MICHAEL YOUNG, PHIL HUGHES & GETTING NOTHING... SO FAR

Will we get anyone? The deadline is over... at this point, "You Get Nothing", but there are indications that perhaps the Yankees and Michael Young can work out a deal. Not sure about that.  ESPN's Andrew Marchand says it's happening (HERE):

"Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Michael Young is willing to waive his no-trade clause to join the New York Yankees, baseball sources said, and now the two teams are trying to work out a deal before the 4 p.m. deadline."

Well, the deadline is passed... who knows if they are still trying to hammer out a deal... it's happened before, it could happen again. I mean we need this guy at third...my opinion of course.

And as far as Phil Hughes is concerned... here's the latest from USA Today's Bob Nightengale:

The #Yankees getting offers now for Phil Hughes.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) July 31, 2013

 What that means is anyone's guest.  I mean, he's not traded yet, but he could be.  The other note about Hughes was that the Braves were interested, but Joel Sherman of the New York Post says it's not going to happen:

Heard #Braves talked to #Yankees about Hughes, but doesn't look like will happen
— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) July 31, 2013

So there you have it.  Hurry up and wait... the Yankees appear to have not made any moves to better their club.  The End.

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AN INTERESTING TAKE ON THE YANKEES GETTING RID OF AROD

I just wanted to share this because it's a unique and interesting perspective about the whole Alex Rodriguez mess, and it's opinion sure, but it's not opinion based on simple thinking. Douglas Solomon, a baseball fan, actually dug deep to find the info that many do not know.  Anyway... check it out and thanks for allowing us to publish this Douglas!  --Casey

I am more convinced than ever that Yanks are going to try this (if ARod is not banned for life by MLB).  I reviewed the Uniform Player Contract and think there is an avenue to terminate the contract.   

In fact, Section 7(b) specifically contemplates termination of the contract by the Club:

The Club may terminate this contract upon written notice to the Player (but only after requesting and obtaining waivers of this contract from all other Major League Clubs) if the Player shall at any time:

1. fail, refuse or neglect to conform his personal conduct to the standards of good citizenship and good sportsmanship or to keep himself in first-class physical condition or to obey the Club’s training rules; or
2. fail, in the opinion of the Club’s management, to exhibit sufficient skill or competitive ability to qualify or continue as a member of the Club’s team; or 
3. fail, refuse or neglect to render his services hereunder or in any other manner materially breach this contract.

The Yankees can certainly make arguments that ARod failed to conform his personal conduct to the standards of good citizenship/sportsmanship, that his PED use resulted in his failing to keep himself in first-class physical condition, and that he violated the Club’s training rules.

Contracts have been terminated before for a material breach of the contract.  I recall that when Aaron Boone tore up his knee playing basketball, the Yanks were permitted to terminate his contract and only owed him “termination pay”, which was a fraction of his 2004 salary.  Playing basketball was expressly prohibited in the Uniform Player’s contract.  The union did not even challenge the Yanks decision to terminate the contract.

I found an article (TSN, read HERE) that detailed other attempts by Clubs to terminate players’ contracts.  Clearly, it is not easy to do, as you can see from the Lamarr Hoyt, Denny Neagle and Sidney Ponson cases.  But the Shawn Chacon case should give the Yankees some hope if you are a fan of getting rid of ARod.

• "Case in point: Lamarr Hoyt. In 1987, the San Diego Padres voided his contract after he was sentenced to jail following multiple drug charges, including intent to distribute cocaine and attempting to smuggle drugs from Mexico into the U.S. This would seem to be specifically the type of conduct that would justify voiding a contract - right? Wrong. The Players Association filed a grievance and won."

• "Back in 2004, the Colorado Rockies' tried to void Denny Neagle's contract after he was charged with soliciting a prostitute. The MLBPA stepped in, and ultimately Rockies agreed to pay him $16 million of the $19.5 million left on his deal contract."

