JETER FIRES 4 MORE, MATTINGLY COULD BE NEXT

Business is business and while I personally don't like to see how Derek Jeter is handling the Marlins early on here, that's his business, and he doesn't care what I think... and to be honest, I know that after I wrote DEREK JERK-ER, neither do you.  But I have a platform and you don't.  Conversation and debate is healthy though.  My last Jeter headline was provocative, and you guys pounced on me like I pounced on DJ.  All good... as long as the convo is healthy and not hateful... I'm all in.  Thanks for the banter.

Here's the latest from Miami Herald:

"Jeter asked Samson to dismiss vice president of player development Marc DelPiano, assistant general manager Mike Berger, vice president/player personnel Jeff McAvoy and vice president/pitching development Jim Benedict. All were informed by Samson in recent days."

But here's what got me next...

"Jeter has not informed manager Don Mattingly if he will be retained, but that is widely expected by members of the organization."

Now while this line doesn't say Donnie will be canned... there's no way of knowing until it happens. 

But then that got my mind starting to think about Jeet and the Core Four and the Yankee connection in Miami, if any, and wondering... would long time friend Jorge Posada be a guy that Jeet would hire for that clubhouse?  Gerald Williams?  Hell... what's Andy Pettitte doing these days?

I know Jeter wants to impress in Miami, and get a winning team and all of that, but I was annoyed originally when he canned all the former Marlins "icons" and Hall of Famers because for me, that was part of the charm and marketing of the Marlins.  Is Jeet gonna replace them with personalities or will it be more old white guys in charge? I wonder if Jorge is coming? I wonder if there is a meaning to his madness.

Who knows... I just find his new job interesting, and it's strange, but fun to watch.

A STATEN ISLAND SENSATION

People have been talking for quite a while now about how good the Yankees farm system is.

Photo: MLB.com

We hear a lot about certain prospects... you know, what's going on with them and how they're doing. It's great. But what we don't hear too much is the individual teams and how they're doing. I mean sure, you might catch a snippet of Michael Kay talking about them during a game, but they're usually vague and short descriptions. Unless you live close to one of the teams, there really isn't much coverage of the team's and games, especially at the lower levels of the system. And so, I spoke with Casey about it, and with the minor league seasons being completed, I have decided to do a series about the individual teams, from Class-A SS to AAA. With that being said, let's get started with the Class-A SS Staten Island Yankees of the New York-Penn League. I hope you enjoy this!  

Look, overall the Staten Island Yankees had a good season. Led by manager Julio Mosquera, they finished their season with a record of 46-29, winning the New York-Penn League's McNamara division. In fact, with a .613 winning percentage, they had the best record in the league. Unfortunately, they were knocked from the playoffs in the semifinals by the Hudson Valley Renegades. The Renegades became champs.

(Ashley Marshall/MiLB.com)

During the season, Staten Island had a few guys step up and surprise us. One of the best stories was Jorge Guzman, a pitcher acquired in the Brian McCann trade and has emerged as the staff ace. For a better perspective on Guzman and the 2017 Staten Island Yankees, check out this nugget from Pinstriped Prospects.  

Photo: Pinstriped Prospects-Robert M. Pimpsner)

"Guzman finished the season with a 5-3 record, 2.30 ERA, and a 1.04 WHIP in 13 starts. Over that span he threw 66 2/3 innings where he gave up 17 earned runs, 18 walks, and struck out a league-high 88. Guzman consistently threw his fastball in triple-digits (hitting a season-high 102.7 mph velocity), while also showcasing a low-90s change-up and a knee-buckling curveball that averaged 86 mph. What was probably most impressive about this 21-year-old from the Dominican Republic though was his stamina and demeanor on the mound. Guzman’s fastball rarely lost a tick in the later innings of his starts, and he usually found a way to pitch himself out of trouble and avoid “the big inning.” It will be interesting to see what level the Yankees decide to start him next season."

Personally, I'm excited about Guzman, and I really love to keep up with minor league system. I sometimes wish I lived closer to one of these teams so I could be able to cover the games for BYB and share my own perspective. For now, I wanted to share something about this kid... he's something special.

