SO WHAT IF I WATCHED A RE-RUN OF THE CHAMBLISS WALK-OFF...

Okay...I will admit it.  I don't like to lose.  In fact, I don't like to receive anything lower than a B for effort.  Actually, I will really only accept an A.  There, I said it.  Perhaps that is why I am so impatient with Brian Cashman, Joe Girardi and the recent New York Yankee teams since 2009.  I would never last as a New York Met fan (nor would I want to) and I certainly could never root for a team like the Milwaukee Brewers or San Diego Padres or Cleveland Indians.  They never win.  They never get anywhere.  It is what it is.  So when the Notre Dame Fighting Irish Men's Basketball team lost to Syracuse the other evening, I angrily grabbed the remote and flipped to the YES Network.  The scene was set for deja vu all over again kind of evening with me, my mother and Chris Chambliss.

I should tell you that my mother taunted me the entire evening during the Notre Dame-Syracuse game.  Then, she harassed me with a phone call after the disaster on the court.  I told her to turn on the YES Network and relive an night to remember in the Bronx with me.  You see, she and I and my Dad watched the game live back in 1976.  You know the game...the one where Chambliss planted one out in right field to beat the Kansas City Royals, win the American League Championship and head to the World Series against the Cincinnati Reds.  

It was incredibly interesting to watch the game that evening, as Thurman Munson crouched behind the plate helmetless, no throat guard and a chest protector that looked like the lining of my Northface winter coat more than something that would protect him from a swirling fast ball.   As a matter of fact, he got hit in the throat with a foul ball and he struggled to swallow for a good several minutes. It was pretty scary, actually. 

Then there were the fans throwing debris and bottles at the Royals' outfielders.  It got so bad that public address announcer Bob Sheppard had to administer a warning to fans to essentially, "knock it off."  Howard Cosell was one of the announcers in the box, which also added to the ambiance of the game.  Chambliss stepped up to the plate in the midst of the chaos of angry fans and delay of game as umpires ran around clearing debris.  He was fixed on the pitcher and the job he had as a hitter batting at the bottom of the ninth.  

When Chambliss made contact, no one really knew if that ball had enough legs to climb over the right field fence, but when it eventually did, pandemonium ensued as fans launched themselves on the field and ran towards Chambliss who could barely see his way to home plate.  

Experiencing this game with my mom the other evening, almost forty years after it originally aired was an incredible opportunity to relive something special.  You see guys like Chris Chambliss represent a team of rutty young men who earned an A for their grit and determination every night, despite the "primitive" equipment and overall simpler times when guys didn't need nearly as much as they seem to need to today in order to perform at an A level.  And re-experiencing this exciting rise to the Series after a 12-year absence as an adult with her mom made it extra special.  This is the rise we need to experience again and I feel rejuvenated and hopeful that we can get there.  I just needed a gentle reminder that anything can happen.

--Suzie Pinstripe, BYB Senior Staff Writer
BYB Hot Stove Columnist
Twitter: @suzieprof




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THE PEOPLE VS. DAVID ORTIZ

I’ll go on the record; I really like David “Big Papi” Ortiz…off the field.  I don’t remember too much about my days at the MLB Fan Cave, but I will fully admit that my time with the Red Sox slugger was something I’ll remember with a smile.  David was not only friendly, but also funny and down to earth.  He was up for the sketches we wrote for him and even roamed the streets of the Big Apple looking for hugs.


Towards the end of the year, at the World Series in fact, I ran into David at a MLB event and he greeted me like an old pal.  I was surprised he remembered me.  Basically I have nothing bad to say about what I know of Ortiz.

Unfortunately I can’t support the New York Yankee announcement that the organization will give Big Papi a big sendoff this year at the Stadium.  Look, I understand and really admire the way the Boston Red Sox (Organization, players & fans) said goodbye to Mariano Rivera and Derek Jeter.  The whole operation was a first class act!  It was done perfectly for both Yankee Greats and deservedly so.  Should the same respectful ceremony be given to David?  No.  No, I don’t believe so at all.