• "In 2005, the Baltimore Orioles voided Sidney Ponson's contract for driving while intoxicated (as well as some other stuff). The MLBPA grieved, and the sides ended up settling. According to reports, Ponson got a sizable chunk of his $11.2 million salary. "

• "As a member of the Red Sox in 1997, Wil Cordero was charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. Cordero pled guilty to criminal charges for beating his wife and threatening to kill her. Still, the Red Sox decided not to void his contract."

"There is, however, an instance where a player contract was successfully terminated. 

• In 2008, Shawn Chacon refused to leave the team dining room to speak with Houston Astros GM Ed Wade in his office. This confrontation ended with Chacon grabbing Wade by the neck and throwing him to the ground. Each time Wade tried to get up, Chacon knocked him back to the ground. Chacon's contract was terminated with cause. The move was appealed by the MLBPA, but the appeal was unsuccessful."

Something to think about



--Douglas Solomon, BYB Guest Writer




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HUGHES & JOBA ARE NOT IN THE SAME BOAT AS AROD

I'd like to warn all of you that what I am about to write is a bit controversial. Usually, I like to stay impartial, and non-bias. But this has been bothering me for the past few days and, I need to get it out. I'm talking about fans who will go to great lengths, even ignoring the fact that Alex Rodriguez  may or may not have used steroids, to protect him, but are the first to pack the bags of Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain. Hear me out for a moment...

Understand that I am a parent of three young children, who adore baseball as much as I do. And whether I approve or not, some times professional athletes become their role models. Of course, I play a more important role in their lives in that respect, but to pretend that there isn't any hero envy when it comes to sports athletes, or celebrities in general is, in my opinion, completely closed minded, and absolutely unrealistic. It happens, and so I make it a point, as a parent, to censor, and educate my children as much as possible on who is, and who isn't a good role model.

With that said, I'd like to remind everyone of the difference between ARod and Hughes and Joba. The difference between them is huge. ARod is an admitted steroid user, and is currently facing a lifetime ban because he may have repeated that usage.  Hughes and Joba are two players that are struggling greatly. In a year from now, ARod's career accomplishments will still have an asterisk next to them. Hughes and Joba however, may have turned their trouble around, even if that isn't with the Yankees.

I won't bash ARod. I understand that people make mistakes and they deserve a fair chance to redeem themselves. But at this point, I view it more as "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me." I supported ARod from the very beginning of his career. Even before he became a Yankee. I got a lot of heat back then for saying that he was perhaps a better shortstop then our own Derek Jeter. Yea, I was a huge ARod fan. I never believed for one moment that he needed any sort of steroids to play. To me, the fact that he did use them is a shame, and a complete waste of a career. He could have been one of the greatest, without his career forever being tainted.

Don't get me wrong, if he does manage to beat the life time ban, and returns to the Yankees at some point, I will root for him. But that has nothing to do with him, and everything to do with the success of the Yankees. A productive player is an asset to the team. But I can't wave my ARod flag anymore.

I understand that we, as Yankees fans, are frustrated with Hughes, and Joba. Hell, even I admit to often breaking into fits of rage, and excessive usage of expletives, where they are concerned. Their inconsistency is enough to drive me crazy. But I am also aware that they can still have a successful career. I have written before that they would do very well in a national league park. If they get traded, or sign elsewhere at the end of this season, they may make a complete turn around. Right now, I know it is difficult to see that, but it is a possibility.

Maybe I am looking at this differently than other fans, I don't know. But what I do know is that I have a young son who wants to play baseball. He follows players and studies their batting stance, and aspires to wear Yankee pinstripes when he gets older. I also know that I am trying to teach him to be a man of integrity, and honor. "Lead by example." Always represent yourself in a manner that others will be proud to know you, and that you can be proud of. Those are extremely important lessons that I have been drilling into my children since they were born. How can I support ARod when I know he has used steroids? Steroids is cheating. Period. How can I ignore that fact, and still expect my children to become honest, hardworking individuals? I expect them to lead by example, and so I must set an example as well. And yes, I know what his career stats are. I am aware of what he did in 2009 for the Yankees, and I am grateful. But none of that changes the fact that he used drugs.