More soon... 

--Michael Carnesi
BYB Writer
Follow me on Twitter: @sevn4evr 

WAIT... I AGREE WITH DAVID ORTIZ?!

Credit: Matt West.

Time to circle the calendar because this may never happen again....but David Ortiz something that I agree with. Actually, not just one thing. It's weird, I hope I am not going soft here. Just because he isn't playing against the Yankees anymore I haven't forgotten how much of a pain in our side he was for years. Now suddenly I am agreeing with him? This is.....weird. Twilight Zone weird.

He's right though. We are good, and he even said so in a story by the New York Daily News. "The Yankees look good. Hey, when you're in (the playoffs), anything can happen. It's like starting from zero. Cleveland has been playing crazy good, Houston has been playing crazy good. But I always believe in the underdog. The underdog is always my favorite. You never know what can happen."

Now I am actually interested to hear him when he works for Fox Sports during the MLB postseason games. I was indifferent before but not only did he admit the Yankees are good....but he said he likes the underdog and I have almost cheered for the underdog. I say almost always because 2004 still haunts me and the 2001 World Series I still can't talk about. But seriously....I love a good story about the underdog.

The Yankees are the underdog. Right now, mathematically the Yankees could still win the division but that looks unlikely. As hot as the Yankees are right now, so are the Red Sox. Both teams won on Wednesday night and the Yankees are still three games out with only four games to play. Counting on the Red Sox to suddenly tank is extremely unlikely.

So right now it looks like the Yankees would play the Twins in the Wild Card game with home field advantage. Assuming that we win and advance to the NLDS then Andrew Miller and the Cleveland Indians scary pitching staff would be waiting for the Yankees. Just like Ortiz said we look good but Cleveland is "crazy good" and no one can deny that.

Photo: New York Post

We would absolutely be the underdog here and with Luis Severino likely starting our Wild Card game that would potentially make him unavailable to pitch until a game four match-up. That part I don't like so much but....you gotta get to the ALDS first right?

But similarly the Red Sox are also the underdog. Assuming they win the AL East (it hurt to type that) they have to take on the Houston Astros, and they are also "crazy good." Both the Yankees and the Red Sox will have a tough road ahead of them Dallas Keuchel has had postseason success and they have a strong rotation also. That is a series I would love to watch.

The Yankees have a lot to be proud of this season. We got further than anyone expected and the Red Sox were always considered to be the favorite in the AL East, but our kids have proven everyone that even without the veteran star power we can still win and be competitive....oh and Ortiz was also right when he called Aaron Judge "a beast" who has rebounded big time this month.

The best part about all of this for me is basically reading Ortiz call the Yankees his favorite. He didn't exactly say it but it was implied. The Yankees are the underdog, and he loves the underdog so David Ortiz loves us.

Yeah......OK that's weird. Either way, carry on!



--Jeana Bellezza

BYB Managing Editor 
Follow me on Twitter: @NYPrincessJ

JUDGE'S TOPPS NOW CARD SOLD BETTER THAN EXPECTED!

BYB is not a mouth piece for Topps Cards.  We do however love Topps. And we wrote JUDGE SCORES 7 OF TOP 10 TOPPS NOW CARDS! yesterday, we helped Topps share the following about an offer:

"The latest Judge card is available through 3 p.m. Wednesday RIGHT HERE. CLICK."

Well, since that promotion, this happened...

"Judge 50th Home Run Card Breaks Single-Card Topps NOW Mark At More Than 16,000

Aaron Judge continues breaking records -- and this one isn't even on the field. The Topps NOW card commemorating his 49th and 50th home runs of the season, which was available to fans for 24 hours through Wednesday afternoon, sold 16,138 pieces, the most ever for Topps NOW, the joint venture between Topps and MLB that provides the best images to fans on a daily basis.

The previous high in the two-year history of the program had been Ichiro Suzuki's 3000th MLB hit in 2016 (11,550 cards). Judge's Home Run Derby championship card is third all-time (8997).

The 16K plus cards moves the all-time total sold to nearly 1,000,000, a mark which should be eclipsed before the end of the 2017 season.

