KEEP LIFE IN PERSPECTIVE...

Right around this time of year, it's insane. Right now there is so much going on in my family as they are becoming older, more mature, and of course the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, my work schedule and the burst of both very busy Yankee news... and then nothing news. Trust me when I tell you, BYB was looking all over the place since this morning to try and find a few nice nuggets to report about in the Yankee world. But we didn't find anything, or should I say, anything too important to report. And so, for a bit today, BYB was silent.

When that happens, and yes, it's rare here at BYB... I think it's always good to just hold a forum of my grievances and/or happiness about this year and our rich past and all that we have accomplished and love.  More than that, it's about perspective. And so, there are a variety of things going on, we wanted to share. Check it out...

I was touched by these photos coming to me from Australia the other day from my bud Joey Moses and his lady Samantha who recently were at a Sydney Blue Sox baseball game.  Of course, Bleeding Yankee Blue represents because Joey never lets me down.

You gotta love that in 6 years, the BYB brand is slowing creeping around the globe.  It's refreshing and it's a wonderful thing to see.

Thanks Joey!

We are family.  I know it seems ridiculous, but it was my intention at the beginning of this Bleeding Yankee Blue thing. I promised the reader that we weren't gonna be another Sabermetrics Yankee site and debate stats and all that crap on the regular.  I mean sure, we do tackle statistics once in a while. BYB Contributor Ike Dimitriadis loves to do it, and I let him because he's one of the best at presenting it.  And BYB newbie Barry Millman does it, but again... he handles it in a manner that isn't overwhelming and nerdy.

Photo: Getty Images

In fact, read his piece on Chris Sale and you'll see how refreshing it is... EXPANDING ON SALE'S FUTURE FENWAY ESCAPADES.

Over this past year we have made donations to a few organizations, even schools trying to help out the less fortunate with the little we have here.  I even just shipped off a package to a school in New York of BYB gear... wristbands... just to keep kids smiling around this time of year.

I am hoping @CANiPETTITTE will expand on that in a story about our good deed and we'll publish the story here on BYB for all of you to read real soon.

We've seen high level Yankee writers move on t his year.  Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News (Read IT'S BEEN A WONDERFUL LIFE, MARK FEINSAND) and Wally Matthews bolted ESPN for NY Sports Day.

(Aug. 11, 2016 - Source: Drew Hallowell/Getty Images North America)

We saw "Munson--like" Brian McCann not be so "Munson-like" and end up in Houston... both Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira finally retired, and we watched Aroldis Chapman leave New York, win the whole damn thing with the Cubs, and then re-sign with the Yankees for a whole lot of money.  Life's good, huh?

You, the reader saw BYB slow down with news items once in a while, only to speed up again, and part of that is utter exhaustion between my writers and I as well as our busy life schedules getting in the way of our work here at BYB.  But through all of it, we are still here for you no matter what... on social networks, Facebook, Twitter.  Hell, some of you have my cell.  That's true bonding between BYB and our readers.  We love you! Don't ever forget that.

Bleeding Yankee Blue has gone over the hump this year.  I actually think it happened 2 years ago, but for us right now, I have seen a change for the better.  You are wearing our items, even going as far as buying for Christmas for loved ones. We are also happy to report that we're being carried at variety of important places on the web.  I just gotta give them all a quick shout out:

Baseball-Reference.com. You are the best.  Not only does Sean Forman and company let us stream there, but they allow BYB on Pro-Football-Reference.com and Basketball-Reference.com.
You are great over there. Top notch!

Sportspyder.com. Thanks for the help.  We are featured there quite often and we love the work they do. Hell, sometimes we even find news items there.  A great go-to.

Bleeding Yankee Blue started the BYB Hub 2 years ago, and while not insanely popular it's getting there.  That's a one stop shop of all the Yankee and baseball news.  We have Section 36, Notes from the Sally, Bullpen, Baseball & Sock Talk and the Traveling Baseball Babes as well. All non-Yankee sites, but specific sites all involving baseball.  We have plenty Yankee stuff on there as well.  It's a terrific young site, but special to me because it truly gives the beginner sports blogger a chance to be read.  It's a long process to get popular, but things are slowly happening and I'm proud of that creation.

