THE BYB FAMILY IS BIGGER THAN EVER

Another year is over.

2013 was a major year for Bleeding Yankee Blue. We did things the others only thought about doing.  But we did it because we believed we could.  There has never been a doubt in our minds here at Bleeding Yankee Blue.  We have ideas, we execute those ideas and we make people open their eyes alittle wider.  We’ve become a big family here in the process, because you have the same ideals and the same goals in your own lives.  Of course, there are haters out there, and that’s expected, but what the haters don’t seem to understand is, we’re not out to destroy the reputations of the other bloggers out there.  We don’t have time for the hate.  No. All we wanted to do was work our way through the busy crowd and be noticed by the readers who want something new and different.  We love, we don’t hate.   Don’t get me wrong, if you’re going to continually hammer us without merit, I'll bitch slap you... I protect my family, but we’re not in the “hate” business.  We just want to be one of the gang… and I’m damn proud to say, we are ladies and gentlemen, and it's because of you... the readers.

Family is big here. We’ve met some pretty incredible people over the years.  The Posadas and the Sabathias share the same values as I personally do with my own family.  I know that because I can see the love.  Laura and Jorge always fill us in on their lives, their children and it’s wonderful to see.  Think about it, if Jorge played much earlier, before the social network boom and retired in the early 90’s, we’d see the guy once a year on Old-Timers Day.  But the timing was perfect and Jorge and Laura share a wonderful thing, they’re crazy about their family and want everyone in Yankeeland to know it.  So, in this social networking world, Laura let's us all know just how they're doing... so we can catch up with their "family." You gotta love that.

I genuinely appreciate them. Read THE FULL POSADA INTERVIEW. It’s terrific.

"Amber Sabathia is a doll!"  That’s a quote from my wife as we left our meeting with her and CC back in November.  She is and CC is a big bear.  We here at Bleeding Yankee Blue could not be happier to have made a friendship with them. It's very special to my wife and I.  I asked my son that day, “How was it like to meet CC?”  He said, "It was terrifying, but in a good way.” I got that.

This is a guy that he’s worshiped for as least 3 years, and he stood right next to him, shook his hand and got an autograph.  He was in heaven, even if that "heaven" was making his heart pound for 30 seconds.  My son was happy that day.  Me, in turn, was gushing.  The Sabathias are in love and it’s evident in their mannerisms together.  I love watching them interact with their family and I know they appreciate their fans. Read CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR: INTERVIEW WITH THE SABATHIAS.  You will fall in love, like family.

I like food and so does Clay Rapada. So, we’ve managed to tweet each other over the past year and become “friends” in the Twitter world.  He’s a good dude and I’ve always been a fan. When we tweet our food, I call it #RapadaFoodWars.  He doesn’t call it anything, he just screws with me, like a brother would.
On Christmas, he tweeted me this:

@BleednYankeeBlu pic.twitter.com/aPrAhIqLnd
— Clay Rapada (@pada5something) December 26, 2013

It's all good. But there is no question that he gets us here at Bleeding Yankee Blue and I appreciate that.  Remember, our bond started with alittle ball busting and Hello Kitty.

Now he’s signed with the Los Angeles Angels and no doubt he’ll be up pitching heat again soon.  What’s my point?  Root for him, he deserves good things, positive vibes.  Why? Because he’s respectful, to himself, to others, to BYB. I get behind that any time. Thanks Clay.

To my pal Pete Caldera.  I’m proud to say that these days. I’ve admired Pete Caldera for many years.  His writing is top notch and there’s always a nugget. He’s not like the others.  He’s talented and he’s a crooner as well, and being there to witness it first hand makes me root even harder for this guy.  If you don’t know who Pete is, or never read him,  do it.  We interviewed him. Read NO ONE DOES THE YANKEES BETTER THAN PETE CALDERA. He’s the most underrated writer in the business. Pete, Happy New Year and thanks for being great.