Judge's likeness has now been featured on eight of the top 11 Topps NOW cards this year, and on 26 cards total for the season, far more than any other player in 2017."

Judge is a freakin' animal, huh? Congrats to Topps for that.

YANKEES HAVE NEW WEAPONS FOR POSTSEASON RUN

Aaron Hicks came back with a bang last night, robbing Tampa Bay of a grand slam with a spectacular catch in left field.  "In the very first inning of the Yankees-Rays game on Tuesday night, Hicks robbed Wilson Ramos of a grand slam. This was Hicks’ first game back from the disabled list since straining his left oblique on Sept. 2," reported USA Today.  Hicks is expected to make a big impact as he has done this season for the Yankees as they head into the post season next week.

 Source: Jim McIsaac/Getty Images North America

“I’ve got six games left and I just want to finish strong,” Hicks said. “That’s what I want to do, and I’ve just got to go out there and do it. I definitely feel I’ve made big strides, but we’ve still got more games to go.”

Source: Stephen Brashear/Getty Images North America

Another post season weapon expected to make his way back into the bullpen for the Yankees Adam Warren who is another impact-player for the Bombers.  "With the Yankees on the cusp of postseason play, Warren figures to be a welcome addition to a power bullpen anchored by Aroldis Chapman, Dellin Betances, David Robertson, Chad Green and Tommy Kahnle. The 30-year-old is 3-2 with a 2.40 ERA in 45 appearances this season," reported MLB.com.

As the NY Post reported last week, "Adam Warren can make the Yankees bullpen ridiculous." That's because the bullpen, despite their woes earlier this season, has been sensational led by Chad Green, who took Warren's spot in the bullpen rotation.  "In Warren’s absence, Chad Green has been the reliever manager Joe Girardi uses for multiple frames, and the right-hander has been brilliant. In 28 of Green’s 35 appearances, he has worked more than one frame. In those 35 outings, Green was 5-0 with a 1.96 ERA and has struck out 99 in compared to 15 walks in 64 ¹/₃," reported the NY Post.

So the Yankees have their players in place for what hopes to be a great post season run for them. Let's hope these newly added weapons are the final pieces of the toolkit ready to take on the American League's finest for 2017.

--Suzie Pinstripe

BYB Managing Editor
Follow me on Twitter: @suzieprof

15% OFF Authentic Memorabilia at SteinerSports.com! Use code SUMMER to save through 9/30.

JUDGE SCORES 7 OF TOP 10 TOPPS NOW CARDS!

Don't know what I mean? Here's the latest from Topps Cards. Check it out:

"Yankees RF Aaron Judge's record-setting rookie year has included plenty of highlights and accolades. One measure of his immense popularity is his appearance on seven of the top 10 Topps NOW cards issued to date in 2017. Judge, featured again today after his two-homer performance on Monday set the mark for rookie round-trippers (50 and counting), has accounted for the first, second, third, seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth highest selling card of the year, topping out at 8997 sold of the one featuring his Home Run Derby title and 8623 of the one commemorating his 495-foot blast at Yankee Stadium and two-homer day on June 11.

 Judge also ranks No. 1 with 26 total cards issued with his likeness this year, outdistancing fellow rookies Cody Bellinger of the Dodgers and Rhys Hoskins of the Phillies.

In the A.L. MVP race, Judge is the clear favorite (at least on the Topps front), with contenders Chris Sale (11 cards), Corey Kluber (eight), Mike Trout (six), Francisco Lindor (four) and Jose Altuve (two) distantly behind.

 

The latest Judge card is available through 3 p.m. Wednesday RIGHT HERE. CLICK."

 

50 & THE INSPIRATIONAL JOURNEY OF AARON JUDGE

"Judge is back, Dad! Big time!"

--My 15 year old

Photo: Getty Images

My son said that on Saturday, a few days before he hit number 50.  The truth is my son's been watching Judge all season.  The hot streaks, the struggles, and some would suggest he's analyzing Aaron Judge and internalizing his own journey in youth baseball. For years it was never easy for him in a "Daddy Baseball" mentality.  But he stayed patient, he never quit working and through it all, he emerged as one of the better hitters in our area, and he was recognized for it, and that makes me kind of proud.  Hard work and determination was a huge part of that. But he also learned disappointment, much failure, being picked on by peers and all of that, but he did learn one truly valuable lesson... "one game at the time."  These days, he feels pretty good, but it took a lot of learning to get there.