There is no question that David Ortiz is an outstanding, clutch hitter and YANKEE KILLER.  There is NO QUESTION that he has meant more to the Red Sox winning ways than any other player.  In short David is an impact player and the Sox will miss him. 

However Ortiz is NOT a Jeter or Rivera type.  Papi has always been a “Me First” guy on the field and shown as much numerous times (The Baltimore dugout phone incident that got him a talking to by Pedroia).  The countless bat flipping jogs to show up another team’s pitcher.  The way he was not shy about ripping another player…name a time Jeets or Mo did ANYTHING like that…I’ll wait.  No?  That’s what I thought.

Look, I was never one to hold my tongue or not let emotion get away from me when I played competitive sports.  I am not saying that guys/gals that do so are bad.  All I’m saying is that that type player shouldn’t get honored.  That should be saved for truly transcendent athletes who played the game the right way with class and selflessness.  Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera are not just Yankees that are examples of what Big Leaguers should be.

And then there is the looming shadow of PED use when it comes to Big Papi.  Do I know for certain that he used?  Nope.  But the only reason nobody is taking a closer look is because David uses his “Pap-ularity” to bully the league.  He shouts down rumors and frankly was protected by the Selig Regime.  The unfortunate fact seems to be that athletes from the Dominican Republic have what appears to be unlimited access to PEDs.  It’s almost as if the “D.R.” stands for DAMN RIGHT they’re using.  That is not an accusation on Dominican people.  NOT. AT. ALL.  There are countless players that hail from the Republic that NEVER took or would ever take HGH, Steroids and the like.  But many do…Manny, Alex, Sosa (Those rumored to a possible link like Cano, Pujols and Bautista).

The bottom line is that David Ortiz is NOT in the same class with Jeter and Mo. Now, when Dustin Pedroia hangs them up I could see a nice goodbye from the Yankees. 

Pedy is a leader, not a showboat and always said he takes so much from watching his friend Jeter on and off the field.

Is this a biased post? Sure, I guess so.  But remember, I really do like Ortiz.  I mean that.  It isn’t personal in any way shape or form.  He has made the rivalry better.  He is an exciting player to watch. If I were a Sox fan, (LAWD HELP ME) I’d be a huge Big Papi fan, BUT I’d still think he didn’t deserve a farewell from the Bronx Bombers…and they Yankees should KNOW that too.

Sorry David.  I wish you the best man.

** Here’s what should play over the Stadium PA when Papi takes his last AB in the Bronx **




 

--Mike O'Hara Senior "Features" Writer
Twitter: @mikeyoh21






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THE JORGE SOLER TRADE THAT MAY OR MAY NOT HAPPEN

Disclaimer: This is purely speculation and wishful thinking on my part. A friend from a Yankees Facebook group, Scott, would be the happiest man alive if this happened! So this one's for you Scott!

The Cubbies appear to be the favorite to sign Dexter Fowler and after already signing Jason Heyward this off season, a Fowler signing would create a backlog of outfielders on the Cubs roster. Also with one of their top prospects, Albert Almora, who is a defensive stud in centerfield and not far from the Big's, Jorge Soler might not have an everyday position.

So should Brian Cashman make a couple phone calls and see if he can get a hold of Theo Epstein? I say yes. Soler would fit the bill of the youth movement and has a very high ceiling.

Soler will be just 24 when the season begins and has some serious power potential in his bat. Some speculate he could be a 30 home run guy. His downfall is he is not seen as a great defensive player. But if you can hit 30 home runs, an improvement from just 10 in 2015 over 366 at-bats, a couple defensive miscues can be overlooked.

The problem is the Yankees have a ton of money invested in their outfield right now and not much young controllable pitching they are willing to part with. Andrew Miller would likely be the leading candidate Cashman would try and sell.