I don't understand how people can overlook steroid usage, but shout from the mountains about two struggling pitchers. I don't understand the thought process behind it. I won't chastise Hughes and Joba, and praise ARod. I just won't. But at the end of the day, he cheated and that just sets a terrible example. As far as Hughes and Joba are concerned? They hit a rough patch as pitchers, but they are doing it on their own and trust their abilities. They're struggling right now, that's it.

I honestly wish ARod well, regardless of what the outcome is. I hope this is a lesson to him. He is, after all, a father as well. I hope he can take this negative, and turn it around. Not for Yankees fans, baseball fans, or even ARod fans. But for himself, as a man, and for his two beautiful daughters. I hope that one day, he can become a positive example. Someone who can go "Yes, I messed up. But, I changed, and made my life better."  A real Hallmark lesson.

--Erica Morales BYB Senior Writer
Twitter: @e_morales1804

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IT'S A WALK OFF...

But not the team we wanted.

Now give credit where credit is due, both pitchers, Andy Pettitte and Zack Greinke pitched well.  Pettitte gave up 8 hits but just 2 runs and Greinke gave up 5 hits and 2 runs. It was a battle against a good team, no doubt, but we just ended up losing which is unfortunate.  It also makes today's trade deadline more important for the Yankees who just have no offense whatsoever.

The run scoring went like this: In the 2nd, Lyle Overbay homered, his 12th.  Later in the fourth, Overbay grounded out allowing Alfonso Soriano to score. Then... nothing.

In the bottom of the 9th, Mark Ellis hit a liner to Brett Gardner allowing Andre Ethier to score.  That came off Shawn Kelley and that's the ball game.  Not sure why the Yankees chose the go to Kelley when David Robertson was pitching before that and clearly could have handled it, but you can't go back... the Yankees lost. Blah!

Final: Dodgers 3 - Yankees 2

And by the way... that GIF up top? That's from the movie Zoolander.  If you haven't seen it, see it... it's fun... more fun than the Yankees right now.

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CALLASPO & PEAVY OFF THE MARKET

Moments after BYB reported that the Yankees were looking at Angels 3rd baseman Alberto Callaspo, the Athletics moved in an traded for him in exchange for Grant Green. Danny Knobler of CBS Sports has that information:

Callaspo going to A's for Grant Green
— Danny Knobler (@DannyKnoblerCBS) July 31, 2013

Oh well... maybe the idea of Michael Young in pinstripes is now growing.

Meanwhile, Jake Peavy was just acquired by the Red Sox in a 3 team deal between the Tigers and White Sox.  Jon Heyman of CBS Sports had that Tweet:

red sox and white sox have a peavy deal.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) July 31, 2013

 Jose Iglesias is going to the Tigers. The deal is not "official" but there is no reason the think that it won't be.

The Yankees better get on the stick if they have any shot of trying to beat the Red Sox in the AL East this year.  They have a long way to go from 4th place...just sayin'.

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YANKEES INTEREST IN ALBERTO CALLASPO IS GROWING

Alberto Callaspo is a third baseman for the Los Angeles Angels, and according to CBSSports.com's Danny Knobler (HERE), the Yankees like him:

"The Yankees have been in touch with the Angels about third baseman Alberto Callaspo...Other teams have also asked the Angels about Callaspo, whose .671 OPS is more than 100 points higher than what Yankee third basemen have done so far. The Yankees are 30th among the 30 big-league teams in almost every offensive category at third base, where they've already used seven different players (most recently Brent Lillibridge)."

We'll keep you posted on this one.  It's a smart move if you look at that OPS and who the Yanks currently have at 3rd.  We shall see.

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YANKEES ARE WORKING ON A DEAL FOR ALEX RIOS

It's being reported that the Yankees have new interest in Alex Rios and are "feverishly" trying to acquire him.  I'm not sure I'd go as far as "feverish", but I DO know they want offense and a righty bat with pop.  That being said, Rios hasn't exactly lit it up the past few years. He reminds me of Vernon Wells...we don't need another one of them.

