innings tonight.  Apparently he was impersonating Phil Hughes. He gave up 9 hits on 9 runs and sure, tip your cap to Orioles hitting, but don't get comfortable.  Don't look now, but we have a serious problems with our pitching.  What are we going to do about it? Maybe coast to the All-Star break and pray they get rest? This is serious and it needs to be addressed, fast.

Tonight Zoilo Almonte sacrificed Jayson Nix home, that was our first run.  Later, Lyle Overbay reached on a fielding error and he and Robinson Cano both scored in that play. But Ladies and Gentlemen... that was it.

Look, when the Yankees are down, they are really down, but it's more than that.  We have finally been exposed for the team we are; amateurs... beat up, old and tired. 

I don't give up on my Yankees, but let's face reality, there are serious holes to fill and there doesn't look like any type of relief is on the way.  We have issues my friends.

Final: Orioles 11 - Yankees 3.

Get Jorge Posada on the phone... right now.

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ONLY DEREK JETER CAN SAVE ALEX RODRIGUEZ

It’s almost like they've come full circle.  Now veterans, the 2 Yankee infielders are both recovering from injuries at the same time. Derek Jeter...Alex Rodriguez, once young friends, then alleged enemies are still not back in the Bronx.  Lately, and I’m not sure if anyone else has noticed, they’ve been hanging around each other... A LOT!  I mean sure, it’s just business, after all, the plan is to get both Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez back to the Yankees and their "timelines" are sort of close to each other. But after a week of Alex being told to "Shut the F---Up", it almost seems as though Jeter said "You got a friend in me", seeing all the hell Alex has gone thorough lately. Maybe he's seeing how stories come out about Al coming back this season, just to retire next. Seeing the ESPN story alleging that ARod has told Yankee brass he may NOT return...read HERE is just the last straw for his "friend" (I don’t believe that ESPN drool by the way, but that's my opinion and that’s another post for another time.)

So what does media do once they’ve exhausted every Yankee player with questions about Alex Rodriguez and stop tip-toeing around "sources" that Alex may or may not know?  They ask Derek Jeter, the guy, who, would normally give you nothing when it comes to his team or himself.  But there has been an interesting development happening lately.  Jeter IS talking, and he’s talking about Alex Rodrigeuz. And not to jump in with the media and give you ever moment about their day, but Derek Jeter is hanging with ARod, for batting practice and getting transported to and from the facility in Tampa.  It’s strange for Jeter, who always appears to be private and reserved when it comes to anything he’s doing as to not have a rush of paparazzi chasing him while he’s preparing for a return.  But you know what? He’s doing it, he’s out there, he’s chatting it up and he’s actually hanging with Alex.

As USA Today reports HERE, “Derek Jeter has joined teammate Alex Rodriguez in hitting against minor league pitching." According to LoHud and originally reported by the Associated Press (HERE), "Jeter drove A-Rod to the team’s nearby minor-league complex, according to an Associated Press report..." 

If you dig deeper, Derek has no problem this week talking about Alex and his progress. According to LoHud HERE, Jeter told the press of Alex, "'He looked good,' Jeter said. 'Alex works extremely hard. He’s working hard now to get back.'”  Jeter didn't have to say anything, but he didn't. Instead, he protected his teammate putting the retirement rumors to rest... for now.

People hang on Jeter's every word, even if they are not sure if Jeter is telling the truth or not.  Now normally, many would dismiss Jeter's comments about Alex because normally, Jeter would leave holes in his statements about another player, leaving us guessing...but he didn't. It's my conclusion that knowing what we know about the problems involved with Alex and Biogenesis, Jeet and Al are finding a common ground here.  I see Alex confiding in Jeet.  I see Jeet seeing a man beaten down and he's willing to lend an ear, or a hand with helping this lost boy through his minefield.  Don’t get it twisted, Jeet avoids trouble and has done it brilliantly for 18 years, but sometimes the “old days” creep in and before Alex and Jeter were rivals, they were friends.  