The Hensley Family are one of my favorites and over the past few years we communicate regularly.  It's no secret that we here at BYB want Ty to succeed in the Bronx, he's earned a spot and will never stop fighting until he gets to the Bigs.  I am fond of Marci, his mother because we share the same values raising our children.  It doesn't matter that my kids are much smaller than Ty and Jake, our family values mirror each others.

Work hard and never give up.  I applaud them and I wish them a Happy and Healthy New Year.  I promise to check in with Ty and give our BYB readers an update on his recovery and training soon.

(In Photo: Tyler Austin)
We met Tyler Austin and Rob Segedin this year.  2 Yankee prospects that we root hard for.  I appreciate the time Kim Austin, Tyler's mom has given me and I've now taught my son's about their own "Authentic Swing."  That's right, when we asked Tyler about his approach to hitting, he said this:



Tyler Austin: "I like to watch the Legend of Bagger Vance. In it, there’s an important lesson:  Everybody has their own authentic swing. Once you find yours, there is nothing you can’t accomplish."

You gotta love that.  Be sure to take the time to read our interviews with both guys:

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: TYLER AUSTIN... WONDERBOY

(In Photo: Rob Segedin)
 
BYB EXCLUSIVE: ROB SEGEDIN

2 great kids... expect big things.

And don't forget the others... Dante Bichette Jr, Cito Culver, Mason Williams and more... the future of Yankee baseball. I can't wait to see them perform.

Ladies and Gentlemen... the BYB family has grown big… much bigger than I ever expected. When I wrote my first piece on September 14, 2010, I didn’t picture this.  I pictured me getting bored, the readers fizzling out and me going back to suburban USA with my amazing family and my writing crave dying out.  But something happened… you responded.  When I noticed that over 100 people read me in one week, it inspired me. When I wrote some more, more people read me.  There was an audience, and I was in front of you, alone.  It was strange… but extremely gratifying.  As time went on, more people showed up and when 1000 people started reading me daily, I fell off my chair.  By then, we brought on writers at BYB. They were hungry writers with the same idea… Go big, dream big and anything can be accomplished.  Well… something was happening.



“I can hear it calling... can't you tell? I'm on the edge of something, so I just keep running every time...”

That lyric is from a recording artist named Jamie Cullum. The song is called "Edge of Something" and it’s from his album, ironically titled Momentum.  I love this artist and this song and while the lyrics to the full song don’t entirely fit BYB, the line above does.  When I saw that 2000 people were reading Bleeding Yankee Blue daily, and I had "regulars", I knew I was on the edge of something.  Every time the Yankees lose, or we become frustrated here, or we just have something to say, we put it to paper.  You read it and share it.  You break my chops, you write us back and that’s the wonder of Social networks…there's a dialog. We’ve become instant here.  The others don’t.   We don’t have a comments forum that disappears into space.  One of us, be it me or one of our writers talk back.  We’re not robots, we’re real... and that’s what I like here. It's fascinating.

Soon enough, when we consistently reached 3000 readers daily and my new found buddies Charles and Joey Moses and I are making plans for the next time they come to New York from Australia… or Joba Chamberlain tells me that he’s OK with me passing along his message to the fans exclusively through BYB, (Read HERE)… I have come to the realization that we’re doing something right here.

This isn’t about ego and maybe that’s what you guys see.  We have never been about us being the top dog through arrogance, it's about being top dog through respect for each other and the team we love. Bleeding Yankee Blue has some very simple rules when it comes to fight club:

• Don’t be disrespectful
• Write with your Game-face on 
• Own your post 
• Be appreciative and humble 
• Never give up on yourself or the brand  

I am very proud to say, the writers I have on my staff are the best. The best attitudes and the best work out there. They respect me, they respect themselves and they respect you.  That’s the game, and if you accomplish and understand that, there is nothing sweeter in life.  You will succeed, I have no doubt.

I once said we “might” make t-shirts 1 day… we did it and you wear them. It’s incredible.  The day I walked into a mid-town Manhattan diner and saw a guy reading Bleeding Yankee Blue on his iPad was the day I got chills.  The day Erica Morales said she overheard people talking in a Bronx bodega about Bleeding Yankee Blue was the day we arrived.