Scott Merkin of MLB.com has it more realistically saying that even if the Yankees want him, Rios still needs to waive his no-trade clause.  His tweet is here:

Yankees have renewed interest in Rios. But a move to Yankees would need Rios to waive no trade
— Scott Merkin (@scottmerkin) July 30, 2013

I would love to see if there is a way to unload Joba Chamberlain or Phil Hughes for Rios, although my ultimate pickup would be Michael Young from the Phillies for one or both of those guys.  The latest on Young is he would consider a trade to the Red Sox.

That's if you read Jayson Stark:

If Phillies can't trade Young to Texas or Boston, trade to Yankees is still a last-minute possibility. Stay tuned
— Jayson Stark (@jaysonst) July 30, 2013

The Yankees are still a possibility and I like that.

It's trade deadline time... and we need the help. Who will it be?

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GUESS WHO THE DODGERS JUST SIGNED?

Quick note, because you know I love Brian Wilson.  It's being reported that The Beard has signed a deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers.  According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, "The Los Angeles Dodgers have reached an agreement to sign reliever Brian Wilson, according to a person directly involved in the negotiations but unauthorized to make the official announcement."

Tim Brown of Yahoo tweeted it as well:

Brian Wilson has chosen to sign with Dodgers, according to source. Had three offers. Will start in minors.
— Tim Brown (@TBrownYahoo) July 30, 2013

So there you have it, the Beard is off the market and will start in the minor leagues for Los Angeles... a rival to the Giants... that's gonna be fun.

You're Welcome.

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TINO MARTINEZ SPEAKS OUT

Give props to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. He got the interview with Tino Martinez and why he resigned from the Marlins.  According to Tino, it was all about picking up the balls after soft toss.  Apparently some of the Marlins thought they were "too big" to do that petty job.  The full Tino interview is HERE, but I took some key parts of it and they are below... it's pretty good!

Here's Tino:

“Do you realize I’m out of baseball basically because a couple of players didn't pick up balls in the cage when I asked them to? As a coach, when I asked them to pick up the balls, why didn’t they just say, ‘Absolutely, no problem, I’ll do it right now.’ ”

“I started thinking about it, thinking I’ve got to say something, not just let it go away. I’ve had a great reputation in this game for years. I walked away from the game with integrity. But now, to have a couple of kids try to ruin my name, I felt I had to say something and fight back.”

“If Bernie Williams is hitting in front of me and I’m waiting with Paul O’Neill or whoever, there are no questions asked... You help pick the balls up, and the next guy hits. Whoever is hanging around helps pick the balls up. It's standard.

"One day I told Juan Pierre, ‘One of these days, he’s going to help us pick up the balls. He’s a 27-year-old journeyman. You’re a 15-year big leaguer. He will help us pick up the balls,’ ... So finally after about a month or so goes by, I decide I’m going to tell him something: ‘Hey Chris, help us pick up the balls.’ And he goes, ‘Why should I? I didn’t hit ‘em.’ And I said, ‘Pick up the balls, you’re part of this team.’ And he goes, ‘But I didn’t hit ‘em.’ So, I got in his face and I said, ‘Pick up the f------ balls. You’re part of this f------ team.’ I got in his face and said it kind of angrily. And he picked up the balls."

"Chris", is infielder Chris Valaika.  Now, not to compare this to little leaguers, but it's about respect for your coach and your team. When my son's little league team finishes soft toss, the coach yells, "Pick 'em up!!" and these kids pounce. It should be no different in the Major Leagues, it's a team building exercise. Sure, you may not want to do it, but you should do it.

I side with Tino on this one... I must say.

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY TY HENSLEY

I need to take a moment and wish that stud Ty Hensley a Happy Birthday.  Everyone loves celebrating their birthday, don't they? I went to the well and found a great Birthday band that basically sings their own version of Happy Birthday to any name ever in the english language.  I whipped this together for our buddy Ty.



