BLAME THE YANKEE OFFENSE, NOT BRANDON MCCARTHY!

For months we've been talking about how the Yankee offense can't score runs.  It's been a problem all season and it's more and more annoying every game as we head into September. Today was a perfect example again, except this time, the headline on MLB.com wasn't about the Yankees NOT scoring, but instead about how Brandon McCarthy blew it.  The headline? It's: McCarthy surrenders lead as Yanks drop finale.

I mean sure, he surrendered the lead, but the bigger story is that the Yankees continually DON'T score or didn't fight back today. The Yankees scored one run in the 1st, one in the 4th and one in the 5th. They left 8 men on base today.  They were 1-8 with runners in scoring position, but sure, blame Brandon McCarthy, one of the most solid fill-in pitchers we've had all season.  McCarthy has been terrific and with a lack of run support, no pitcher can truly succeed. McCarthy included. It's embarrassing.

You know, it's funny... BYB wrote a very popular piece today titled: YANKEE MANAGEMENT IS THE NEW DEFINITION OF INSANITY. Shortly after it was released, there was a comment on Facebook that I was very confused with:

Now, I have no beef toward Angelo. He's just totally wrong.  The bottom line is the Yankee injuries and replacement pitching hasn't been the issue all year. 

(In Photo: Chris Capuano)
In fact, the replacements have been amazing and continually keep us in the game, surprising us EVERY game. It's the offense that's the problem. Today was a perfect example of that.  Sure, try and blame McCarthy for not being able to "hang on", but this is just a sample size of how the offense has worked all year.  They build a lead or score some runs early only the fizzle.  Today was no different. Don't blame the Yankee pitching for our problems. Blame the offense.

The 3 Yankee runs went like this:

Brett Gardner hit a solo shot in the 1st inning. It was his 16th.  In the 4th, Francisco Cervelli singled and knocked in Martin Prado. Then in the 5th, Gardy tripled and when there was a throwing error, he was able to score.  But then, there was chaos and Yankee fizzle all wrapped up into 1, and it was that chaos that deflated the Yankees...

As the Star Ledger reports: "The Yankees lost their grip on a lead against the Toronto Blue Jays Sunday in the seventh inning in one sudden, hard-luck sequence: a pitch that narrowly missed the strike zone, a base hit barely beyond the reach of Martin Prado’s out-stretched glove and a tag at the plate just fractionally late.

 Said Francisco Cervelli, the Yankees catcher whose desperate lunge toward Steve Tolleson almost -- but didn’t -- negate the go-ahead run in a 4-3 loss, 'Everything happened so fast.'"

It happened so fast? Really? It's actually been a slow burn this entire season.  Sure, Cervelli's bringing up today's loss, but all season there has been disappointment, and Yankee fans are fed up.

Look, this is supposed to be a recap, but for the past few recaps, it's turned into more of a rant about how horrible my Yankee team is. I apologize, but I need to be straight with you. The reason why BYB started in the first place is because the Yankees were sucking, and ironically, on the heels of Bleeding Yankee Blue's 4th anniversary, we've come full circle. They suck again, and they're started to fade away.

Again... will I give up on my Yankees? Truth be told, I will never give up on the pinstripes.  I am however being realistic... it's over this season.  I'm pretty sure of it.

Final: Blue Jays 4 - Yankees 3

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YANKEE MANAGEMENT IS THE NEW DEFINITION OF INSANITY

This season has frustrated me to no end. I wanted Derek Jeter to retire with one last ring. I wanted to look at the standings of the AL East and see the Yankees on top. The formula just hasn't come together and you know what....I want action! We are Yankee fans. We do not accept failure....and when things fall apart SOMEONE must take the fall.

I think about the fundamentals of being a manager. I don't care if you are a manager of a restaurant or a major league baseball team, if you don't execute you have to answer to the higher powers that be. If you don't perform, someone else will take your place. It should be no different here. The Yankees are an underachieving baseball team. Point period. The writing is on the wall and unless the Yankees turn it around. If we miss post season action for the second year in a row, heads need to roll.

What do I mean, exactly?

If this season is over in September....clean house. Sounds harsh, but maybe this is what the organization needs. We have the talent here, but the execution is lacking. I don't care how experienced a player is they will all have their slumps and to help improve a player, you need a great coach. Instead, the Yankees just seem to try the same thing and cross their fingers.