That moment when you are in your neighborhood bodega and someone mentions @BleednYankeeBlu #ProudWriter #Grateful
— E Morales (@e_morales1804) December 24, 2013

That’s real life.  That’s word of mouth… that’s family ladies and gentlemen, and as I write this, I feel the goosebumps forming on my arms.  I can tell you that I am damn proud of us… not just the writers, but the family… the BYB family that was searching for that "something" in the Yankee blogosphere and found us. But not only that, you stayed with us... you're loyal, and we love you because of it.  Thank you.

There is no easy way to say it, so I’ll just say it. You had me the day we started reaching 5000 readers daily.  I am blessed for that.  It's funny, but for years I wondered how ideas became reality without promotion, yet, that's exactly what BYB has become.  You've turned a little website into a frenzy.  You truly understand what we’re doing here and you understand that we are fathers and mothers and sisters and brothers and we have the same passion as you… we love the New York Yankees.

But there’s much more to it and you see that as well;  We have kids in Little League like you. We have brothers or sisters who are Red Sox fans and parents who hate reading stats... and we have families like you.  It's a site for the fans, not a site that looks down on the fans. That’s why we’re here.  That’s why we exist.  It’s not about the dWAR to us, it’s about whether or not my kid understands the dangers of PEDs and how to find the right role model.

It’s not about stolen base percentage as much as it is whether or not we are losing the integrity of the game eliminating collisions at home plate or adding instant replay.  The point is, stats are great, but we bring life and realness to it here.  Ballplayers aren’t robots and neither are you.  We’re real people...we're a big baseball family.

Bleeding Yankee Blue has arrived.  I can’t believe it, but it has. And now, 3 years in, we keep going.  Look for big things. Look for us to turn it up a notch. Look for the family to build and expand.  And yes, there will always be haters, but be mindful of them and keep being respectful and never lose that charm and spark you possess.  Be a reader, be a leader and know that what you’ve all done for little BYB is truly great.  Sure, we're BYB, the one mentioned in ESPN the Magazine, in the Seattle Intelligencer, the Epoch Times, Pinstripe Posts, Zerve.com, a travel site and even USA Today, but we'll never change.  It's never been about ego, it's been about word of mouth and honest writing. Fans for fans, family for family... that's BYB.

You get us ladies and gentlemen… you REALLY get us, and I appreciate you reading, sharing and talking about our work. It means the world to me.

Thank you for the journey you BYB freaks… I’m blushing.

Happy New Year.  Let’s make 2014 even better… and let’s have a Yankee Championship in the Bronx! 

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



Thank you to all the Bleeding Yankee Blue readers for continued success.  You've made BYB the fastest growing Yankees fan site in the history of Yankees fandom.  Thanks for reading, sharing and enjoying. Follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue (Official) on Facebook, just type it in.

STEPHEN DREW MAY NOT BE ON THE YANKEES LIST

According to Peter Gammons, the Yankees are not "in" on Stephen Drew:

Brian Cashman yesterday said Yanks are not signing Stephen Drew. How Sox do pillow contract that isn't shoved down his throat is delicate
— Peter Gammons (@pgammo) December 31, 2013

I mean, it's not exactly surprising.  The Yankees most likely have a fully healthy Derek Jeter and Brendan Ryan and if God forbid, everyone in that position shits the bed, I'm sure they can use Eduardo Nunez there.

All is well at shortstop in Yankeeland right now it appears, at least to Gammons. I guess Drew is off the Yankees list.

Carry on...

Thank you to all the Bleeding Yankee Blue readers for continued success.  You've made BYB the fasted growing Yankees fan site in the history of Yankees fandom.  Thanks for reading, sharing and enjoying. Follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue (Official) on Facebook, just type it in.

THE YANKEES OFFICIALLY SIGNED CATFISH TODAY

I am a huge fan of Marty Appel.  He was the Yankees Public Relations Director from 1973  to 1977 and saw some of the biggest Yankee names ever, starting out in the organization going through Mickey Mantle's mail years before.  You can read all about it in YANKEE STORIES REVEALED BY PR GIANT MARTY APPEL. It's an eye opening interview.

