OSCAR GAMBLE WAS ONE OF A KIND

If you're a baseball fan and you didn't know who Oscar Gamble was, you weren't a true baseball fan.  That's how I saw it.

Gamble was unique. He has that batting stance that didn't look like he could give you much, but when the ball came in the zone, he'd always find a hole.  He was fun to watch and I enjoyed him a lot as a player.

That signature hair was great, special to him and him only.  He has a smile that showed us fans he loved the game and when he was a Yankee, there was nothing better.

Oscar Gamble died today, and with it, a part of my childhood.  I still have all his cards and we'll always have great memories of Gamble. It's just sad, that's all.

The best piece about Oscar comes from Mike Lupica of the New York Daily News. Here's a portion:

Photo: New York Daily News

"He was so much more than one of the great hairdos in the history of baseball and maybe sports, Oscar Gamble was, even though when you saw the old pictures on Wednesday of an Afro that once seemed to be part of the baseball skyline in New York, Oscar made you smile all over again. He was never a great Yankee in his seven seasons here, never hit as many home runs as he did for the White Sox one time. But he was a ballplayer good enough to last 17 seasons in the big leagues. And a good teammate. And one of the good guys.

'Everybody remembers the hair,' Reggie Jackson was saying on Wednesday morning when he got word of Oscar Gamble’s passing at the age of 68. 'But what you need to know was that he was a sweet, decent man without a single ounce of malice in his heart, one who came through the door every day with a smile on his face.'”

I love hearing that.  And it's that kind of stuff that breaks my heart.

In the end, everyone has a day they will leave us.  Sometimes they take the good ones sooner than they should.

I leave you with Batting Stance guy's tribute to the stance of Oscar Gamble...



Rest in peace, friend.

RED THUNDER COULD MAKE JUDGE-LIKE MOVE

Source: Jim McIsaac/Getty Images North America

A year ago we were thinking that Aaron Judge would get everyday playing time in Scranton as the RailRiders right fielder.  Fast forward to spring training 2017, and Judge, who worked incredibly hard during the offseason, learning how to see the ball better and shortening his swing, won the starting right field position in the Bronx.  Now according to the NY Daily News, "based on the roster as it's currently constituted with exactly two weeks until pitchers and catchers report to Tampa, Clint Frazier may find himself in that exact same situation in 2018."

Source: Elsa/Getty Images North America

"Frazier also K'd 43 times while hitting just .231, and will need to make his own adjustments - much like Judge did - as teams and pitchers have a book on how to get him out. Frazier has been working out hard in the offseason, and wants to remain in pinstripes, which he's said numerous times on his social media pages," reported the News.  

Source: Jim McIsaac/Getty Images North America

I like Red Thunder.  I think he adds passion and energy to this rising Yankee club.  I'm not sure the Yankees see him the same way as I do; they seem to focus on his immaturity and need for more experience.  A guy like Frazier, who is on the cut list, needs consistent at bats in order for him to develop and remain sharp.  He could get that in Triple A, as a consistent, everyday outfielder or he can out right win a position in the Bronx, even if that dethrones Aaron Hicks, sliding Brett Gardner back to center.  There's the Jacoby Ellsbury situation, but that's a saga within itself and irrelevant to this story or to this team for that matter.

Source: Al Bello/Getty Images North America

23-year-old Frazier isn't afraid of a challenge and quite frankly could make a Judge-like move and steal a starting position in an already stacked outfield.  Otherwise if the Yankees want to keep him and not trade him for a starting pitcher down the stretch, they would be wise to let him get his swings in on the farm.

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

I HOPE WE DON'T TRADE DAVID ROBERTSON

Photo: Getty Images

I loved when David Robertson was on the Yankees the first time.  Then he went off and signed with the White Sox and in the baseball world... hey, that's business.  Deal with it.  Sure, fans get mad and all of that, but when the Yankees got David Robertson back last season, something significant happened. DRob was a force.  He was a better, more mature, more composed pitcher. 

Photo: Getty Images

We saw a guy who got alittle experience outside the Bronx bubble, and came back a better athlete. I swear!  That's what I thought at least.  Look, I loved having DRob back.  He's perfect for our pen and I don't want him to go.  That being said, I found this nugget by Jon Morosi very interesting and wanted to point it out. and brought to us by NJ.com. Check it out:

"In the eyes of Jon Morosi of MLB Network, that means a current veteran could have to be traded in order to clear payroll room in the Bronx. Jacoby Ellsbury is the natural name to bring up, but Morosi adds another: David Robertson. 