Look, call me a big sap.  Call me "exhausted" reading about how Alex may or may not come back and the looming  suspension and whatever.  I'm here to tell you that age does something to people.  People start to reflect and think a lot. I know I do.  "Beefs" you may have had in the past fade away sometimes and that’s what I think may be happening here.

Now the die hard Jeter fans just cringed. “Why in the world would Jeter help out this loser?” I didn’t say that exactly. Maybe he's "guiding", not helping.  All I’m saying is when the world crumbling around someone you’ve known for a long time, be it at their own devices or someone else's… sometimes a familiar face is important.  Now they can work together to get back, build alittle confidence, bounce ideas off each other and get back the Bronx… together.

Will they be best friends again? That’s their business. This whole piece is based on me observing behavior and being a big sap. I mean, if I’m Jeet, I just may do what I’m suggesting.  

Alex Rodriguez is not going to have an easy time getting back. Once he does, and once he has his first 0-4 day, he will be crucified... by the press, by the fans.  It's been a tough road, tougher than any road a player as been down.  Much of it was self inflicted... much of it not.  There's no question ARod is a Lightening-Rod, but now maybe... just maybe, Jeter can save Alex.  It's literally the last stop in the man's troubled career in pinstripes. With Jeter's squeaky clean image, maybe he can save him from some of the torture and ridicule.  At the end of the day, Jeter may avoid trouble, but it's my opinion that sometimes you just need to reach out a hand and say "Come on bud, follow me", especially when one guy has no issues and other is just getting beaten up. That's what a Captain would do... I believe that's what Jeter is doing now.  At the end of the day, we're all human beings here... and while this may seem unusual, it actually makes alot of sense, don't you think? 

Hey, that's my take anyway. Enjoy your Saturday.

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GM FOR A DAY: 3 PLAYERS TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE

The Yankees have glaring holes right now. They need plugging immediately, and they need to be of good quality. Although the Bombers have gotten good play from their finds off of the junk heap, trades now need to be made. Get the cart up and running, so to speak.

First Base and Third Base are huge holes. Not only that, Starting Pitching needs to be shored up. If the Yankees are to get some help, these are the spots to fill. Who are the best options? Sifting through season stats and possibilities, these are the options that rose to the surface. Were I the GM, I would look into these three players:

First Base: Matt Adams

Mark Teixeira is done for the season. Lyle Overbay seems to be out of gas. The Yankees aren’t going anywhere without a quality First Baseman. They should go after Matt Adams of the Saint Louis Cardinals.

I know what you’re thinking, Adams is the future for the Cards, no way they trade him. But right now, Adams is stalled behind Allen Craig and Matt Carpenter. The 24 year old must be straining at the leash to play, and there is no doubt this kid could shine in Yankee Stadium.

In ninety at bats, Adams has a slash line of .311/.354/.522 with 4 homers. He is capable of steady production from First. Better yet, he’s young. Should the Yankees conceivably snag him, Matt would be the 1B guy of the future. Tex has wound down, whether or not we want to face it.

Third Base: Aramis Ramirez

Milwaukee is probably going to have to blow up this team. All of their stars will be available, especially if/when Ryan Braun is suspended for banned substances. This makes Aramis Ramirez very appealing to New York.

Ramirez has had a tough June, but is showing signs of life Lately. He is batting .273 this season with 5 homers. Pinstripes would work their magic on him, and he is a better option at the Hot Corner than anybody else the Yankees have. That short porch would make his mouth water.

Sign Ramirez and let David Adams mature. It does not at all seem as if ARod will or should be part of any kind of solution.

Starting Pitcher: Ian Kennedy

Obviously, this one’s a long shot. But one worth looking into. And how nice would it be to see him in Pinstripes as was originally intended? The sticking point is that he is the star centerpiece of the Arizona Diamondbacks rotation. The D-Backs are playing well and would seem unlikely suitors.

But Kennedy has had a bit of an off season. Just shy of 85 innings pitched this year, Ian Kennedy has won 3 games, lost 4 others, and inflated his ERA to 5.21. Yet he has still managed to ring up 73 strikeouts.