Besides Miller, Gardner has been a topic of trades as we all know, but the Cubbies would be looking to deal an outfielder, not acquire one.

A three team trade could be plausible and the Rays have reportedly been in contact with the Cubs discussing a starting pitcher for Soler or infielder Javier Baez. Crazier things have happened.

Realistically it would be very difficult to get this deal done at least from a perspective outside of the organization. Obviously Cashman and Hal know better than me.

This is likely just a pipe dream really, but who doesn't enjoy one of those once in a while?

The Yankees seem content on standing pat for the meantime and as much as some of you despise it, I don't. They need to wait until after the 2016 season and 2017 season, free up some payroll, continue getting younger and start filling in the pieces.

So maybe a miracle happens, maybe not. Either way speculation is fun and even a blind squirrel finds a nut occasionally.

We shall see!


 --Dan Lucia
BYB Senior Writer
Twitter: @DManLucia








 
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AN EPIC FLASHBACK BY ALEX RODRIGUEZ

I just needed to share this.  This is a young Alex Rodriguez back in the day.

Yesnetwork.com posted this photo of Alex yesterday on Facebook with the following headline:

"An epic #FlashbackFriday photo from Alex Rodriguez (via @AROD)"

Gotta love the Flashbacks!

BYB had 2 terrific recent posts about Alex Rodriguez you gotta check out.  

 Be sure to read:

ALEX'S BETTER SELF LAYS AROD TO REST

TAKING CHEAP SHOTS AT AROD

Happy Saturday!

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GUESS WHO'S ALREADY IN TAMPA?

Just a quick note because I love the grind, especially when it comes to the New York Yankees. 

CC Sabathia is in Tampa... working out... extra, extra early... and I freaking love it!

According to the Associated Press:

"CC Sabathia spent part of Friday at the Yankees’ spring training complex working out with pitching coach Larry Rothschild and talking with a group of minor leaguers.

 The 35-year old left-hander threw on level ground and in the bullpen at Steinbrenner Field."

You can sit there and  tell me that Sabathia is done.  I disagree.  He's got the drive. He's got the heart.  Give the Big Lug credit... he's in Tampa several days before anyone else, and with that drive, he will be a success.

Carry on.

 


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TAKING CHEAP SHOTS AT AROD

The vultures chasing Alex Rodriguez got an early start this year. Maybe it’s a slow news week for the Yankees, and ESPN decided to mix it up and create their own news. ESPN New York Yankees writers Andrew Marchand and Wallace Matthews decided to publish a chatty dialog about the odds that Alex Rodriguez used PED’s last year. If you read it, it’s not a groundbreaking exposition with evidence or analysis. It sounds more like two guys at the bar talking about Alex over a couple of beers. Because if you position it like a casual chat, you're not burdened to do things like, you know, have proof. You can pretty much say whatever you want. They certainly did.

“I mean, two hip surgeries, his 40th birthday and basically two years of inactivity and A-Rod was great for three-quarters of the season. My mom taught me a long time ago, if it is too good to be true, it usually is. That said, maybe A-Rod was doing things on the up and up -- but at this point, it would be naive not to at least wonder if he still had some extra help.” Really? This is the kind of stuff you say that sounds believable, hoping the whole time that no one does a fact check. Like the statement about inactivity. As if all of a sudden, he became sedentary and spent the whole time in a rocking chair. Most accounts have it that he worked hard to stay in shape during 2014. His being physically fit and ready to play in 2015 made perfect sense.

The line on older hitters is that bat speed slows down, and you see a drop in productivity. Since he was great for three-quarters of the season, he must have had help. I hate to burst your bubble, Andrew, but at best, that’s an exaggeration. At worst, an outright lie intended to mislead. He was great for the first 10 games of the season, and then again for about 4 weeks between May 7 and June 1. In his first 10 games, he hit .344 with 4 homers in 32 plate appearances. During his second hot streak, he hit .342 with 5 homers in 92 plate appearances. The rest of the time he was good, but not great. He finished the season with a .250 average. Given that he hit .244 in 2013 and .272 in 2012, that’s right about where a 40-year old Alex should be trending. Sorry Andrew.