Anyway, on this day 39 years ago, the Yankees officially signed Catfish Hunter.  No better person to remind of us about it than Marty Appel... that's because he was there.  Today he posted this great shot of the event, he on the left, and Catfish Hunter front and center.  Next to it, Marty wrote this caption:

"Happy New Year, Manigon Bagong Taon, and a Yankee photo from 39 New Years Eves ago with Jim 'Catfish' Hunter. No more $12,000 infielders, no more $3.50 box seats. But we love the game."

If you wanted more information, he expanded.  For instance, someone asked him who the guy in the checkered blazer was.   

"That's Ed Greenwald, a lawyer and ltd. partner of the Yankees who flew on the private jet from North Carolina and wrote out the contract Hunter signed. The press conference, in this photo, was in the group sales office at the Parks Administration Building in Flushing Meadow Park, where we had our offices, across the street from Shea Stadium. Had been World's Fair headquarters in the '60s."

Alittle history, huh? Marty Appel has more stories about the Yankees than anyone, and I'm thrilled to know him.

Marty, thanks for letting us borrow this picture... Happy New Year sir.

Thank you to all the Bleeding Yankee Blue readers for continued success.  You've made BYB the fasted growing Yankees fan site in the history of Yankees fandom.  Thanks for reading, sharing and enjoying. Follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue (Official) on Facebook, just type it in.

MARK REYNOLDS MAY BE S.O.L.

Earmuffs...

S.O.L. means "Shit outta luck", or at least that's what I learned it meant when I was 12 years old.  I once heard my Italian uncle say it when I was a kid and was literally baffled the entire weekend until I asked my dad what it meant.  He didn’t pull punches, he told me and I always thought that was cool that he did.

 Anyway.  We all knew that the Yankees and Mark Reynolds were engaged in talks about a possible return.  After all, Mark Teixeira is no 100% healthy, but claims he will be.  To be honest, I can’t trust that.  I would sign a backup, and fast.  Reynolds would actually be a smart signing.  He can play first base, and if Alex Rodriguez is suspended, he can play 3rd.   I know that Ike Davis is available, and he’s managed to suck in Queen recently, but he’d probably be a cheap trade and he’d fit the bill too… but let’s stick with Reynolds for a second… he’s my first choice.

According to the New York Daily News, “The Yankees have been engaged with Mark Reynolds about a possible return, but a source said the power-hitting infielder appears close to signing with another team outside the Bronx…”

So what does this mean? It means the Yankees are dragging their feet because there are a lot of money factors here:

• Masahiro Tanaka: This is a huge money factor.  He’s going to be a ton of money and the Yankees would rather full holes and have Tanaka than spend on filler and lose out to him. In other words, the Yanks will be "all in" on Tanaka.

• Alex Rodriguez:  I’ve mentioned before that we don’t know if he’s going to be suspended or not. If he is, the Yankees will have more play with cash.  If not, they need to be smart on their spending. 

Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe wrote about Reynolds as well, writing: “Reynolds remains an option for the Yankees, who are trying to find a temporary or permanent solution to replacing Alex Rodriguez at third base. Even if A-Rod gets his 211-game suspension reduced, the feeling is the Yankees will be in need of a third baseman to replace him for at least part of the 2014 season. Reynolds still has excellent power, but his strikeouts are problematic. Third base is also no longer his forté, but he could still play there if need be.”

Bottom line, I’d like Reynolds back, but I believe he’d have to be mad cheap to sign him. I doubt he’d go for it, but he should, he wasn't outstanding for us, but he did the job. Look, we just signed Jacoby Ellsbury, Brian McCann and Carlos Beltran… we need to be smart with our spending now.

Hey, can Vernon Wells play first? I'm half joking... I mean, what the hell are we gonna do with that guy?

Anyway, if something happens with Reynolds, we’ll tell you. Don’t worry, BYB has your back.


I leave you with Earmuffs... a great scene from Old School. 

