"THE YANKEES SUCKED TODAY"

I didn't get to see much of the game today, but what I did see, I didn't like.  As I was listening to the news in the car this evening, sports came on 1010 WINS and the man said, "The Yankees lost"  and just went into the news cycle. I looked at my wife, "Why don't they just say 'the Yankees sucked today'? It would make it more complete."  Frustration doesn't even begin to tell you how annoyed I am at this entire Oakland series.  We are now tied with the Rays for first because of our lousy play, and while that's not a big deal in May... it just annoys me... like I know it annoys you. What's worse... they didn't even score a run today. You gotta be kidding me.

The Yankees left 7 men on base today.  They were 0-5 with runners in scoring position, and worst of all, they scored ZERO runs.  Jesse Chavez man-handled them... and that's the story here.  There is nothing else.

Sure, let's look at the Yankees pitching, but it doesn't make much of a difference.  Adam Warren went 7 innings, gave up 6 hits and 2 runs. The other run was given up by Esmil Rogers.  The pitching was decent.  3 runs is a hole the Yankees could definitely dig out of... they just didn't.

Bottom line, the Yankees sucked today... hence, the title.

Final: Athletics 3 - Yankees 0

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MARK TEIXEIRA IS TEARING IT UP!

So if I would've told you that Mark Teixeira was going to find his 2009 groove again you may have called me crazy. If I would've told you that two months into the season that he is a key contributor to the team success I would expect you to laugh at me and tell me to put the alcohol away. Well, I didn't say it because even I wasn't expecting this. I guess Mark Teixeira gets the last laugh here because he has fooled us all and I am OK with that.

Say what you want about Teixeira, I won't argue with you. Yes, he had one good year and then was very underwhelming ever since. Fine, I get it. I have someone emailing me or telling me every week telling me I am crazy. Fine, I am crazy. I accept it. But at the same time I don't want to waste time arguing about what doesn't matter anymore. What DOES matter is that the Yankees are in first place and Teixeira is a big contributing factor as to why they are. He is healthy, he is still the pull hitter that falls victim to the shift but guess what? That productivity from a long time ago is back. I don't want to think about where the Yankees would be without it.

Even I am amazed at just how effective he has been. The Yankees are putting more energy into adding youth to this team. It's a slow start but we are getting there. Suddenly, a 35 year old man is leading the team. The defense is still there and let's face it....there have been some ugly throws this season from Chase Headley and especially Didi Gregorius, no offense fellas. He has earned his keep defensively. Now offensively....he is leading the team with 35 RBI, and 14 HRs and that proves he can still be a true middle of the order guy. The power numbers and runs are nice but I guess what I am surprised by the most is his .953 OPS. Where did THAT come from?

Look, this is nice to see. We have been waiting for it for years. I know it is early. I am not making posters or making Teixeira cheers just yet. It is a long season but seeing this encourages me that he is still an everyday player and he can be consistent. I hope in August we are talking about him tracking 120 RBI for the season. It's nice to finally be EXCITED to watch him play again. All I know is....if he keeps playing this way the man deserves to be an All-Star. Yes. I am throwing it out there. If he keeps this pace I will make the banners and cheers to make it happen.

Most of all...I would like to say that Mike O'Hara had a piece titled TEXGIVING and part of me did a little victory dance. I want to see Teixeira exceed his challenge. But if it happens, can I be a witness to this new found friendship? I will gladly bring food to contribute to the festivities but the skeptic in me would not be able to believe it unless I saw it for myself. I will even help clean up! Nothing would say Happy Holidays like this celebration. I am going to cross my fingers.

In the meantime, let's focus on the road to October. The Texecutioner is officially back folks! Be excited!



 
 --Jeana Bellezza, BYB Senior Writer and Editor
Twitter: @NyPrincessJ  




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THINGS COMING UP ROSES FOR PETE ROSE

The Pete Rose drama keeps getting more interesting with every passing week. It all started with the appointment of MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred, and his belief that Pete Rose is entitled to a fair hearing for reinstatement into baseball. I have written about this before, and I think that was a great move for baseball and the sense of its legitimacy and fairness.

Earlier in the season, Pete Rose took a job as an analyst with Fox Sports - his first real baseball job in 26 years. Then a few weeks ago, it was announced that he would be allowed to participate in activities as part of the All-Star Break and Game. It has been quite the spring for Pete, one he has not had for the better part of three decades. Anyone as old as I am will remember what it was like watching him play with every fiber of his being. Baseball is in his blood.