Also he has been displaying quite a nasty streak of late. He was recently slapped with a 10 game suspension for beaning Yaisel Puig and Zack Grienke in June. This after getting suspended 6 games for throwing over Billy Butler’s head in 2011.

This might make Arizona amenable to listening to offers. You cannot help but know that Kennedy could all but certainly re-gain his former glory in Yankee Stadium. Where, many would say, he was meant to be.

So, were I the Yankees GM for a day and given the choice of three guys to turn things around, these are the three I would go after. What do you think? Comment.


Chad R. MacDonald
BYB Writer
Facebook: New York Yankees the Home of Champions
My Blog: ChadRants


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FORMER YANKEES ARE MOVING AROUND

A few quick notes about former Yankees that are now on other teams trying to do things still.  Some have succeeded, some have not, but that's the game.  It's the hardest thing in the world to get to the Major Leagues and stay there because there is always someone better.  Bottom line, I like to keep you in the loop so you know about it.  That's what we do here.

Mark Prior: Yesterday it was reported that Mark Prior was released from the Reds. You can read about it HERE.  According to Yahoo Sports, "...Prior went to spring training on a minor league contract. He had a 4.66 ERA in seven relief appearances for Triple-A Louisville, but last pitched April 21 because of a right shoulder strain..."

I wonder if this is the end for Prior who has been trying to come back for a few years now, only to continue to become injured. After a while you really have to put things in perspective. Maybe this is a sign that it's over... or maybe next year he'll latch onto a new team and try again.

Eric Chavez: The Arizona Diamondbacks reinstated Eric Chavez from the disabled list...(Read HERE.)  In order to do that they have to move someone.  Who was that someone? Look below:

Eric Hinske: Yeah, that's right, the D-backs designated Hinske for assignment.  You can read about that on AZ Snake Pit (HERE). They write that the Backs: "...designated infielder Eric Hinske for assignment, according to D-backs' Executive Vice President & General Manager Kevin Towers."

That's it, that's all I got... for now.

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YANKEES CAN'T STOP THE SKID

CC Sabathia went to the 6th inning with a no-hitter. Then, he got the loss.  How the hell does that happen? No offense, that's how.

Sure the Yankees scored 3 runs tonight... but the Orioles scored 4 and never underestimate Buck Showalter. It's his job to beat the New York Yankees every time he plays them, and tonight was no different.

Let's start with the pitching.  Again, Sabathia went quite a while without giving up a hit.  Then, Nate McLouth singled and Sabathia's bid for 200 wins in his career was over.  After that, the Orioles scored a total of 4 and the Yankee bats couldn't catch up. Sabathia pitched 7 innings, gave up 5 hits and 4 runs.

The hitting went like this tonight for the Yanks;  In the 1st, we got on the board first when Robinson Cano knocked in Brett Gardner. in the 3rd, Vernon Wells knocked in Jayson Nix and then Chris Stewart knocked in Robinson Cano. 

There are your three. Robinson Cano went 3 for 4 tonight. It's about time.

Final: Orioles 4 - Yankees 3.

I hate losing to a division rival so we need to turn this around tomorrow.

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EDUARDO NUNEZ BEGINS REHAB

Yeah... I forgot he played for us too.  This season is the strangest season that I can remember. It's being reported that Eduardo Nunez has begun his rehab assignment.  Lou DiPietro of YESNetwork.com has that story HERE. According to Lou:

"...Nunez began a rehab assignment with the Class-A Tampa Yankees on Thursday night, going 0-for-2 at the plate and playing four innings at shortstop in Game 1 of a doubleheader against Daytona.

Nunez grounded out in both at-bats and took two ground balls at short in his four innings, leaving well before the end of the T-Yanks dropped a 6-1 decision to the Cubs. It was his first official game action in nearly two months..."