Thank you to all the Bleeding Yankee Blue readers for continued success.  You've made BYB the fasted growing Yankees fan site in the history of Yankees fandom.  Thanks for reading, sharing and enjoying. Follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue (Official) on Facebook, just type it in.

NEW YEAR, SAME AROD

Well, maybe not the same Alex Rodriguez. He could very well be a suspended ARod. The decision on the ARod arbitration hearing is due early January. Arbitrator Fredric Horowitz is said to be ready to deliver a verdict, as early as January 1st.

Horowitz has the job of deciding whether to uphold, overturn, or reduce ARod's record setting 211-game suspension. He was hit with 50 games for a first time offender, 100 games for a second time offender, and 61 games for tampering with evidence. The MLB was not innocent by any means in this case. It was clearly a witch hunt, I have said this several times over. However, if ARod is guilty, he deserves to be punished fairly. "Fairly" being the operative word in that statement. Technically, ARod is only a first time offender. My best guess is that the suspension is reduced to 100 games.

I have been covering this ARod stuff since it started in October. Believe me when I tell you that I am as exhausted by it as most fans are. I hope that the MLB, and Bud Selig are not looked at as saviors, because the reality is they allowed this PEDs issue get to this point to begin with. Selig turned a blind eye on the problem for years. His "cleaning up baseball" act is a last ditch effort to go out as the commissioner that made the change. Too little, too late. As for the decision, I hope that Horowitz makes the fair choice.

Let me just say, thank you baseball gods! It took long enough! And while we are thanking the baseball gods, can I put in a request to see Joe Torre as the new commissioner? Hey, a girl can dream, right?

Stay tuned to BYB as we continue to cover this story until the decision is handed down.

--Erica Morales BYB Senior Writer
Twitter: @e_morales1804

Thank you to all the Bleeding Yankee Blue readers for continued success.  You've made BYB the fastest growing Yankees fan site in the history of Yankees fandom.  Thanks for reading, sharing and enjoying. Follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue (Official) on Facebook, just type it in.

CHECKING IN ON MANNY BANUELOS

I have always been a fan of Manny Banuelos.  I believed, much like many of our writers here at Bleeding Yankee Blue, that he could be an important piece to the future of the New York Yankees pitching.  He, and Ty Hensley of course.  We wrote about Manny a long, long time ago in: FEATURE: ATTACK OF THE KILLER B'S. Febuary 2011 we wrote that.  It seems like a million years ago.

As many of you know, Manny underwent Tommy John Surgery and was out for the entire 2013 season.  Many forgot about him.  Me, being a lover of the southpaw, didn't.  And neither did Chad Jennings of LoHud, who, in October, wrote this about Banuelos:

"After having Tommy John surgery last year, Manny Banuelos did not pitch in an actual game this season. He did, however, pitch at the minor league complex and in instructional league.... he was reaching 92-94 mph with a good changeup and getting breaking balls over the plate. He is expected to be ready this spring, but he will not pitch at all this winter..."

In Joel Sherman's New York Post piece from December 28th, he writes, "... whether the Yankees sign Tanaka or not — there will be so much intrigue come spring training surrounding Banuelos... "

He also wrote that Cashman said of Manny: "...Banuelos is coming back from Tommy John surgery that is not considered as serious, but he hasn’t even finished his development program."

Sherman also wrote: "Banuelos, 23 in March, once drew comparisons to Johan Santana. But questions remain about his control and durability. Brackman is gone, Betances has been put in the bullpen and so Banuelos is the last chance for the Killer Bs."

All is interesting and I'm hoping that Manny does great things and surprises alot of people.  I also hope the Yankees aren't babying him like the did guys like Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain, both are now out of the Bronx.

Thank you to all the Bleeding Yankee Blue readers for continued success.  You've made BYB the fasted growing Yankees fan site in the history of Yankees fandom.  Thanks for reading, sharing and enjoying. Follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue (Official) on Facebook, just type it in.

WHAT TO DO WITH THE OLD ROBINSON CANO SHIRT...