That song is by THE BEST BIRTHDAY SONG BAND EVER.  Now, if want to catch up on Ty, go check out our first interview with him as well as our exclusive interview on his recovery this year:

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: TY HENSLEY: YANKEES 1ST ROUND PICK

BYB EXCLUSIVE: TY HENSLEY TALKS POST SURGERY

We will have a brand new update on Ty tomorrow or Thursday that is also an exclusive for BYB readers... look for it here at Bleeding Yankee Blue... and Ty... Happy Birthday buddy... shoot  for the stars.

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BASEBALL-REFERENCE.COM: THE INTERVIEW

Millions of baseball fans and baseball "insiders" from around the world use Baseball-Reference.com as their source for statistics and everything else baseball related.  I know I do, and every time I write a post for you to read, I link to them. Baseball-Reference.com allows BleedingYankeeBlue.com to appear on the player's pages that we link to.  It's a nice little give and take and the brains behind it is a guy named Sean Forman.

I chatted with Sean a few years ago and I was always fascinated with the empire he created and I decided to reach out and ask him for an interview.  He agreed and I'm thrilled about it.  So, while it's not Yankee related, it's baseball related and applaud this guy, because he's done something pretty impressive.

So here it is, our interview with Baseball-Reference.com guy, Sean Forman. Enjoy this... I did...


BYB: Sean, hundreds of Baseball writers everywhere use Baseball-Reference.com as their source for stats of all players current and past... how the hell did this all happen for you? Break it down.

Sean Forman: It was really just me scratching my own itch 13+ years ago.  I had a website for minor leaguers called the Iowa Farm Report and thought that the web would be a great format for an encyclopedic site, so I built it using a database put out by Sean Lahman based on Pete Palmer's MLB data.  It wasn't really my intent to make it a business at the time, but within a year or two we were making some money and six years in I was able to do it full time.

BYB: I know you have Basketball, Football, Baseball-Reference among others.  Which was the first?  Take the BYB readers into your world. How many people work for you and how many reference sites are there? How does it work?

Sean Forman: The order was Baseball (2000), Football (late 2000, started by Doug Drinen), and then Basketball (2004, started by Justin Kubatko). We formed a company together in 2007 and then Hockey and Olympics in 2008, CFB and CBB in 2010 and probably a Q&A site and maybe a soccer site this year or next.

We have 4 employees.  We license most of the data, so we don't do a lot of data entry.  It's really mostly about programming, so we have 3 full-time programmers (myself included) and a user affairs coordinator who if you've e-mailed the site has answered your questions.  It's all pretty automated.  For instance, over the weekend, I didn't do anything other than check for my update text each morning, and since everything worked fine I didn't have to do anything.  I had to do some work for the All-Star game, but usually we are able to work on adding new features rather than maintaining what we have.

(In Photo: Jim Rice)
BYB: What's your favorite baseball team and why?

Sean Forman: I'm a Red Sox fan who grew up in Iowa in the mid-70's.  Looking back on it I think I'm a fan of the Sox due to Fenway Park's batting park factor.  I'd check the Sunday paper for the stats every week and see Dwight Evans, Jim Rice, Fred Lynn, Wade Boggs, etc. near the top of the batting stats and latched onto them.  I couldn't figure out why they could never find any pitching.

BYB: Growing up, what player, in any sport did you idolize the most and why?

Sean Forman: I was a big Rickey Henderson and Wade Boggs fan.  I'm very slow, but would steal as many bases as possible and drew a ton of walks.  I was a very patient hitter all of the way through high school.

BYB: Random question now, but something I picture you doing, being a man of statistics...  Have you ever played Stat-0-matic or Micro League Baseball from the 1980's? And a follow up... what made you interested in what you do?

Sean Forman: No, and it's probably for the best as I would have never gotten through high school or college most likely.  I was a very active fantasy player and that is how I got into all of this as I was in a very competitive ultra league (think entrance interview and deep minors selections), so I started tracking minor leaguers and started my minor league site.