We have a problem with what I like to call "Insanity overload." What is insanity, exactly? I like Albert Einstein's definition in this case:

"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."

I think it describes the state of the Yankees perfectly. We just seem to repeat, cross our fingers and just hope and pray for different results. The Bronx Bombers have a problem with offense. Our team is filled with veteran players. Sure, they know how to hit and you can tell me that the players should be the only person held accountable for not performing but as players they need to make adjustments too. They need to adapt. A manager is supposed to help make that happen. If it was only up to the player then we wouldn't need to employ Kevin Long.

I respect Kevin Long, but we have been saying for awhile now that he is on thin ice, read IS KEVIN LONG ON THE CHOPPING BLOCK?. At what point, does Yankee brass need to realize that the managing piece is not identifying the problem and fixing it? There is a pattern here, and it is not a good one.

Larry Rothschild is not without his own fault. For me, there are just so many red flags here and I have been searching for something that gives me a boost of confidence in this guy. I mean, to me he just looks lost and doesn't know how to really develop people anymore. I'm not the only one either, Mike O'Hara had his own opinion on this in HEY LARRY ROTHSCHILD...YOU GOTTA GO! When I look at the state of the pitching rotation this year I scratch my head and just wonder WHY we still have this guy here. We lost 3/5 of our rotation this year. To me, that says something.

Granted, I am not blaming him for CC Sabathia's knee injury or Michael Pineda and the pine tar however, I think as a pitching coach he should be able to identify mechanical issues that can help prevent the injuries AND make our starters more durable in games. That has not happened, and the bullpen has been overused all year. I look at these examples and I am not surprised that he has been tied in the news with the idea of a six-man rotation, read that HERE. It's not a new idea for baseball but is this really a solution to the problem? We have an overachieving rotation right now as it is and pitchers are a creature of habit. So is giving the ball to Pineda every 6 days instead of 5 is going to make him more effective? I don't buy it.

And what about the relievers? They already work extra hard when our starters can't go deep into games. So does a 6 man rotation give them a better chance to rest if they starters or rested? Or does it simply mean they have to clean up a mess for more of the starters? Another thing that I read today just made me even more critical at this point. Dellin Betances has been a superstar for us this year. He was under the spotlight even when he was in the minor leagues and we were grooming him as a starter. So when I read THIS article and see so much talk about using two pitches, I can't help but be a little confused here. This kid was a starter, so he had more of an arsenal. Is Rothschild not digging deeper here? Maybe I am making too much of this, but I hate when there is untapped potential, and we send the wrong message.

This isn't personal, it is just business but our managers here have to take some of the heat here. BYB's posts about them are a broken record. I do not believe that Joe Girardi is the problem here.... yet. If the Yankees miss the post season again it will be hard to ignore that the management played a big role in this. The roster was revamped this year. The players can't be the scapegoat here. It's time to stop the insanity! But to do that, the Yankee brass need to bring in managers with some new ideas because these guys.....just have not cut it!



--Jeana Bellezza,
BYB Senior Writer and Editor

Twitter: @NyPrincessJ


 
 

CRAPTACULAR!

We've tried to be positive here at Bleeding Yankee Blue when it comes to my struggling New York Yankees, but there is a growing concern, and it's been out there all season.  This team, despite the hoop jumping and their will to "just hang on", is just not enough to get them to the playoffs and beyond.  That's it!

It was very sobering reading a friend's tweet about the Yankees, before today's game. Frank wrote:

@BleednYankeeBlu @MyMiaLove @jetdom @sweetg35 @egyankee @CANiPETTITTE Only 28 to play. This crew not going 25-3 down the stretch.
— T. Frank Gentry (@yankeefrank23) August 30, 2014

Think about that for a second. The odds are stacked against this club in a huge number.  That's because no matter what the Yankees offer in games, be it great pitching or hitting... they CANNOT SCORE RUNS. That's terrible and that will be the collapse of the Yankees this season.  If you don't score, you can't win... bottom line.

Blame the major league hitters that cannot knock in runs on fundamental sac fly balls or blame the hitting coach, Kevin Long for overstaying his welcome and not breaking old routines. 