It rained in the Northeast yesterday.  I cleaned out my closets and drawers and came across the old #22, Robinson Cano T-shirt that I think I probably bought in Modell's when he first became a "thing" in the Bronx. 

That's right, it wasn't #24, it was #22, before Cano changed his number for Roger Clemens.  Anyway, I was torn.  I didn't know if I should just chuck it in the trash, or save it.

So, I tweeted a picture of it to the BYB readers.  Luckily for me, I received some pretty good comments. Here are some. Check them out:

@BleednYankeeBlu give it back to #Clemens
— Tom (@towazy) December 29, 2013

@BleednYankeeBlu keep it!!! Memories, bro.
— Can I Pettitte? (@CANiPETTITTE) December 29, 2013

@BleednYankeeBlu I would keep it..
— Carlton (@_Carlton) December 29, 2013

@BleednYankeeBlu Sell it! #JayZ
— T. Frank Gentry (@yankeefrank23) December 29, 2013

@BleednYankeeBlu slow burn
— garth asham (@AshamGasham) December 29, 2013

@BleednYankeeBlu use it to wipe down your car.
— Ernest Desposito (@1HUSAMAN) December 29, 2013

@BleednYankeeBlu burn it to stay warm. Yankees don't put names on back. #newyear
— Mike Mollenhauer (@Mochowder) December 29, 2013

@BleednYankeeBlu dust rag
— Cristina (@cristinaac1) December 30, 2013

Clearly a mixed crowd when it comes to Robinson Cano.  Hey, bottom line, what's done is done and we can't look back.  We can only look forward and I can't wait to see my Yankees in 2014!

Thanks for the comments gang! Go Yanks!

Thank you to all the Bleeding Yankee Blue readers for continued success.  You've made BYB the fasted growing Yankees fan site in the history of Yankees fandom.  Thanks for reading, sharing and enjoying. Follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue (Official) on Facebook, just type it in.

UP CLOSE & PERSONAL WITH CARLOS BELTRAN

In case you missed it, Carlos Beltran sat down with the great Jack Curry and talked about finally coming to the New York Yankees.  I like this interview, good questions, definitely not obvious, and the answers are genuine.  Makes you look forward to seeing this guy in pinstripes.




Enjoy it and share it. Beltran is finally a New York Yankee.

By the way, it's been awhile, so, if you haven't read it already, be sure to check out our interview with Jack Curry. Click EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: JACK CURRY. He's was one of the first to support what we do here at Bleeding Yankee Blue, and I personally have long admired the guy.

Thank you to all the Bleeding Yankee Blue readers for continued success.  You've made BYB the fasted growing Yankees fan site in the history of Yankees fandom.  Thanks for reading, sharing and enjoying. Follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue (Official) on Facebook, just type it in.

THE YANKEES ARE EYEING UBALDO JIMENEZ

Interesting nugget from the always entertaining Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.  He writes that the Yankees are looking at Ubaldo Jimenez... not exclusively, but in addition to Japanese sensation Masahiro Tanaka.  OK, nice. Check it out:

"...A few GMs I spoke with recently feel the Yankees may wind up with Jimenez, even if they land Masahiro Tanaka. 'He had an excellent second half, has great stuff, and he has the type of personality that would fit New York,' one GM said. 'He doesn’t let things get to him. He’s good at shrugging off things and turning the page.'"

I have been screaming all off season about the Yankees need for pitching.  I love that we signed Jacoby Ellsbury and Brian McCann... even Carlos Beltran. But I want pitching and if the Yanks can snag Tanaka, no matter what price, and even tack on Jimenez... I'm all in.

I was going to wait to post this, but it's an interesting nugget and I needed to share it with my BYB freaks... carry on.

Thank you to all the Bleeding Yankee Blue readers for continued success.  You've made BYB the fasted growing Yankees fan site in the history of Yankees fandom.  Thanks for reading, sharing and enjoying. Follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue (Official) on Facebook, just type it in.

WHAT'S TEIXEIRA DOING TO PREP FOR 2014?