Do you believe that? I mean at this point, why bother? This was the Derek Jeter backup a few years ago.  Now where are we? I mean, look, injuries happen. I'm not hammering the guy, I just can't believe he's been down on the farm still not playing games until last night. It's nuts.  I'm sorry, we need to start questioning the conditioning of these players don't we? Am I crazy  to suggest that?  I'm thinking out loud, sorry.

Sure... I look forward to Nunez returning... only for him to go back to the DL...I kid, I kid. Get it? Kind of like Mark Teixeira, Kevin Youkilis and Curtis Granderson? Ha ha...funny.  Right? No? Crap... whatever.

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JETER, BYB & LOYALTY

With us creating and writing, and you reading Bleeding Yankee Blue, there's a thread that runs through it like a family.  Much like a lot of families out there, we like each other. We tolerate each other in some cases... we even fight.  But at the end of the day though, the writers at Bleeding Yankee Blue try to provide daily content that our audience will enjoy.  It's not easy.  Sometimes, let's face it, I just don't want to write.  I love you guys, but there are times I want to wake up, have breakfast and go to the beach and forget about BYB.  Why? Because I'm tired.  That being said, I still love to write and strangely, I know that if we didn't put content up ... you'd be wondering why. Plus, I hate leaving my family hanging.

So we grind it out daily because that's what our Yankees would do.  We create conversation. We add to it as much as we can and we keep things moving in Yankeeland.  Sometimes we do a straight report. Sometimes we give our opinion and many times, we try to engage you, make you laugh or make you cry.  In the end, it comes down to 1 word.  LOYALTY.

We've seen it in our whole lives as Yankee fans.  Yankees come and go but there are so many great Yankees that come and stay and they've become truly great. They are the players we worship and wear on our backs as we enter Yankee stadium or sit on our couch.  I have worn #20 since 1998 during every playoff run the Yankee have had. I consider it lucky and Jorge Posada's message of "Grind it" resonates with me, in baseball, in life.  #2 is constantly worn by my sons, by your sons, or daughters or you.  These numbers are worn because these Yankees were loyal to the fan base... us.  In return, we loved what they did on the field and all they've given to us.  It's a loyalty thing, something only true fans understand.

When I woke up this morning, I showered up and walked down the street.  I went to see my friend Kevin at the coffee shop.  The place is small, it smells like a bacon, egg and cheese and it's the most comfortable place you want be at 6:45 in the morning.  I go there because I like Kevin and he likes me... we've become friends.  But there's a loyalty there that runs deep and has for about 6 years now.  I grabbed a copy of USA Today, cracked it open to the Loyalty and Rewards section to find a full page photo of Derek Jeter, with today's headline "THE JETER EFFECT: Is the future Hall of Famer a case study in loyalty marketing?" I already knew what was coming next.  There on page 10 was Bleeding Yankee Blue's piece about Jeter.  I smirked, I paid my dollar, gave "the knuckles" to Kevin and walked home.

Again... Loyalty runs deep.  I didn't think about it as much as I did on my walk back to my house this morning.  We do things in life because we become comfortable with a person, or place or thing.  Sure, you can call it routine, but when it comes to the Yankees, to Jeter, even to Kevin... It's also about Loyalty.  Think about you guys... the readers of BYB.  You can go anywhere you want, but you always come here. Why?  Are we giving you what you need? Do you like us? Love us? Or are you loyal? I can tell you one thing, we are loyal to you,  because I started Bleeding Yankee Blue in September 2010 as a joke and suddenly that joke became something important, something relevant.  Sure, I could have put up every OPS stat of every player on BYB and sure I could have broke down every draft ranking and even "Sabermetrics" my ass off, but what would that do? It would make BYB like everyone else.  No, we writers were on a mission, to be different.  We saw what was out there, and while we admired it, it's too much of the same. So we changed it up, we chat with you about what's really important besides Yankee baseball... Family, fans and loyalty.

And here we are, full circle. Don't worry, we're not going anywhere.  I just needed to get everything I thought about this morning on paper because my mind was heavy.  This post isn't about ranting... it's about thanking.  Thank you.  Thanks for being there. Thanks for reading, for talking with us and for liking us. Thank you for being loyal.