The latest news is that talks regarding any possible reinstatement will begin after the All-Star break. As Jon Heyman noted in a recent article (read HERE), this process will be anything but smooth sailing. Remember that we have been this close before. In 2003, active discussions took place between Rose and Bud Selig about allowing Pete Rose to return to baseball. Then the deal fell apart and the issue became ice cold from then until now.

There is no way Pete Rose is returning to baseball without significant restrictions. He admitted to betting on baseball, and the penalties for betting on baseball are severe, final, without exception, and without any loophole. The penalty for betting on a baseball game in which you have a duty to perform is permanent ineligibility. Rose's return requires the equivalent of a Presidential pardon, and it is unlikely that Manfred will hand one out for free.

There are a myriad of issues that the Commissioner will have to consider, not the least of which is the integrity of the game, selling it to the old-schoolers who believe in the rules of the game, and the moral hazard of having to deal with the next incident like this one. Of course, whether or not Pete Rose would accept a deal with those kinds of conditions is another issue.

I have my own feelings on this issue. I believe the integrity of the game is of paramount importance. I believe that you don't change the rules for a single person, even one as popular as Pete Rose. Nevertheless, I loved the guy when he played, and it would be nice to see him put on that Reds #14 jersey again. There will be lots more to come on this.

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







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BELTRAN GOES BOOM!

Carlos Beltran is having a great May.  That's been established.  We wrote about it in REDEMPTION CAN BE SWEET! Bravo Dan Lucia, one of our BYB writers!

Well, Beltran continued when he homered to give the Yankees a lead against the A's.  Finally, after 2 losses, the Yanks win one. 

It started out with some decent pitching.  Nathan Eovaldi gave up 11 hits in 4.2 innings, but the A's only scored 3 off of him. What's better is the pen held the A's and gave the Yankee bats a chance to climb back.

The A's were up 3-1 until the Yankees 5th.  That's when Chase Headley singled knocking in a run.  After that, Carlos Beltran cranked out his 2 run homer off of Jesse Hahn.  Then, in the 8th, alittle insurance. Beltran again... this time singling in Mark Teixeira.

After that, an Andrew Miller save, his 15th, and the Yanks win one, thanks to Carlos Beltran.

Things I never thought I'd say in 2015... "Thanks to Carlos Beltran."  Anyway... nice win.

Final: Yankees 5 - Athletics 3

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SLADE HEATHCOTT GOES ON THE SHELF

Well, that was fast.

Lou DiPietro of YESNetwork.com reported some unfortunate news about Slade Heathcott.  He's headed to the DL:

"Heathcott has a Grade 2 strain of his right quadriceps and will miss at least a month...The Yankees will place Heathcott on the 15-day disabled list and outfielder Ramon Flores has been called up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to replace him."

And so now, the kid who everyone was excited about goes on the DL.  We just got finished celebrating the guy with a terrific piece by Steve Skinner of BYB fame.  That piece is titled  OUR NEXT "BERNIE". It's a must read piece if you have not yet seen it.

We've also written extensively about our kids on the farm at the beginning of the season... and we wrote about Ramon Flores too.  Check out this Ike Dimitriadis piece titled: KIDS TO WATCH: RAMON FLORES.

Yup... we write about everything at Bleeding Yankee Blue. I hope that's why you love us. Get well soon Slade. Welcome back Ramon.

And speaking of writing about everything... be sure to read  WEARING #BYB MAKES YOU SEXY. 

Laura Posada wears Bleeding Yankee Blue. 

Marci Hensley and Ty wear Bleeding Yankee Blue!

Here's the question.  Will our friend Lory Ankiel wear Bleeding Yankee Blue?

How about Garrett and Cassie Jones? Will they eventually wear Bleeding Yankee Blue?  Stay tuned!





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JACOB LINDGREN IS FUELING THE FIRE!

After a meteoric rise through the minor leagues, Jacob Lindgren finally made it to the major leagues. His major league debut came in the eighth inning of a 14-1 rout by the Yankees over the Kansas City Royals. It was the perfect place to put a rookie pitcher in for his first appearance, and no one was more excited to see him coming into a game than me.

I've been watching rookies come up for longer than this one has been alive, many of them regarded as the next superstar to change the face of the organization. Lindgren is showing the kind of potential that may be putting him into that conversation. As the Yankees PR tweeted out shortly after his entrance into the game, "He's the first Yankee to make his MLB debut within 1yr of being drafted since Deion Sanders (30th Rd '88)." Let that sink in for a minute. In less than one year, he has played in a grand total of 34 games, moved up through five levels of minor league ball, and has made it to the Bronx. You don't do that with garden variety pitches.