Long in my opinion, is no longer welcome in my book. This team's stale. It's clear there is just the same routines and nothing to shake this club. he won't butt in, but he should, because it's his job... but he doesn't.  The Yankee hitters are the same boring bunch they have been all season.  Yuk!

Today the Yankees had 1 hit in 9 innings.  It was an major embarrassment.  We played the Blue Jays... hardly a powerhouse, and once again, the Yankees pitching did a great job of holding the Jays to only 2 runs. Two runs... enough for even the Bad News Bears to chip away at. But not the mighty New York Yankees who are far from mighty.  One hit... Zero runs.  Kill me now, they suck.

Michael Pineda went 6 innings, gave up 7 hits and 2 runs.  On the flip side, the offense struck out 12 times against Blue Jays pitching and  left 5 on base. 

Mark Teixeira had the only hit... a double. But no one could knock him home. The End.

Do I still have hope? Not really.  Fans like winners, and despite the Yankees being in my blood since 1978, losers disgust me.  Harsh? Maybe... but here's the reality; do you want to limp into the playoffs on a second wild card and no confidence? OR... would you rather dominate and look like a powerhouse going into the playoffs, momentum rolling, confidence high.  I'll tell you what I want... and I know you feel the same. You want winners, not limpers.

Yes, the Yankees can do it... but here's my predictable prediction... they won't, because they're a sad bunch. And let's face it... this sad bunch doesn't deserve to be there. 

Final: Blue Jays 2 - Yankees 0

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HEY YANKEE FANS! HERE'S PROOF THAT THERE'S HOPE!

As of this writing, the New York Yankees are 7½ games behind the first place Baltimore Orioles and 3 games out of the second Wild card spot in the American League. They are six games over .500, and not the championship team we envisioned last winter after all the major signings. There is a lot of talk about whether or not there’s a chance left that this team will go anywhere. Let’s put this in historical perspective.

When the Yankees woke up on the morning of August 29, 1995, the Yankees were out of it. They had lost nine of their prior ten games, the most recent loss being a makeup game against the Kansas City Royals. They were five games under .500, 16 games behind the first place Red Sox, and tied with two other teams for 5th place in the Wild card race. That puts you in the group of teams that no one mentions when talking about the playoffs. Just eight weeks earlier, they lost their ace – Jimmy Key – for the season due to a torn rotator cuff. They had just acquired David Cone, who had a great pedigree but was the owner of an inauspicious 9-6 record at the time. Does all this sound familiar??

What happened from that point on is almost miraculous. In the last 31 games of the season, the Yankees went 25-6. In fact, the Yankees did not clinch a playoff spot until the final game of the season. For the purposes of this discussion, I will call the first 131 games of the season as the “first half” and the last 31 games as the “second half”. Really, they were two different teams before and after the morning of August 29.

I mentioned David Cone. After his 9-6 start of the season, he went 9-2 and fulfilled the role of ace of the staff. Andy Pettitte, who did not really gain stardom until the following season, had a 6-8 record and an ERA of 4.73 for the “first half”. The “second half”, he was a shining 6-1 with a 3.00 ERA. In fact, the entire pitching staff found a new gear in the “second half”. The Yankees, who were 9th in the American League in runs allowed in the “first half” went to second in the league for the remainder of the season. Is this happening now? Can you say Brandon McCarthy? If Michael Pineda can keep up his current pace, add his name to the list. Masahiro Tanaka will be back in a couple of weeks. There is hope!

The hitting was another major factor. The team went from 8th in the league in runs scored to 3rd between “halves”. Everyone, including Wade Boggs, Bernie Williams, Paul O’Neill, and others carried the burden of supporting their pitchers with runs. Here is where the team really needs to get on their game. It is not like there is not the talent or potential. When the names on the lineup card read Jacoby Ellsbury, Carlos Beltran, Mark Teixeira, and Derek Jeter, you cannot help but think that these guys are capable. BYB has written much about the hitting and the coaching, and we are not looking to place blame on any single party. Nevertheless, they need to get it together. When the opposition has a one-run lead, the story needs to change from us worrying that scoring a run is insurmountable to  them worrying that a one-run lead is not enough.