Now he watches Aaron Judge and while my son is not a home run hitter at all, he recognizes the pitches coming in to Aaron's wheelhouse and how Judge went from not being able to lay off the outside pitch to waiting on it, recognizing the ball coming out the pitchers hand, and re-adjusting.  Judge did it.  So did my own kid.  And watching my boy totally absorbed in a rookie like Judge makes me very happy.

Photo: Getty Images

Aaron Judge hit 2 yesterday.  Number 49 and 50.  Sports Illustrated has the story:

"Since the calendar turned to September, it's been another story. Judge's home run on September 3 against the Red Sox, his 38th of the year, ended a season-high 15-game drought. He's hit 12 since then, including seven in his last six games, capped by back-to-back two-homer games against the Blue Jays on Sunday and the Royals on Monday. In Monday’s third inning, he tied McGwire's record with a 389-footer to right centerfield off Jakob Junis, and then in the seventh, he broke it via a 408-footer to left center off Trevor Cahill. For the month, he’s now hitting .307/.444/.893 with 13 homers and 26 RBIs."

Photo: Getty Images

What makes all of this sweeter is that the Yankees are playing so well.  But the story of Aaron Judge is one of folklore in a lot of ways. It's almost not believable. His journey has been amazing to watch, and for my son, Aaron Judge has a new fan, big time.  In the end, even if the Yankees don't succeed this season and win it all, Aaron Judge has inspired a fan base, and that my friends brings a big goofy smile to my face.

Congrats to Aaron, you deserve everything positive coming your way, kid.  Thanks for inspiring.


15% OFF Authentic Memorabilia at SteinerSports.com! Use code SUMMER to save through 9/30.

JUST SHUT UP & PLAY SOME DAMN BASEBALL!!

Look, plain and simple I am over this "Take a knee" bullshit in my opinion.

Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

I'm not writing to debate with anyone on this. Everyone has a right to their own opinion and to protest....I get it. But I also have a right to turn on my television and watch America's favorite pastime without the extra added political crap. It's September and there are seven regular season games left so we have enough drama as it is. I like the drama involved in a heart racing, nail biting game between two good teams. It's a beautiful game and an escape from reality (especially NOW) so can't we just leave it at that?

Baseball is my first passion, football is my second. Well, it was....it was the one other sport I really enjoyed when baseball was over. I have been a fan of a poor football team for years and stood by them but at this point it's too much political mumbo jumbo for me to actually watch a game. Suddenly football became the drama filled gossip girls crowd I worked so hard to avoid in High School. I respect your opinion whatever it may be but I want to see you PLAY THE GAME and hear about all of the news that comes form that.....not from you "taking a knee" and causing Americans everywhere to debate about whether it is right or wrong.

That is why I stopped watching. Colin Kaepernick started drama, is now UNEMPLOYED and I no longer watch football.

Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

And now suddenly the "take a knee" fiasco finally made it into my baseball world and I admit it annoys me! Congratulations rookie kid I couldn't care less about Bruce Maxwell of the Oakland A's. You "took a knee" and sent a message. You are incredibly young and have much to learn in life and in baseball. You've had your 15 minutes of fame and brought a bunch of drama into the game I love. Now who is next? Because it is coming. The newbie opened up the flood gates.

So now that it's out there and instead of the news main focus being about the Yankees blowing two games against the Jays and likely the division....we have to read Joe Girardi,Yankees players have no plans to protest national anthem. Really? I want to start a new movement here. There's a cliche that says politics and religion do not belong at the dinner table. How about political protests do not belong at a baseball game?

Photo: NJ.com

Clearly Aaron Judge gets it. I'm sure he has a very strong opinion on this too as most of us do but at least when he was asked about it he said "You know, I'm a baseball player. My job is to focus on playing baseball right now." It is, so thank you Judge. Even CC Sabathia had an opinion on it and he made that pretty clear on Saturday but he said his peace and left it at that. So when Sunday came around he didn't want to revisit it and said "I don't want to talk about that. Go to somebody else's locker and talk about protests. Why do you have to come to me? There are 40 other guys in there" read that HERE.