His stats in the minors are phenomenal. While there have been some good arguments about why the Yankees should have been bringing up the kids, Lindgren should have been the poster child of the movement. He pitched two solid innings of relief against a good Royals lineup. He faced seven batters - 2 strikeouts,  2 walks, 2 fly-outs, and a ground ball double play. That's fairly consistent with what we've seen in AAA this year.  Opposing batters were hitting .195 against him. His ERA was 1.23 and his K/9 was 11.9.

His control continues to be an issue though he had been doing well at AAA with a 4.1 walks per 9 innings. Those 2 walks on Monday may have made some hold their breath. For now, I chalk it up to nerves. His velocity and mix of pitches was very good. His fastball topped out at just under 92, and his slider was between 81 and 84 with good movement.

It's hard to predict the future based on just one game, especially with a 13 run lead. Still, you have to feel good about the kids coming up. If you've been like me, frustrated at the Yankees' seeming reluctance to take a chance on these guys in the farm system, you're feeling some vindication and a lot of mojo based on performances like Lindgren's. Give him innings on the mound, and we have the makings of something special here.

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







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THE YANKEES - RABBITOHS EXCHANGE

The idea was simple. The day I wrote THE YANKEES & THE RABBITOHS SIDE BY SIDE back on March 30th, I decided to make it a quest to find myself a Rabbitohs hat and wear it in America. After all, the Rabbitohs were an Australian Football club and Joey and Charles Moses, read HERE, made me a fan.

Well, I searched high and low for the hat above. I could not find it on Amazon, on any Sports merchandise site... I couldn't even find it in New York City or Modells, or any place. I had nothing.  I was annoyed.

Then I thought for a moment. I remember when I wrote that piece about Charles Moses seeing the Yankee and Rabbitohs shirts in the window, the store was in Sydney. It was a sports store called Mick Simmons Sport. I started looking there, and then, next thing I knew I was finding anything Rabbitohs I wanted! That's when I got the message from Joey.  He saw the BYB Rabbitohs piece. "Great work. You're a Legend."

I love that he calls me "a Legend." I'm not gonna lie, I get a kick out of it.  Joey's a great dude and like a brother to me.  We speak all the time and I like that he appreciates what we do here at BYB.  I wrote him back on Facebook about my hat search... I hit a snag:

Hmmm. "Leave it with me."  What was this dude up to?

A few weeks later, that hat you see in the header was in my mailbox. Airmail... from Australia.  Not just 1... 2. Needless to say, my wife and I wear Rabbitohs proud all over town these days.  It's awesome and the hate fits and looks terrific!

In return, I packaged up something special.  A Bleeding Yankee Blue shirt, and a #BYB tank for his squeeze.  In fairness to Joey, he insisted... no... HE DEMANDED I not send him a thing. But that's not in my nature.

(Buy from our BYB Store HERE)
And so, now we're even because that's my brother over there, he took care of me. I don't forget stuff like that. It's what class is.

So that's my story about the Rabbitohs hat and a guy who I call a good friend.  I'm thinking about taking a vacation to Sydney, Australia.  I think it would be pretty cool to visit.  Plus, I have my second family out there... Charles and Joey Moses and their great family.



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UM... WE NEED TO START WINNING

Winning is the reason the Yankees are out there every night.  It's not about trying... it's about doing.  With the Rangers losing last night... with Matt Harvey getting a loss in Metsland and with the Yankees also losing last night, New York is annoyed.  But I'm most aggravated about my Yankees... after all, that's my team, and we have the ability to win every damn game.  Can we at least do that? Please?

Chris Capuano was on the mound and the guy just doesn't have the stuff.  The experiment is over.  Can we all agree? 5.1 innings pitched, allowed 4 runs.  Bottom line, A's starter Sonny Gray was just bettter.

As far as hitting.  The A's ended up getting 6 runs last night.  4 off of Cap, and 2 off of Lindgren in his 1 inning of work.  I'm not about to get on Lindgren, he's brand new.  The way I see it, Cap shouldn't be digging the hole.

The Yanks scored 2 runs. They left 5 on base.  In the 5th, Brian McCann homered.  In the 6th, Brett Gardner grounded out, but Didi Gregorius scored.  That was literally it. 

I'm not happy.  I know you're not either.  We really need to turn this around.  Maybe today is the day.

Final: Athletics 6 - Yankees 2

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REDEMPTION CAN BE SWEET!