Look, I am not making guarantees. This team could finish the season in first place, or at .500 wondering what the heck happened. My take on the team is that they are playing with a lot of momentum right now, and you have to credit Joe Girardi for his leadership in piecing together a team with more stars on the DL than on the field. Nevertheless, we are going into September with some uphill battles, and it is going to take an effort that goes beyond what happened in the first half of 2014. Can they do it? Yes they can!

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



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RICH HILL WAS JUST DESIGNATED FOR ASSIGNMENT

(In Photo: Rich Hill)
Note that will make my friend Frank smile about... maybe.

According to MLB.com, Rich Hill has been designated for assignment.

"Left-hander Rich Hill was designated for assignment by the Yankees on Friday to make room for fellow southpaw Josh Outman on the active roster. The Yankees acquired Outman from the Indians on Thursday in exchange for a player to be named or cash considerations.

(In Photo: Josh Outman)

Hill, in his 10th big league season, allowed no runs over six appearances with the Yankees after signing in July following a stint with the Angels."

And there you have it. Enjoy your Saturday.

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SORENESS FOR TANAKA

I'm not sure what "general soreness" is, but that's what the soreness that Masahiro Tanaka is allegedly experiencing, if you ask the New York Yankees.

I call it the spin machine because they don't want Yankeeland going crazy.  Remember something; I have stated all along that I didn't want Tanaka rushing back, because, to be honest, he's a big investment and to ruin him just so he can pitch in September is ridiculous.  We've been doing fine without him. Let's get him healthy before we rush him back. Sorry, I'm getting off track.

Here's the latest on the "general soreness" front from our good friend Jack Curry of YES:

Tanaka is experiencing general arm soreness. He will return to NY to do some strengthening exercises. No appointments scheduled with doctors
— Jack Curry (@JackCurryYES) August 29, 2014

OK then, there you have it. Cross your fingers ladies and gentlemen. Cross them hard.

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AWAKENING!

The Yankees did something they barely do... they woke up in a game to eventually take the lead and win. The Yanks were quiet tonight and it seemed like a regular night. Not scoring runs, not able to rally.  Then, in the 7th... BOOM! 5 runs.

They'd tack on 1 more in the 9th and then David Robertson would come in and shut down the Jays... and get his 35th save.  Not too shabby.  Hey... that's the way it's supposed to work out.

First off, Chris Capuano was on the hill for New York.  Once again, he did a good job. You need to give these pitchers credit. Cap is handling himself well in the Bronx.  I like him there.  Tonight he went 6.1 innings, gave up 8 hits and 3 runs, 2 of them earned.

The Yankee rally machine went like this:

In that 7th, Brett Gardner doubled and knocked in Brian McCann and Carlos Beltran. Then, as MLB.com described it, "With Jacoby Ellsbury batting, throwing error by Dioner Navarro on the pickoff attempt, Brett Gardner scores. Ichiro Suzuki to 2nd."

Then Ellsbury homers. It was a 2 run shot.

In the 9th, Chase Headley homered, a solo shot and alittle insurance. It was then that BYB writer wrote this on Facebook:

Hey, we like our guys... especially when they do what they are supposed to do.

Final: Yankees 6 - Blue Jays 3

Big win tonight. Can there be more tomorrow, please? Let's hope so.


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HEY AROD, CHALLENGE SELIG TO THE ICE BUCKET CHALLENGE

Alex Rodriguez did the #ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. You can read about it HERE.  It wasn't reported too much, probably because it's Alex Rodriguez, but he's a regular dude, despite the PEDs crap.  He accepted his challenge like he should have and I applaud that.  But Alex made 1 bad mistake... He should have then challenged Bud Selig next!



Look, it's no secret that I don't like Bud Selig. I think he's terrible for baseball and I'm thrilled he's leaving. Many could argue Alex Rodriguez is bad for baseball as well. That's your opinion and I have no problem disagreeing with you. You are entitled, but so am I. I always thought the full season suspension of Alex was strategic and ridiculous. It was to say to the baseball world, "Look at us, we cleaned up baseball and we caught the biggest fish." Meanwhile, there are plenty of big fish... they just wanted to embarrass Alex Rodriguez. Again, my opinion.

Now Selig needs to be spotlighted.  He wants all the credit for cleaning up baseball, how about Selig actually does something important? Raise awareness to #ALS. I see only 1 person that should have called Selig out publicly... Alex Rodriguez.  After all, it's for a good cause, and if Selig didn't do it, he'd confirm to me that he's a creep.