Shout out to Media Planet for getting Bleeding Yankee Blue published today in USA Today. I encourage everyone to read the LOYATY & REWARDS section today. It's on newsstands all weekend! Get it!  It's fantastic and the lay out is great as well! Well done. Thanks Ian.

-Robert Casey, CEO & Writer for BleedingYankeeBlue.com
Follow me: @BleednYankeeBlu



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POOR AROD. DOES HIS RETURN MEAN ANYTHING?

Seems like all you hear nowadays is ARod this, and ARod that. Honestly, I will gladly take in all the ARod news over what names babies are being given these days in Hollywood. Yes, no doubt about it, ARod is all over the news, even in Twitter land. In case you haven't heard, Alex Rodriguez has thrown himself into the social media frenzy.

He is on Twitter under handle @AROD. So far it's worked against him with the recent backlash from Yankees GM Brian Cashman telling Alex to "shut t he f*** up", Casey wrote about it in CASHMAN CLEARLY DOESNT LIKE AROD. Poor Alex. Why do I say that? I say it because even when he is trying to make good on something, it goes and bites him in the ass. Did he really expect this to take the crazy twist it did when he tweeted his tweet?

Visit from Dr. Kelly over the weekend, who gave me the best news - the green light to play games again! http://t.co/RuzfXOJjHI
— Alex Rodriguez (@AROD) June 25, 2013

I'm betting no, but it did. And some feel Cashman was right, others saw it as something that was overly hyped and over analyzed. I say the latter. Aside from that, ARod is clearly getting closer to coming back and rejoining the team. Sources say this wont happen until sometime after the All-Star break. But for now, his rehab stint could start sometime next week on or around July 1st, read that HERE. However, does anyone care?

What are we expecting from ARod when he does make his return? I can clearly state there won't be roses at his locker, or a special delivery of Edible Arrangements from Brian Cashman himself. Before I say what i think, I want you to understand something. I'm 50/50 when it comes to ARod. I get sick of his off field antics. I hate when any player can bring scrutiny to the organization. Nonetheless I support him as long as he wears the Yankee pinstripes. With his recent issues with the Biogenesis scandal looming, and until we get further information as to his involvement. I won't think anything of it. My first concern is can anyone help this team by just contributing?

We are in a tight race in the division. While ARod has to deal with all the on field agendas and may have to eventually answer for his actions I want him to help us out. There you have it. I'm not asking for him to be the vintage Alex Rodriguez of 2007 where he was a monster at the plate with 54 HR's. I just want him to put up hits, and move runners on base. We need anyone at this point that can come in and do that. We are in need of it, and we need that now. Let's not forget, the Yankees line up is notorious for being lefty laden. A right handed bat presence is always useful to get pitchers to think. He can help bring a psychological ploy to the plate with that. Hey, if ARod were to go on a tear, I'm certain NO ONE will be complaining. Not even Brian Cashman will have too much to say.

It's not about hoping ARod can turn things around for himself and preserve whatever he can of his name or hope he can take more GQ magazine pictures of kissing a mirror. It's about a guy who is still under payroll and going out there to earn it like every other player. He is still apart of the Yankee roster and whether we like it or not, we need him out there with everyone else in hopes of keeping us afloat in the division and a possible October playoff berth. As far as Twitter, Instagram, and whatever accounts Alex has set up. All the power to him. How about a Harlem Shake video from ARod? We could use the laugh. Or better yet, Alex, send me your Playstation Network username. I can always use another friend on Call of Duty. Ok, in all seriousness. Let's not completely write him off . To some it's the resourceful way to move on, but he is still with the team. He is still under contract. For whatever it's worth, he still has a responsibility under those terms and that's to play for the New York Yankees.

So when he FINALLY makes his first at bat of the 2013 season, just wait and see what he does first. I can't blame the guy for his excitement of wanting to get back out there. Let's hope it's to bring New York back to the top. After all, it's what we all want.