You can’t turn the TV, radio or any type of social media on without being bombarded with commercials for gym memberships, holiday fitness packages or weight loss resolution ideas.  I am sure you have already selected your fitness goals for the new year as have I, but I am wondering…what is Mark Teixeira doing? 

“After an off-season spent changing his workout routine and losing weight in an effort to improve his batting average, Mark Teixeira was hitting .188 with only two extra-base hits through the Yankees’ first eight games,” according to a New York Times article back in 2012.  I suppose he tried to ramp up his fitness and head start his season with his participation in the World Baseball Classic this past season but that got him no where.  “Teixeira was hurt while hitting off a tee March 5, when he was with the U.S. team at the World Baseball Classic. He made his season debut May 31, then came out of a game June 15 because of inflammation. He went back on the disabled list and did not respond to a cortisone shot,” according to the Times. Eventually, he had surgery in June ending his summer, a Yankee season riddled with injuries and set-backs.  Hurt by hitting off a tee?  How’d that happen?  So, again, I ask, what’s up with Teixeira?  Can he start with a blast this spring?

“Tex will turn 34 in April. Officials have said his bum wrist has recovered well, and shouldn't be a problem entering the 2014 season,” according to an article on NJ.com.  As a matter of fact, Toronto Blue Jay heavy hitter, Jose Bautista, had the same surgery and came back into the mix swinging mightily, so there is hope for Tex yet.  However, Tex says he’s not there yet.  According to MLB.com this week Teixeira says, “I'm close to 100 percent," Teixeira said. "I feel like I'm healed. I wish I was a little bit looser; my wrist is going to be tight for a while because of the way the surgery was performed. They had to kind of tighten everything up to make it secure.  It's still a little bit tight, but that's why I'm doing rehab every day and doing exercises every day. I'll start swinging a bat in January and that will also help loosen it up." My issue is that he is always; notoriously slow to get going and the announcers report that year after year like it is okay.  It’s not okay.  And this year it will be, “well he just came off of wrist surgery, so it is going to take some time for him to loosen up.  What?  You had surgery in June.  Really?

 When I have a race, I begin with an end in mind to coin a line from Steven Covey’s Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.  I set goals, I watch what I eat, I get good sleep and I work very hard.  And I am not saying that Tex doesn’t but something is just not right.  Either he needs better trainers in the off-season or he just doesn’t have it anymore.  Maybe he doesn’t’ have the work ethic to remain competitive in today’s game.  Actually, I hope it is just as simple as firing his trainers, but I would be lying if I said I wasn’t worried about him.  But is anyone else?

 According to MLB Network, in their recent report entitled Contender or Pretender? , there seems to be “a lot of what ifs for the Yankees.”  The network does predict Sterling bellowing a lot of “Thaaa Yankees win!” calls but these are all contingent on two simple words or one hash tag #StayHealthy.  In their report, they cite the Brian McCann and Jacoby Ellsbury deals as extraordinary, the Cano deal a good idea, Jeter as up in the air and Rodriguez as unknown.  They never once mentioned Teixeira and to me, that’s not a good sign.  It is like he doesn’t matter.  It is like he is not even here.

So, my shout out to Teixeira is simply this:  “I know you are here.  I want you to kick some butt this year, Mark.  Do what you need to do to ramp up your fitness, work on your arm strength, hand/eye coordination and whatever else you need to do be at your best, and be a major contributor of the Yankee run for the pennant in 2014.”  If we could get a great start from Mark, we could really start the spring with a bang!  Oh, yes, Mark, begin with an end in mind and give it all you have and then give more!

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




Thank you to all the Bleeding Yankee Blue readers for continued success.  You've made BYB the fasted growing Yankees fan site in the history of Yankees fandom.  Thanks for reading, sharing and enjoying. Follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue (Official) on Facebook, just type it in.