But what about his hip surgeries? How could he perform without getting hurt unless he was using? I don’t know, maybe the fact that he almost never played the field might have something to do with it. Three times he played the field for seven innings or more – all in April and never on consecutive days. After May 1, he only played the field three times – once for 3 innings and the other two times he played one inning a piece. It was a consistent theme throughout the year, how Alex’s rest was a priority and DH'ing him gave him durability.

Besides all the exaggerations, there’s something else that bothers me about this. These guys are supposed to be serious journalists, working for a serious sports news organization. The fact that they would take a cheap shot at an easy target like Alex is just shameful for a journalist. I say easy target because of Alex’s history with PEDs. That's not an excuse for this kind of behavior. Would they have written this about Derek Jeter? Would they have ever suggested that after missing most of 2013 that his 2014 season was stellar and perhaps he had some help? They would have been crucified, and rightly so!

The fact is that he is a polarizing figure. Some love him and some hate him. Personally, I think he’s a changed man based on how he’s opened up and I wrote about it last year - I'M CONVERTING: I'M AN AROD FAN. I still believe that because he has not given me a reason not to. Nevertheless, if someone is going to write about him in that setting, there is a measure of responsibility that they should accept. Taking a swipe like that, taking advantage of people’s irrational hatred for the man to get the spotlight on their product is bush league. You guys got a bunch of hits on your article. Congratulations.

--Ike Dimitriadis, 
BYB Senior Staff Writer
Twitter: @KingAgamemnon






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AN INTERESTING CASTRO OPPORTUNITY

With Starlin Castro ready to take the lead at second base for us this season, there has been much speculation about where he would bat in the Yankee lineup.  He spent most of his time with the Chicago Cubs towards the top of the order, but with this Yankee team, he may move down.  "I think you wait and see how things kind of pan out the rest of the off season before you start thinking about where you're going to hit people, but I think [Castro] gives you a lot of flexibility," Girardi said and MLB's Bryan Hoch reported.

Makes sense because we have two stable guys doing the job up front in Jacoby Ellsbury and Brett Gardner and having more flexibility at the bottom of the order really puts the Yankee team at an advantage offensively.  According to his statistics, "Castro batted .265 with 11 home runs, 69 RBIs and a .296 on-base percentage in 151 games last season, but the Yanks are counting on seeing the level of production he finished the year with after shifting to second base on Aug. 11. Castro batted .345/.368/.574 with six homers and 25 RBIs in 50 games after Aug. 4." Now that's something we need in our lineup, wherever he bats.

He's a young guy and presumably a great fit for the Yankees.  He will turn 26 this season and has a lot of pop and presence in his game, which he can easily perfect in the Bronx this season.  So with so many eyes on pitching this season, it is an interesting time for guys like Castro who have an opportunity to make a big splash in 2016.

"I like that he's athletic, I like his age. Between the youth, the flexibility, the right-handed bat, he's got a history of hitting left-handers. Clearly that's an area that we needed to better improve our balance in the lineup. It kind of checks off a lot of the boxes here," stated Brian Cashman back in early December.

Lots to hope for in this young man.  He and Didi Gregorius certainly have the talent to turn some big plays on the field this season defensively and hopefully make contact with their bats too no matter where they both bat in the lineup.

--Suzie Pinstripe, BYB Senior Staff Writer
BYB Hot Stove Columnist
Twitter: @suzieprof




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IVAN NOVA GETS A 1 YEAR DEAL

Nothing major here, just keeping the Yankee and BYB fan base in the loop.  It turns out the Yankees have agreed to a 1 year deal with Ivan Nova. According to several sources, but we'll go with the Associated Press here:

"Ivan Nova and the Yankees have agreed to a $4.1 million, one-year contract and avoided salary arbitration.