I've always loved sports stats.  My dad is a high school football coach and as long as I can remember I would ask to see the stat book when he got home after the game on Friday nights and kept the tackle chart in elementary school and junior high before I could play for him.

BYB: OK, there are 3 athletes that you can meet, past and present. Who are they and what is the first question you ask each of them?

Sean Forman: Tough question.  I've never placed a lot of importance on interacting with the players.  I enjoy watching the games, but don't go out of my way to meet them or get autographs, etc.  I'll assume that my questions can be indelicate, and that the players wouldn't worry about being embarrassed about answering.

 

(In Photo: Collegiate Wrestler Larry Owings)

I'd ask Larry Owings if he ever wishes he hadn't beaten Dan Gable and Gable how often he still thinks about that match.  Does it eat him up or has he moved past it? (Read about Owings, Gable HERE)

I'd ask Joe Morgan what he believes are the reasons he was such a valuable player and tell him how stat-heads think he was a magnificent player.

(In Photo: Glenn Burke) I'd be curious to talk to Glenn Burke about what it was like being a gay ballplayer and how many other players were gay.

BYB: Hypothetical... Jon Heyman of CBS Sports or Buster Olney of ESPN... who would you rather have save you from a house fire and why? You have to pick one...Let's have alittle fun.

Sean Forman: Olney just looks a little bigger and stronger to me.  I'd also worry that Heyman would ask me to admit Miguel Cabrera was better than Mike Trout in 2012 before taking me out.

BYB: Who is your favorite baseball broadcaster of all time and why?

Sean Forman: I think Jon Miller is phenomenal.  I loved his book.  He has a great anecdote about he and Cal Ripken playing strat-o-matic on the team plane, beating Ripken and Ripken going over the scorecard with his dad to improve.  

And having baseball-reference.com mentioned by Vin Scully is probably the apex of my career.

BYB: Free plug, what would you like to promote right now?

Sean Forman: Try the play index!  Search through nearly 100 years of MLB game logs and 60 years of mlb play by play.  It will make you more powerful than the Elias Sporting Bureau.  http://bbref.com/play-index/

BYB: Final question... Luckily for us, we are linked daily on Baseball-Reference.com because you are nice enough to allow blogs to be apart of your success.  Have you ever laid eyes on BleedingYankeeBlue.com?  If so, what do you think?

Sean Forman: I've been there.  The writers are writers par excellence and additionally, they are devastatingly handsome.

Thanks bro... and thank you for taking the time to talk to us.  I always wanted to know how it all started for Sean Forman and I admire him for creating such a terrific source for so many of us.

I hope you guys enjoyed this interview and if you liked it, let Sean know... comment or send him an email!

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SWEET LOU

#14 smashing into the left field fence just to catch a fly ball; or sliding head first into third to stretch a double into a triple- the ultimate Yankee hustler- that’s what I remember about Lou Piniella.  And later in his baseball career, he carried the same fire, the same gutsy attitude as a manager – unafraid to take risks and always ready to add more than his two cents.

Affectionately known as Sweet Lou for his bat and demeanor, Piniella was a career .291 hitter and named Rookie of the Year in 1969 for his stellar season with the Kansas City Royals.  Back then, the Royals were a nasty little team with which we developed a little rivalry – I personally had moment of silence last week to remember the infamous pine tar incident.  

 Piniella was fun to watch both as a player and a manager.  He hit well when we needed him to and his passion was contagious.  Recently, Lou came out against too much training stating that today’s kids’ workouts are too intense.  “Back on those ’70s teams of ours, Reggie (Jackson) was about the only guy who worked out,” Piniella said. “But we were in shape to play baseball. Baseball is a game of fluidity, timing and coordination. It’s not a game of muscle mass,” Piniella said in an interview with the New York Daily News in mid-May.  Piniella said there were no weight rooms or personal trainers back then.  To his point, perhaps once again, today’s pressures of the game and media have taken this too far, causing players to work harder than their bodies are capable; pushing themselves to the breaking point.