You with me?

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JESUS MONTERO DOESN'T LIKE FAT JOKES

Great and bizarre story out of Marinerland involving Jesus Montero.

 Milb.com's Tyler Maun writes:

"...Montero was involved in an altercation during short-season Everett's game at Boise on Thursday. The first baseman exchanged words with a Mariners cross-checker and reportedly had to be physically restrained while attempting to enter the stands with a bat during the argument... the unidentified cross-checker yelled at him to hustle off the field, according to Boise official scorer Liza Safford. Montero then headed to the AquaSox dugout on the third-base side. According to a game offical, the cross-checker then ordered an ice cream sandwich and had it sent to Montero in the dugout...The official said Montero...approached the stands with a bat while screaming profanities and threw the sandwich at the cross-checker. Montero had to be pulled back from the stands by Everett pitching coach Nasusel Cabrera, Safford said.

Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik told the Seattle Times late Thursday night, 'I am aware of the incident in Boise. We are currently in the process of gathering information, but until I have all the details, I cannot comment.'"

Now, it's not like you need my opinion on this... but this is BYB, so I'll give it. I hate fat jokes, I feel like they offer nothing but a person feeling bad about themselves. That being said, sometimes you need to finish what someone started.

I don't think I'd follow the heckler back into the stands, there's no way I would.  I would however meet him in the parking lot and have a face to face discussion with him, because lord knows that heckler wouldn't have expected it, and it would at least scare the shit out of him. I'd probably sign a ball and give it to the guy as well.  It would soften the blow and maybe then there could be a laugh.

Now Montero is on high alert as being considered a bully, and this cross checker can just spew whatever crap he wants.

The story needs to be reported... but the whole thing is ridiculous.

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THE YANKEES JUST TRADED FOR LEFTY JOSH OUTMAN

Quick note.  The Yankees have made a deal for yet another left handed pitcher.  According to Indians beat writer Paul Hoynes, it's Josh Outman:

Indians trade lefty Josh Outman to Yankees for player to be named or cash. Outman reports to big-league club. Not on 40-man.
— paul hoynes (@hoynsie) August 29, 2014

Now, What do we know about Outman?  Well, here's the scoop from Hardball Talk:

"Outman had a 3.28 ERA and 24/16 K/BB ratio over 24 2/3 innings with the Indians this season prior to being designated for assignment in June. After passing through waivers, he was outrighted to Triple-A Columbus, where he had a 4.43 ERA over 23 appearances...He could come in handy in a specialist role for the Bombers."

Clearly the Yanks are preparing for their September run.  Stockpiling arms... I like it.

Welcome Josh.

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MOTOWN WALK-OFF & THE YANKEE FIZZLE

Damn those Motown Cats! Damn you Yankees! We were close to going extra innings, maybe even winning this game today... but we didn't. We didn't because it's what I call Yankee Fizzle.  It's that offense that dies, just when you think we have a shot.

In the bottom of the 9th, with Shawn Kelley on the mound, Alex Avila singled on a fly ball and the winning run came home.  Not the game I wanted to see, but it is what it is. 

Does it surprise me? Not really. The Yankees have broken my heart alot this season.  I'll just accept it... and it sucks!

The Yankees had 5 hits and 2 runs today.  Hiroki Kuroda went 7 innings, and gave up only 2 runs on 4 hits.  He did his job. Once again, the Yankee offense could not help Kuroda or themselves out.  We left 4 on base. 

In the 3rd, Jacoby Ellsbury singled knocking in Zelous Wheeler.  In the 4th, it was Brian McCann grounding out, but in the process, knocked in Martin Prado.  For the most part, the runs we had were grinded out, but we needed a big rally.  We needed to be smarter and we needed to give the team a chance.  We couldn't break the Tigers pitching today and it was a real eye opener.  Trust me, if we can't do it now, what makes you think we can do it in the playoffs? Wait... did I say playoffs? Hell no... not with this team.

The way this Yankee offense fizzles is a big problem and had been all season. It's disappointing.  I hope to God we can fix it... I just don't think we can't, not now... it's just too late.

Final: Tigers 3 - Yankees 2

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