(Tim Holle | Brevard County Manatees)

One of the more incredible things we have seen since BYB's birth in September 2010 is the transformation of old to young.  The Yankees have some gems in our farm system. Clint Frazier. Justus Sheffield. Gleyber Torres. We saw kids like Jacob Lindgren catch a bad break and be let go.... and we watched Ty Hensley get signed by the Tampa Bay Rays.  And while all this change is tough to keep up with as fans, I've been pretty clear about what it means. I try to help give my thoughts to these young players and help give my opinion, getting into the heads of these youngsters...like Ty for instance.

With every team, no matter where they are, it's about opportunity.  I see it in my own 14 year old.  He's gone from team to team trying to find the right one.  He finally did and is valuable for who he plays for now.  But it's about timing too.  Look at Hensley. Ty's had a few tough breaks... but Ty Hensley's a hardcore dedicated worker. He will succeed. Granted, it didn't happen fast with him with the Yanks, but there is no question it will with the Rays.  The Rays NEED him... the Yankees have layers, and it's much harder to break in. It's about making it, not the uniform.

Ultimately, change is a wonderful thing.  No, not at the time it happens.  When you are thrown change and not ready for it, it can sometimes be overwhelming.  But sitting back and taking a deep breath and seeing opportunity... you decide right then what the plan is... and then you execute.  Hey, do you think when BYB started back in 2010 I thought we would become what we have now? I never imagined it and the transition and evolution was scary, but the reality is, kindness, hard work and friendship always wins, and when you look at our body of work today... the interaction, the love of the game, the Yankees and each other... it's no wonder we are as successful as we are.  It's amazing actually.

This holiday season has been insane for us at BYB this year, personally and publicly.  We're trying to keep you up to date on any new Yankee moves, we're still trying to give you updates as large or small as they are, we're trying to cut through the B.S. but still balancing our lives.

Right around this time of year, we're all busy, even you guys! That's because we're all human and many of us have loved one, or children in our lives. In short, we're like all of you.  We have to do alittle shopping for the family, we're visiting friends, getting our kid's lists to Santa prepared and shipped off and trying to enjoy our families alittle more than usual. It's the Holiday season. It's what you do, it's what you SHOULD do.  Again, you need to sometimes put life in perspective. The holiday season is a great time to do that.



My kids and I have tried to have some family time. We must of watched ELF about 18 times in the past 2 weeks.  We find it equally hysterical every time we watch it.

We've gone to the batting cages, the movies, bowling... and in between that I'm trying to shop, write alittle, get a dinner date with my wife, ALONE and still manage to work and make alittle money.  The pressure is enormous.  My youngest even drew that picture above.  While it's supposed to say, 'I went to the batting cages', the picture says it all with that drawn smile, and that makes me happy.

The point is, BYB is about humanity, family, love, conversation and yes, the New York Yankees... all of that.  Thankfully we have an audience that does what we do and gets it, and so, if there is no real Yankee news, maybe we take a day off, kind of like today. This allows me to hold court for 5 minutes and rattle off some stuff that's on my mind.  I won't shy away from what we do here and it's refreshing that on a day like today, a rainy raw Sunday in the Tri-State area, I can sit here with a fire going and a glass of wine (yup, it's Sunday after 1pm and I'm drinking a glass of wine) and write for you. It's America, I have the right to express myself... and hopefully, you will read and enjoy it.

The Yankees will always be apart of this site.  No one is changing that... but it's clear as you read through this post that we're expanding big time.  We have new friends, new writers, new ideas. We're not shying away from the old us, but we're adding and it's great.

Hell, every year we get new photos of you guys loving and supporting BYB. Here's our friend Nicole Hart...

Yet, we still have some of the old classics of when we first started.  Here's Mikal and Doug.

BYB is a family.  A true BLUE family, and it's a place for news and commentary, even when there ISN'T Yankee news.  Even when all of us are mad busy to write or read or really sit still for a few seconds. No matter... Bleeding Yankee Blue is always here.

Thanks for letting me ramble today.  I am reporting that today, there's not much going on in the Yankee Universe, so we kept it light.  You wanna know how light? My youngest kids are sitting in the bay window waiting for Santa Claus to slowly pass by our house in a fire truck, stop, walk up to the door and deliver a few candy canes.

That's Americana right there... that's Norman Rockwell... that's joy and happiness and yes... that's family. And for me, this holiday season, that's putting life in perspective. I love every minute of this time of year.

More stories tomorrow... a slight day off for all of us today.

As always,  thank you for supporting us at Bleeding Yankee Blue. Thank you for reading us, sharing up and loving us.  We love you too.

Thank you for being the best family ever.

--Robert Casey
BYB Chief, Managing Editor & Head Writer
@BleednYankeeBlu