Fierce with his mouth as with his dedication to the game, Piniella himself had to battle with Steinbrenner over his weight back in the early 80s.  “There’s the famous story of when Piniella was given a “golden parachute” three-year contract from George Steinbrenner after the 1981 season that had a weight clause stipulation, requiring Piniella to report to camp under 200 pounds. For every day in camp he was over 200 pounds, he was to be fined $1,000,” stated the same article.  He had one of his best seasons that year, batting .307 at 38-years-old.

Piniella knew the game, took teams to the playoffs and picked up a World Series win with the Cincinnati Reds back in 1990- the Reds swept the series against the A’s who were highly favored to win.  He went out to Seattle and managed there from 1993-2002, had a short stint with the Rays and ended his managing career with the Cubs in 2010.  He has done some work in the booth too as a color commentator.  He currently works occasionally for the YES Network as a color analyst.  Never short on words or afraid of speaking up to anyone who would listen, Piniella added that extra spark to the game of baseball- something missing in the game today. 

There is something special about Lou Piniella that no other Yankee in my lifetime has possessed.  He has gumption.  He calls it as he sees it.  He was not a Thurman Munson or a Reggie Jackson- he was Sweet Lou- a buddy to the super stars and a manager who took nothing less than a player’s best.  He expected the game to be played like it was supposed to be played- accurately, professionally and when the season was over you handed in your gym bag to the equipment manager and went home to your family. 

The game is just too serious today and maybe that’s why it’s lost some of its fun- the Sweet Lou kind-of-fun- just playing the heck of the game for the heck of it!

--Suzie Pinstripe, BYB Opinion Columnist
Twitter: @suzieprof





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HOMAGE TO GODZILLA

It is uncommon to get to watch a baseball player that plays his heart out and does not stop until he wins. It is those gladiators that get you pumped for the game, knowing that you will get 110% from them when the game or the series is on the line. On Sunday, July 28, 2013, one of those gladiators – Hideki Matsui – came home to finish his career as a Yankee. What a career it was!

By the time the Yankees signed him in the 2002/2003 offseason, he had already played 9 years for the Yomiuri Giants and established himself as Godzilla – a hitting machine that hit for power (regularly hitting close to 40 homers per 140 game season) and average (career .304 batting average). Therefore, it was no surprise that at age 29, Matsui continued his hitting ways. His average hovered between .280 and .300, and it was his consistency that could be counted on. He rarely had slumps, finding ways to reach base and moving runners over even when he was not hitting well. Only twice during his time with the Yankees did he fail to reach base for more than three consecutive games. When you think about how long an average player can sit in a slump, that statistic is just amazing. He never had an outburst or was involved in anything that would harm the team’s reputation or his own – a consummate professional.

Perhaps the most exciting thing about watching Hideki Matsui play was his ability to dial it up when the opposition was of premier quality. The Yankees reached the playoffs six times in Matsui’s seven years with the team. In the 6 ALDS he played, his slash line was .261/.365/.443. In 3 ALCS, it was .333/.389/.556. In the two World Series he played in, it was .389/.463/.750. Notice how the numbers keep climbing as the stakes get higher, and as the opposing pitching gets better? Those World Series numbers were against pitchers named Cliff Lee, Pedro Martinez, Cole Hamels, Brad Penny, and Josh Beckett – all premier pitchers in their day. Against these pitchers, in October, he had a combined OPS of 1.213. That is the definition of clutch. He was the definition of clutch. Most of us agree that without Hideki Matsui, we may not have won the 2009 World Series.

This past Sunday, in his usual calm and humble demeanor, and a smile on his face, he rode into Yankee Stadium and signed a contract to be a member of the New York Yankees for one day. On the final “day” of his baseball career, it allowed him to say that he finished his career with the Yankees. From the first day in the Bronx, when he hit that grand slam, to his final day when he went 3 for 4 with a homer to help defeat the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 6, he showed what it means to be a Yankee. We were blessed to witness it.

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

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