We have one week left in the regular season. Maxwell said his decision "had been coming for a long time" and referenced what happened in Charlottesville. He's had a while to sit and stew on that and just now decides to join the movement and "take a knee" right at the end of the season. I don't look at that and find that to be "brave" or admirable at all.

There are a lot of issues in our country right now, and I am not ignoring that. We saw how high emotions ran last year in football and now it's come into baseball. Nothing has changed for the better here, so why bring it on the field?

I just want to watch some baseball, Maxwell! I didn't know who you were before this. I know enough about you now, but it doesn't make me want to learn anymore.

Just play ball! There's not a lot of it left...




--Jeana Bellezza

BYB Managing Editor 
Follow me on Twitter: @NYPrincessJ

2017 POSTSEASON #NOTDONEYET

Source: @TheJudge44 Selfie

The instructions were very simple after Friday night's loss to the Toronto Blue Jays: "Beat the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday afternoon at Rogers Centre and the Yankees will clinch at least one of two American League Wild Cards," reported NJ.com.  And guess what?  The Yankees followed instructions and clinched their 53rd appearance into the post season.  

Behind a terrific combination of pitching and hitting, the Yankees beat the Blue Jays and clinched the first of two AL Wild Card slots.  "Sonny Gray pitched six solid innings of one-run ball, while Greg Bird delivered a massive three-run homer in the fifth. Todd Frazier added a solo shot in the eighth, and Starlin Castro produced an RBI infield single in the ninth," reported the NY Daily News.

Source: TOM SZCZERBOWSKI/GETTY IMAGES

Although I would like to catch the Red Sox, I am happy with what we have achieved, which if we all recall, we didn't think we could accomplish until the earliest 2019.  But #Take17 is upon us and it is likely that the Bombers will appear in the AL Wild Card Game against the Twins -- on Oct. 3.  To me, that is a doable situation, with Baby Bomber Ace Luis Severino on the hill.

Source: ABC News

As CBS Sports reported on Saturday, "The Yankees may be better than you think they are."  And there is a good reason for that.  "At present, the Yankees rank second in the AL in runs scored and third in fewest runs allowed, so they've been highly successful on both ends."  Let's keep the momentum through the next week and coast into the post season with our heads held high.

--Suzie Pinstripe

BYB Managing Editor
Follow me on Twitter: @suzieprof

15% OFF Authentic Memorabilia at SteinerSports.com! Use code SUMMER to save through 9/30.

THE POSADAS ARE EXTRAORDINARY PEOPLE! DONATE!

I'm touched by what Jorge and Laura Posada are doing for Puerto Rico.  It's Hurricane Maria disaster relief, and you need to get on board to help if you can.

Sports Illustrated writes:

"Jorge Posada and his wife, Laura, are spearheading a fundraising campaign to aid hurricane relief in Puerto Rico.

The fundraising page on YouCaring has raised over $68,000 of its $100,000 goal from 408 donors in less than 24 hours. "

And by the way, they are already over $100,000 at this very moment and it's still growing.

If you can, look at their YouCaring page and donate.  So many were devastated by that storm.  People like the Posadas, the Molinas (Yadier and his wife are doing something similar ) are amazing people with big hearts.  You gotta love and appreciate that.

Once again, the Posada's donation page is HERE.

DEREK JERK-ER

Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Business is business, but when it comes to building a franchise, and loyalty, and marketing and all of that, especially when it comes to a baseball team and getting butts in the seats and buying merchandise and seeing games, there are certain things you keep in place to make it more appealing to the fan.  I'm not gonna lie, I'm not feeling Mr. Jeter right about now... especially if this latest report is true.

ESPN reports the following:

Photo: Getty Images

"According to the Friday report, Jeter, who stands to be in charge of the business and baseball operations of the Marlins when the sale of the team is finalized, asked David Samson to dismiss Hall of Famers Andre Dawson and Tony Perez, as well as Jeff Conine, the former outfielder known as 'Mr. Marlin,' and 2003 World Series-winning manager Jack McKeon.