The agreement Thursday was $100,000 under the midpoint: Nova had asked for $4.6 million in arbitration and the Yankees had offered $3.8 million. He can make the $100,000 back in performance bonuses. Nova is sixth on the Yankees’ starting pitching depth chart..."

Nothing wrong with that deal.  Nova can be a help. I guess the Yankees just couldn't find a trade partner for Nova and they'll keep him around and he'll definitely contribute.  If a deal can come together by the trade deadline though, that contract is easy to flip.

Glad all is well in Yankeeland.  Good to see they came to an agreement with Nova.

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THE YANKEES & BYB GIVE ME REASON TO SMILE

Let’s take a time out this off season from the serious speculations and prognostications about the Yankees and briefly inject some light-heartedness into our lives.  All too often I find myself cringing at the arrogance of GM Brian Cashman and the cluelessness of Manager Joe Girardi, but that can grow old – not only to me, but to you my readers and BYB fans.  So, in light of our founder Robert Casey’s recent article titled: CAPUANO SIGNS & SKINNER POPPED CHAMPAGNE SOMEWHERE, I can’t help but smile and start my day with a better outlook.

I admit, last season I completely ragged on Cashman’s re-signing of both Chris Capuano and Stephen Drew.  Not a week went by when I had something to say about those two “mannequins” on our roster.  I grew frustrated at the continued attempts of our GM to make lemonade with those two old, dry lemons.  Yes, I’d have to say that my irritation had become an obsession (as the esteemed Mr. Casey points out in his article).  I wanted to grab their supporters by the shoulders and shake them to wake them out of their stupor. 

I got sick of hearing how Drew was going to be so much better because he’d finally have a full Spring Training under his belt, and that Capuano was an “innings eater”.  Did I want to gloat at the end of the season when what I had been saying all along proved correct?  No.  It just made me angry that those at the top of the Yankees food chain were either too arrogant or too clueless to see that Capuano and Drew weren’t worth roster spots for an entire season.

Reading Robert’s piece did my heart good on two fronts.  One, it meant that, like Drew, Capuano couldn’t return to the Yankees.  That’s instant relief.  Two, it meant that there is no one on the current roster that I can’t root for with all of my Yankee-loving soul.  Sure, I might not agree with some decisions that are made by Girardi (or Cashman), but I can genuinely get behind any player in the lineup and hope for the best with every at-bat and every pitch.  I’m not sure I could say that for Drew or Capuano.  To me, neither had the “fire” in them to ever be true Yankees.  Both merely represented attempts by our GM to rehabilitate careers long since deemed unrecoverable, and they were occupying two roster spots better suited for baby Bombers more capable of contributing to our success.

Now, Cashman has finally given us some youngsters, and with them, a future full of promise.  Players like Luis Severino, Starlin Castro, Didi Gregorius, Greg Bird, Gary Sanchez, and Slade Heathcott represent the future of the franchise.  That makes me smile. 

Each of those, as well as other up-and-coming minor leaguers like Aaron Judge, Rob Refsnyder and Bryan Mitchell who might see action in the Bronx this season, make up what our team will look like once ARod, Tex, CC, and Carlos roll off the payroll.  It’s a bright road that lies ahead if we can hang on to those young stars, I am sure of it.

I deserved Casey’s “poke”, but at the same time I don’t regret my laments.  If I see roster injustice being done to my beloved Yankees, I’m gonna point it out – repeatedly – until it has been eliminated.  I only want what’s best for the team I’ve rooted for since birth.

Thank you to both Brian Cashman and Robert Casey.  Today you have both given me cause to smile and hope.  Now, Robert, about that champagne…


    

--Steve Skinner, BYB Senior Writer
Twitter: @oswegos1

 




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