-- Rudy Laurens, BYB Writer
Facebook: House of Champions



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THAT IAN STEWART RUMOR IS HOT & HEAVY

This isn't a major deal, but alittle stability with the bat can't hurt, especially now.  Yeah, that's right... It's being tweeted by Buster Olney of ESPN that the Yankees and Ian Stewart are in talks for a minor league deal.  Here is Buster's Tweet:

Yankees are talking to Ian Stewart to Class AAA deal; no agreement yet. He's got power, he's LHed, and he'd cost them almost nothing to try.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) June 27, 2013

Buster is right. Stewart could be a great asset to a team that has absolutely no offense as of late... except for Ichiro Suzuki who appears to be in every hitting play in every game lately.  Where the hell is Robinson Cano's bat lately? It's vanished.

Apparently Stewart was released by the Cubs this week for ranting on Twitter.  That comes from ESPN (HERE) who writes: "Stewart was answering questions from fans online late Monday and was asked whether he would return to the Cubs soon. He responded "probably never" before following up with: 'I said that be because the cubs are done With me....there (sic) going to let me Rott (sic) in AAA all season and then non tender me after.'

He later added: 'I meant they might as Well release since I have no shot of a call up....let me Sign elsewhere.'"

It's ironic that the Yankees would want to sign a guy who went off on Twitter about his organization. Meanwhile, Cashman just bitched out Alex Rodriguez for using Twitter to talk about his comeback.  Jesus, Cashman... be consistent!

Anyway, if Stewart were to become available and signs a deal with the Yanks, of course we will bring it to you, right here at Bleeding Yankee Blue... because we're nice.

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DEAD ON ARRIVAL & FREE FALLING!

 

(In Photo: David Adams)

The Yankees are dropping like a rock and it has everything to do with offense.  Now, John Sterling had suggested today in the post game that we fans should just tip our caps to Derek Holland and sure, I give Holland some credit for keeping the Yankees shut down all game. But the New York Yankees are a professional baseball team made up of some of the most talented ball players in all of the land.  There comes a time and a place where you need to stop the routine and start a new one in order to break bad habits and gain confidence and positive momentum.  You don't start doing that in June... you're dead!
I wrote this after Robinson Cano was caught trying to get to second base:

Is this freaking Little League??? #Yankees
— Bleeding Yankee Blue (@BleednYankeeBlu) June 27, 2013

The Yankees look pathetic, off balance and not in control of their club. Whether the Cashman / ARod saga has anything to do with it or whether or not they just plain stink is anybody guess. I just can't stand it... we're JV.

This is Sparta, or, This is the Bronx... and if you don't play, you are dumped over the side to rot.  Sure, the analogy sounds ridiculous... but this game of ball is about strategy, resilience and confidence and in the end, you need to win it all. If you don't show up like warriors, well, you might not want to show up at all.

Hand it to Phil Hughes. While he held the Rangers to 2 runs, the Yankees offense was dead.  2 hits today...one for Ichiro Suzuki... one for Austin Romine.

If you don't hit, you clearly don't have a chance.  If it's the hitting, then it's not the pitching, like last night.  Today, it was the pitching, not the hitting. Get on the same page or the fans will riot.  Hey Cash, instead of channeling your energy toward ARod, a player not playing, why don't you concentrate on the players that are on the field? How's that sound?

Hey Kevin Long? You're the hitting coach right? You should be sweating right now.  I know I'd be.  Sure, they're professional hitters, but even professionals pull their head out and move around too much in the box.  Fix it of the fans will surely fix you!

A recap? What recap?  Yankees lose 2-0 to the Rangers... Tomorrow night, Baltimore and David Phelps on the hill.

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THE YANKEES' BIG PUSSY

I have always admired and appreciated the work Brian Cashman has done.  Being a General Manager is a tough gig and he has to deal with ownership, players and fans who will crap on him whether the move he makes is genius or not.  It's thankless. If we win, it's the players who win it.  If we lose, it's Cashman's fault.  Again... tough gig.