Instead, sources say the Yankees' tentative plan allows for another $15 million in spending this offseason -- unless Cashman frees up additional payroll by trading reliever David Robertson or outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury. To do something extensive -- like signing Moustakas -- would involve sending away a large contract, and Ellsbury's is a popular choice among Yankees supporters. But it's been difficult for the Yanks to move Ellsbury, given his disappointing offensive numbers and large salary."

Photo: New York Daily News

The idea of shaking Ellsbury loose has pretty much been established here at BYB.  It's time for Ells to move on.  DRob? Absolutely not.  In this world of starting pitching going 5 to 6 innings a game, a guy like David Robertson is the most important part of that Yankee pen.  And yes, we need to keep him.  Don't you think?

Here's David and Erin on our Bleeding Yankee Blue shirt.  Love these 2.

And I love DRob in pinstripes...

Stay tuned.

YANKS SIGN ESPINOSA; NEGOTIATING WITH THE MUSTACHE

Danny Espinosa is a New York Yankee. That comes from Mark Feinsand... check it out:

According to a source, Danny Espinosa has agreed to a deal with the Yankees and will be a non-roster invitee at camp. He will compete for the second base job this spring.

— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) January 29, 2018

Now Danny is an OK player, second baseman, shortstop and he'll be fine for the Yankees as competition for an infield spot and that's all fine and good I guess.  But I know a guy that knows the Yankee way, can play second base and shortstop and was NOT signed by the Yankees... and that man is Brendan Ryan.  Why is this guy not being considered?

Photo: USA Today

Think about it.  Espinosa hit .175 in 266 at bats for the Dodgers, Rays and Mariners combined... 6 homers, 4 stolen bases and an OBP of .245.  Baseball-Reference.com has him projected to hit .215 in 2018. Hardly a power house.

Photo: Detroit Free Press

Then you got a guy like Ryan, plays everything on the field, and last year for the Tigers in AAA he played the best shortstop of his minor league career... maybe that's because he's a damn major leaguer! Plus he can still hit better than Espinosa and still has the fire! I mean, what are we doing here, looking at age when we sign these guys now? Espinosa is 30.  Ryan's 35, yet, still pretty friggin' agile.

Photo: Detroit Free Press

Look, I'm happy the Yanks are picking up pieces... but Ryan's out there, snatch him up.  A terrific personality in the clubhouse, a hard worker and still got it!  Come on Cash, make that one happen too. Make it interesting! Guaranteed BR would be on the major league roster come Yankee opening day if they signed him.  Espinosa? I'm not so sure.

Let me guess... The Yankees liked the mustache! Is that it? Well...

Photo: Wall Street Journal

BR can do that too. Remember?

Anyway... enough from me... clearly it's personal.

Carry on.

PREDICTION TIME! WHERE ARE THESE GUYS GOING?

Photo: Getty Images

It's two weeks until Spring Training starts! Two weeks....and the biggest names are STILL sitting on the market. This off season has been ridiculously boring. So instead of searching for new rumor that don't exist or rehashing the same David Robertson trade story and trying to put a new twist on it let's play a game. Where are the big names going?

Photo: Getty Images

1) Jake Arrieta - ???
I could see two possibilities here. If you ask my fiance who definitely has a good following on the baseball world in general he will tell you Arrieta is going to be a Brewer. It's a possibility, the Brewers are rumored to have made an offer but I also wouldn't count out the Phillies at this point. It's crazy to think that the Phillies are one of the top spending teams this off season. It's true! The Phillies are making that transition from rebuilding to contending. They aren't there yet but will be soon and you can't ignore the connection between the two. Phillies outfielder Nick Williams has been a workout buddy with Arrieta over the winter and it sounds like he's been trying to sway him to Philly according to reports like THIS ONE. Is it true? Who knows, but since the Phillies are spending money I wouldn't count them out.

So much for Boras and his huge BINDER he sent to every team with a sales pitch for a $200 million dollar deal. LOL!

Source: Christian Petersen/Getty Images North America)

2) J.D. Martinez - Red Sox
The Red Sox have been far too quiet this season. Let's face it after the Yankees got Giancarlo Stanton there has been no response. They always have to make their own splashy move and it hasn't happened yet. I can't see them waiting until the trade deadline. The Red Sox need some more pop in their lineup. Of course, if they don't get him I am perfectly fine with that....really.

Source: Ron Schwane/Getty Images North America

3) Mike Moustakas - Kansas City?
This is a hard one. He's the best left-side infielder available in this years free agent market but his market has been pretty dry. Just thinking from a business standpoint it might be in Kansas City's best interest to sign him after they let one of their other big names Lorenzo Cain leave in free agency. The Royals are only a few years removed from a World Series Championship and may need that familiar face to keep fans more motivated as they continue to rebuild.