I think we remember all too well the struggles of the Yankees from the past two years and in particular last season after spending a half a billion dollars in the Steinbrenner's money to bring some veterans in. With the exception of Jacoby Ellsbury, none of the other newly signed players lived up to the expectations. As I thought about the recent Yankees games and took a peek at their stats though, I noticed something... Something we have been waiting for.

Carlos Beltran had an awful 2014 and started 2015 out in much the same manner. But in May, Beltran has shown a glimpse of the very good ballplayer that he is. For the month he is hitting .316 with three home runs and 11 RBI. He has also added a solid seven doubles and scored eight runs. His season average has crept from the .170 range all the way up to .245, where it stands following the Royals series. I'm thrilled for the guy. He was catching a lot of grief but he stuck it out and has really come back to play well. I love it.

Mark Teixeira has also come back in a huge way producing 14 home runs and 35 RBI over the first two months of the season. Not even two full months! He trails just Nelson Cruz in home runs in the AL and is tied for fourth in RBI. His .245 average could improve but the shift is killer for him. So screw the average, keep driving the ball! .245 is just fine to go with the power numbers in the latter years of his career.

When Brian McCann was signed prior to the 2014 season, he was seen as a great defensive catcher and one of the best hitting catchers in the game. He performed decent in 2014 at the plate, but we wanted more. His .239 average is below par, the shift doesn't help, but his six home runs and 29 RBI, including four and 17 respectively in May, are just what the middle of the order needs. He is on pace for over 100 RBI and that works!

Then there is Alex Rodriguez. He did not play a competitive ballgame for over 18 months but has come out in 2015 showing he still has some game. He started off on a tear in the first two weeks of April, cooled off some, but has come back alive as of late. For the month of May, ARod is batting .313 with six dingers and 13 RBI, plus five doubles and 14 runs scored. Not bad for a guy pushing 40! While I'm not the biggest ARod fan, I'm a Yankees fan so I root for his success because it's what's best for the Bombers.

On top of their recent successes, and I'm sure they all want more and more of it, they've all beaten adversity to get here. Whether it be injuries, suspensions, change of teams, age or the damn shift. But don't tell them that. The success must feel that much sweeter knowing that many felt they were done. No more glory days, no more moonshots, no more winning...

But even after a rough stretch, followed by a dominate sweep of the Royals, here are the Yankees, atop (a very mediocre) AL East. Not bad for a "washed up" team with no pitching.

  
Dan Lucia
BYB Writer
Twitter: @DManLucia

 






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CAN WE THROW THE BATHWATER OUT WITH CARPENTER?

I didn't understand the expression "Throw the baby out with the bathwater"  for a long, long time. I mean, I get it, but maybe I am just sensitive to children or something. Who the hell knows.

Just to give you background, "Throw out the baby with the bathwater is an idiomatic expression... used to suggest an avoidable error in which something good is eliminated when trying to get rid of something bad." In other words, we got rid of a great performance last night by CC Sabathia and the Yankees when David Carpenter came in and walked in the run.  The Yanks would eventually lose, and that's on Carpenter... no doubt about it.  By the way, thank you Wikipedia.

The Yankees were on their way, and there was no reason why this loss should have happened.  Sure, CC ran into alittle trouble, but if you are trying to win every game, just bring in Betances and Miller, give your team a chance to get back ahead and then shut the door.  Argue all you want that those relievers just pitched and they're tired, but these are pros. They want the ball. They would have done a better job than Carpenter.  Last night sucked.

Sabathia went 6 innings, and gave up 5 runs. It was that 6th and 7th inning that the Athletics really crept back.  Then, the Yankees brought in Carpenter. With the game tied 3-3, it was Carpenter who walked in CC's run. Then it was 4-3. That's when the A's kicked us while we were down... Billy Butler sacrificed home another to make it 5-3.

The Yankees scored 1 more run when Brett Gardner doubled in a run off of Tyler Clippard, a former Yankee, but that was all we'd get, and the irony here is Clippard got the save off the Yankees... and we used David Carpenter.  Seriously.

Sure, I'm annoyed at CC as well, he let it get tied up, but the pen is supposed the stop the bleeding, and if you asked Betances or Miller to lock it down, they would have, no questions asked. In fact, the percentages were in their favor.  Carpenter has been horrible.  Girardi has a tendency to protect his pen, or overuse them, one or the other, and usually at the wrong time.  Last night he picked the wrong reliever again, bottom line.

So yeah... I'd never throw a baby out with the bathwater. I'd never get rid of good to get rid of bad... but I would like to get rid of Carpenter.  It's just not working out.

Final: Athletics 5 - Yankees 4

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