Jeter, after first telling Samson he wouldn't be retained -- which was already presumed -- then asked him to inform the four of the moves, because Jeter didn't want to do it, the Herald reported."

Jesus... kind of spineless.

IRA STRICKSTEIN REUTERS 

Now look...  Marlins fans should be outraged.  Conine IS the Marlins.  That's like someone coming into Yankee stadium as a new owner and telling Jeter he needed to be dismissed, if Jeet was a Yankee employee. Jack McKeon? If that guy died, I'd have him stuffed and placed at the entrance of Marlins Park. 

He's iconic down there.  Dawson and Perez are Hall of Famers, regardless of if they were Marlins during their playing days or not. 

There's something called respect in this game, and that's the irony here.  Remember RE2PECT?  Have we forgotten? What the hell is Jeter doing?

I'm pretty disappointed in this guy.  I mean, he's a Yankee icon, a great player but since that meeting he had with my son, he's on my bad side... and I have news for you, this latest report about the Marlins employees being fired is unreal to me.

Hey, maybe I'm being oversensitive and sure, I expect to get crap for this story from my readers and I get that, but this is BYB.  We offer honest opinion here... it's what we were built on and you may not want to hear it, but Lord knows if we think something doesn't smell right, we will being it to you, whether they are Yankee greats or not.

What's right is right, and this is wrong, Jeet.  Get it together.

MAKING BILLY MCKINNEY RELEVANT

(Photo by Mike Janes)

I like what the Yankees are doing with their young players.  They are using them, playing them in the Bigs, and then you got plenty of youngsters down in the minor leagues that are getting a lot of bats, a lot of training and becoming important factors in their future.  Gleyber Torres is by far the most special player I've seen in a long time and he headlines the MLB.com's top 100 list.  That's right... he's number 1.  Read HERE.

I found this nugget pretty cool, and it has to do with prospect Billy McKinney.  McKinney came over to the Yankees last season from the Cubs when they sent Aroldis Chapman there.  Yanks also got Torres in that deal.  But McKinney is someone the Yankees have high hopes for.  This New York Post article shares more:

"One of the Yankees’ top prospects, Billy McKinney, will play first base for the first time during instructional league, as the Yankees look to increase his value.

The 23-year-old McKinney also will continue to play both corner-outfield spots.

Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post

McKinney, who bats and throws lefty, excelled at the plate after being promoted to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre during the season. In 209 plate appearances, he had an OPS of .877."

Now while that doesn't seem like much, it is.  What happens is his value can be increased for a future trade, or his talent will be something that the Yankees will want in the Bigs when the time is right.  Whatever the case, this is a win, win for everyone, and it's extra special because McKinney was just an extra piece back when that trade with the Cubs was made.  But now, he and the Yankees have an opportunity to make him more relevant, more important in the future of the franchise and for him personally as a player.

I don't know, I just found it interesting. Carry on...


Up to 61% OFF Ultimate Fan Gift Boxes at SteinerSports.com!

RAUL MONDESI IS HEADED TO THE SLAMMER

Photo: New York Daily News

I hate to hear about these stories, but they are newsworthy and important to talk about.  Plus, often we wonder where our former Yankees have gone. Raul Mondesi was a New York Yankee for 1 season back in 2002.  Well... now Raul Mondesi is headed to prison.

The Bergen Record has that story:

"Former Los Angeles Dodgers star Raul Mondesi, who also played for the Yankees, has been sentenced to eight years in prison after being convicted of embezzlement during his term as mayor of his hometown in the Dominican Republic.

The district court of San Cristobal, a town west of the capital Santo Domingo, also ordered this week that Mondesi pay a $1.3 million fine.

The Attorney General's office charged Mondesi of embezzling $6.3 million while he was mayor of San Cristobal from 2010-16, according to the court."

(Photo: BERNIE NUNEZ, AP)

Jeez! And did you even know this dude was a major? Unreal.

Well, there you go. Happy Friday. Well.. for you maybe...not for Mondesi.