GREAT SHOTS OF MASAHIRO TANAKA YOU'VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE

We found some great shots of Tanaka today on the web, and trust me, there will be more to come I'm sure considering it's Tanaka-mania right now.  All eyes are on this guy.  There is talk there will be a bidding war to get this dude on teams that truly need pitching help.  I hope the Yankees do the right thing here and throw everything at this guy.  Anyway... back to the picture search.  Reddit.com had a picture of Masahiro Tanaka shaking hands with Hideki Matsui back in 2006. The picture is below:

It turns out that Tanaka was in the Bronx with the rest of his teammates who were All-star ballplayers in Japan at his high school. They were touring the old Yankee stadium and someone snapped a picture. Reading Reddit today, it was on their feed.  The link for it is HERE.

Here's another great shot from the ESPN stream of him and the rest of his Japanese High School team in Cooperstown in 2006.

Here he is when he pitched in Los Angeles in the 2006 Goodwill Exhibition games representing Japan.

Great shot! Much credit to Reuters/Max Morse on that one. Wow!

Anyway, I thought this was pretty cool, and there isn't much news going on right now, so enjoy it. Happy Sunday.

Thank you to all the Bleeding Yankee Blue readers for continued success.  You've made BYB the fasted growing Yankees fan site in the history of Yankees fandom.  Thanks for reading, sharing and enjoying. Follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue (Official) on Facebook, just type it in.

I FOUND MELKY MESA

You remember Melky Mesa right? He was the young Yankee outfielder that was going to be the next big thing for the New York Yankees. Much like Austin Jackson, and Jesus Montero... there was also Melky Mesa.  Well, like the Yankees do often, they either cut loose their young talent or trade them away in the hopes for veteran "lightning in a bottle." Well hey, at least we have Zoilo Almonte, right?  Melky was released around the beginning of September last year.  Read MELKY MESA IS GONE & OTHER BIG MOVES.

Anyway, I just wanted to tell you that I know where Melky Mesa is these days.  According to MLB.com, he just signed a minor league deal with the Kansas City Royals.  Adam McCalvy writes:

"The Royals on Saturday signed former Indians utility man Jason Donald and former Yankees outfielder Melky Mesa to Minor League contracts. The club also said it would announce at a later date whether either player would get an invitation to big league Spring Training camp... Mesa is 26 and played in five games for the Yankees last season, going 5-for-13 with two doubles and two runs scored. He also hit .261 in 84 games for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre with 15 doubles, 13 homers and 39 RBIs.

Mesa's best season was 2012, when he hit a combined .264 with 23 homers and 67 RBIs between Double-A Trenton and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre."

So there you have it.  You were curious about Mesa? We brought it to you. Thanks for reading BYB. We appreciate your support!

Thank you to all the Bleeding Yankee Blue readers for continued success.  You've made BYB the fastest growing Yankees fan site in the history of Yankees fandom.  Thanks for reading, sharing and enjoying. Follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue (Official) on Facebook, just type it in.

CASEY MCGEHEE HAS SOME DIRT ON TANAKA

Casey McGehee knows Masahiro Tanaka.  Don't forget, McGehee played ball in Japan after he was with the Yankees for a short time.  Well, since his return and all this Tanaka-Mania, Casey McGehee has been interviewed... a lot, because he was Tanaka's teammate in Japan.  Here's what he says about Tanaka's talent:

“You could see from day one he’s kind of a different animal... He’s unbelievably competitive. The jury is out on how many pitches he has, but he’s got at least three that are weapons, not just pitches he uses here and there. He can lean on any one of his fastball-slider-split at any time... His forkball is the best one I’ve seen.  A lot of guys over there throw one. He’s the one guy that was able to manipulate it and have it do what he wanted. He could throw it for strikes. He could take speed off of it. He could throw it harder. He could bounce it. He was really special with that pitch."

"Whoever gets him…it’s going to be money well spent.”

I love this kind of stuff.  I wanted to bring it to you this morning and good work by the Sun-Sentinel for getting that interview with McGehee.

Thank you to all the Bleeding Yankee Blue readers for continued success.  You've made BYB the fastest growing Yankees fan site in the history of Yankees fandom.  Thanks for reading, sharing and enjoying. Follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue (Official) on Facebook, just type it in.