Source: Tom Pennington/Getty Images North America

4) Yu Darvish - Cubs?
So the Phillies, Brewers, Twins, Yankees and Cubs are all considered to be serious suitors for Darvish. I would love to sign him, especially if we could get him at a discount now that the market is dropping faster as Spring Training gets closer....but I am not going to hold my breath. According to Jerry Crasnick HERE, the Cubs are considered to be favorites. I tend not to put so much weight on that because look at what happened with Shohei Ohtani. We were the favorites and yet we didn't make it out of the first round. Who knows. All of these teams make sense but the Cubs do have the need to sign a starter, the money to do it and the desire to get back to the World Series again. I wouldn't count them out.

And just for fun...

Source: Scott Cunningham/Getty Images North America

5) J.T. Realmuto - Nationals?
Yes, he's not a free agent BUT he is the last big name standing in Derek Jeter's gut job in Miami. Everyone else is gone! The Nationals are interested and should be. With one last push to win a World Series before Bryce Harper likely leaves in free agency they want more reinforcements to help their cause. Matt Wieters is still a starting catcher but he had a down year last season and adding a young 26 year old catcher under team control through 2021 who had a good season last year seems like a no-brainer. Jeter is going to ship him off somewhere soon. Washington seems to make a lot of sense.

No news means game time. Hopefully some of these guys sign soon because I am beyond restless!

--Jeana Bellezza
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @nyprincessj

A VISIT TO TOMS RIVER, NJ... SO WHAT?

Source: NY Daily News

As I entered the city limits of Toms River, New Jersey Saturday evening, it hit me like a ton of bricks: We have to sign @FlavaFraz21 aka Todd Frazier or better yet, he has to sign with us.  I visited Frazier's hometown in South Jersey to be a spectator and track mom as my daughter Kate ran in the infamous Toms River Bubble or the John Bennett Indoor Athletic Complex.  It is basically an indoor track where teams from all over the state come together to compete.  Frazier's picture is featured on the entrance of the complex and as I pushed through the revolving doors into the track, I again said to myself, we need to sign him.

During the off season Todd Frazier has made a number of appearances, perhaps making his case that he is a permanent fixture of the Yankee redesign.  He met Mr. Thumbs down last week, he has done additional events for Steiner Sports and he weighed in on the whole Trenton Thunder Pork Roll story this week.

"I've called it pork roll my life big man," Frazier tweeted to the Trenton Thunder, the Yankees Double A team.  The Trenton Thunder then adopted Frazier by including him on their #TeamPorkRoll.  See the series of tweets below:

The point of all of the chatter, have I failed to mention there's a hashtag #bringback29 floating around Twitter, is there are guys who contribute to a team far more than by way of a bat or a glove.  The Toddfather contributes life, something that has been absent since the days of Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera.  Sure Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez gave us hope, but not necessarily life.  Frazier breathes life and passion into the team along with a never give up attitude, which is something we need as we enter 2018, a critical, must-win season for the Yankees.

Source: NJ.com

According to NJ.com, "Frazier is local, he's durable and he won't be nearly as expensive as Mike Moustakas. He'll get a multi-year deal, but if the Mets can structure it more like Jay Bruce's and get him to sign a backloaded deal in the three-year range, the payroll would still be manageable this season."  Frazier has said he had some offers, for which he would be entertaining.  Are the Mets one of those deals?  Would his agent suggest he go to the Mets where he would take a leadership role and an everyday position at third, something the Mets have not had since 2014?  He might.  But should Frazier give up an opportunity to win a championship with Yankees?  Hell no!

Source: MLB.com

Todd Frazier should be offered a contract with options and opportunities to sign a multi-year contract should he meet certain milestones throughout the year.  At the end of the day, Frazier should want to be in a winning lineup versus a lineup where he would be a baby sitters to babies.  "The Mets often need an adult in the room, especially when David Wright isn't around," reported NJ.com.

Source: Getty Images

My visit to Toms River gave me time to reflect on Frazier's contribution to the clubhouse and the lineup and both yield a good amount of benefits and win-wins.  Perhaps Frazier drove around his old digs to reflect on where he came from and will use that gathered information to make the right choice- take a deal with the Yankees and be a champion, something he knows all too well from his early years at the Little League World Series.  Plus, he could have unlimited pork roll this summer.  See what I mean...it's a win-win.

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

AROD MAKES SENSE...

And you know what? It's something to think about. 