I have to say though, the bull that Cashman pulled 2 days ago addressing the media and telling Alex Rodriguez he should "Shut the F--- up" publicly for giving "excited" updates about his progress was not only out of line, it's a double standard and I wrote about it in CASHMAN CLEARLY DOESN'T LIKE AROD... You can't go after a player for giving a status report on social networks and NOT go after other players like Mark Teixeira, Curtis Granderson and even former Yankee Clay Rapada for doing the same.

Six more AB's today and later going to hang with my #Yankees teammates at the Trop. Big series vs #Rays this weekend!
— Mark Teixeira (@teixeiramark25) May 24, 2013

Hell, even our pal Ty Hensley will give us an update once in a while. (Read BYB EXCLUSIVE: TY HENSLEY TALKS POST SURGERY.)

Updating the fans is NOT wrong, it's the right thing to do in this day and age. After all, it's 2013, not 1994.  The fans want a return on their investments and sure, Alex has been a dud of late, but we still want to know when he's coming back...if he's coming back and how he can contribute.  There's nothing wrong with getting "some" type of information from the horse's mouth... or in Alex's case... a Centaur. I kid, I kid.

Not to get off track, but there is actually a point to to all of this.  It's double standard with this public humiliation brought out by Cashman.  Why humiliate a player and then claim that he's going to "call Alex now" like Alex is a 5 year old kid who just cheated on his math test?  Read that HERE.   To make matter's worse, he's a big pussy about the situation.  As the story has been reported, Alex Rodriguez called Brian Cashman yesterday. Whether Brian called Alex first is still confusing in this time line, but Andy McCullough of the Star Ledger tweeted:

Alex Rodriguez called Cashman back this afternoon. Randy Levine was also on call. Team says they patched things up. Convo was "constructive"
— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughSL) June 26, 2013

Now look.... Bleeding Yankee Blue was one of the first to suggest that this whole thing with Cashman was stupid and it just gets worse. If you claim to "make a mistake" for flying off the handle like Cash did, then that's an automatic 1 on 1 meeting... Cashman vs. Alex.  A phone call between Cash and ARod and Levine should have never happened.  It's the equivalent of wearing a wire... what's Cashman afraid of? He started this, finish it like a man.

So what should happen? Cashman should apologize. I say that because it's still unclear if he was apologizing to Alex or not.  He has apologized for his "F Bomb" as reported by NESN (HERE), "

"The Yankees GM has since apologized, saying, 'I regret the choice of words I used yesterday.' But the apology doesn’t answer the question of why Cashman was so overly upset, and it feels like we’re just scratching the surface of this whole thing. For all of Rodriguez’s faults, his Twitter announcement hardly seemed like something to get upset over."

Cashman should have apologized on the phone to Alex and if he didn't do that, than he should do it publicly today for singling him out!  Hey and while you're at it Cash, stop adding to the already chaotic Bronx Zoo and start making moves that count.  Sure, we had a good April and an OK May, but we're sinking like a rock in a pool.  If you don't want distractions... maybe you shouldn't have been so public.

Now look, I'm over this as fast as this is written.  I want my Yankees back.  I want my Yankees winning and you know what? I want to know how my Yankees are progressing in their rehab... in their season and trust me... there ain't nothing wrong with that, be it Alex Rodriguez or anyone else.  This story is silly... stop the distractions.  As long as Alex is signed to the Yankees let the guy come back and play.

And there's a lesson to be learned here... If you humiliate someone in front of the world for doing nothing wrong... you should bury the hatchet, extend an olive branch and say "sorry". Then if you're truly that unhappy about it, discuss a new policy about the Yankees and Twitter. You won't though, because that would cause an uproar among us fans and you know it.

Oh and stop setting up "conference" calls like a Big Pussy.  Deal with your mistakes like a man, after all, you're the General Manager of the New York Yankees.  Get it together.

OK, my rant is complete... if I'm being too harsh... "I'm Sorry."

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