Photo: David Grogan/CNBC

And maybe, just maybe it was brought up because it hits home for someone like Alex Rodriguez.  Bottom line... when he said what he "pressure" for the Yankees with a guy like Giancarlo Stanton in the lineup now, it was eerie, because he sounded like he was talking about the Yanks when he was there. 

Check this out. It's brought to you by the great Pete Caldera of the Bergen Record...

Source: Jennifer Stewart/Getty Images North America

"...once the Yankees obtained slugger Giancarlo Stanton from the Marlins last month, the transformation from likeable overachievers back to Evil Empire status was complete.

“The question is, what does that do to a clubhouse?’’ A-Rod asked on a Friday conference call with reporters to promote his new role as analyst on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball.

Funny he should ask.

A-Rod’s enormous presence was a key question heading into 2004, when he joined Derek Jeter’s Yankees – though he shifted to third base to accommodate the Captain. It was still Jeter’s team, but A-Rod’s seemingly daily drama was a running theme, eventually leading to two major steroids scandals amid other assorted controversies.

(Photo: Matthew Emmons, USA TODAY Sports)

And the Yankees, winners of four world championships and six pennants in the eight seasons before A-Rod’s arrival, wouldn’t get to another World Series until 2009, when Rodriguez played a key role in their title."

Now look, it's a much different team and Stanton is a different player of sorts... but it rings very similar in a lot of ways.  We don't know what will happen.  We don't know if it will be easy for the Yanks this season.

One thing you have to give to ARod... when it comes to baseball analysis, he really does have his finger on the pulse. It's his second coming and it's refreshing because like him or hate him, he tells it like it is.

Just a nugget for your Saturday morning. Something to think about.

GOING FISH: JT REALMUTO NEXT!

(July 27, 2017 - Source: Eric Espada/Getty Images North America)

Just to update you all on the dismantling of the Florida Marlins... a story I LOVE and yes, a story I am obsessed with. I admit that.

The Nationals are now 'all in' to try and get catcher JT Realmuto from the Marlins.  And trust me when I tell you, I have no doubt it will happen... perhaps by the end of the weekend.

The Marlins just traded away Christian Yelich, a real solid, real underrated ballplayer to the Brewers for 4 prospects.  No question it came at Yelich's request, no doubt extremely frustrated at the destruction of the Marlins team all around him. 

Photo: Getty Images

Now look, you can't blame Yelich. He is not a selfish player at all. But when you have guys like Dee Gordon, Stanton and Ozuna get shipped out, it's not a matter of wanting to stay with the Marlins team anymore... it's a matter of knowing that you are part of a re-build.  I'm sure Yelich loved the other Marlins players that were left behind with him. But that's not what it's about it. 

Source: Ronald Martinez/Getty Images North America

For Yelich, for Realmuto... maybe for even Justin Bour... it's about wanting to WIN and having that chance sooner rather than later.  The team left behind after Dee, Ozuna and Stanton were traded is not a winning team.  That's why Yelich and Realmuto asked for trades.  That's why Yelich is gone now.  That's why Realmuto may go to the Nats soon if it all works out.

MLB Daily Dish writes:

Source: Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images North America

"The Nationals are making the strongest push to acquire Marlins catcher J.T. Realmuto, according to Craig Mish of SiriusXM. Though they’ll pay Matt Wieters $10.5 million in 2018, the Nationals could use an upgrade behind the plate after Wieters posted a career-worst .225/.288/.344 slash line with 10 homers while struggling defensively in 2017...

Realmuto is under club control through 2020, so the price to acquire him will presumably be pretty steep, but that shouldn’t be too tough of an issue for the Nationals, especially since they have plenty of near-major-league-ready depth in the outfield, where the Marlins are currently the weakest after trading Stanton, Ozuna, and Yelich and letting fourth outfielder Ichiro Suzuki walk."

I bet this happens.  Trust me, Jeter and the Marlins owners want young and pieces they can build up all while getting the payroll down.  They'll make it happen.

Source: Jamie Sabau/Getty Images North America)

But yeah, this is a major team breakup, bound to destroy any Marlins fans hopes.  Will they one day soon come back? Sure... but right now, for the fans, this has got to hurt like hell.

On a personal note, I am thrilled that I got to see a few games with the Marlins this season.  Once in the city of Miami for a great game against the Braves, and a double header in Philly this summer.  I liked watching this team play.  I liked the players, my son made the Marlins his NL team.  But now... this changes a lot of us too.

All I can say to the Marlins fans is stay strong.  Jeter and the owners DO have a plan.  It's just that you're not in it right now.  But long term, this will hopefully benefit you all.