JEFF SAMARDZIJA SHOULDN'T BE AN OPTION FOR THE YANKEES, MR. HEYMAN

You know how many times Suzie Pinstripe and I have written that Jeff Samardzjia would be a perfect fit for the Yankees over the years? Well... that ship has sailed... and Jon Heyman is a moron.

Samardzija is no ace at this point and just average... and to get him in New York wouldn't make much sense... even though Severino is out, Paxton is out... and Domingo German still out... it's not a real good option to stabilize our rotation. I'm not a fan of duct tape and band-aids.

Jon Heyman tweeted this:

Jeff Samardzija is a name that makes sense for Yankees, and there’s a link. Yankees exec Jim Hendry as Cubs GM brought Samardzija to Chicago. But for now Yankees insist they are staying internal.

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) February 28, 2020 r />

NJ.com has ripped Heyman alittle too... and I love it:

"Realistic? Highly doubtful, and not just because Yankees GM Brian Cashman has been saying he plans to start the season with in-house fill-ins replacing injured starting pitchers James Paxton and Luis Severino. "

Gary Sheffield Jr. sums it up perfectly:

Me calculating his contract into the Yankees payroll for an average pitcher pic.twitter.com/XaPvC1uXdO

— Gary Sheffield Jr. (@GarysheffieldJr) February 28, 2020

Baseball insiders like Jon Heyman are bad for journalism. He's pretty awful and at this point in Samardzija's career... it would not be worth it.  Cashman is right to stick internally. We have better options in the Bronx and in Tampa than we do signing Samardzija at this point.

Sorry Jeff... and sorry, not sorry Jon. It's over for you. Go away.

THE JUDGE IS STILL OUT OF THE CHAMBERS

As of right now the Yankees don't have an outfield. Aaron Hicks is still in Tommy John rehab, Giancarlo Stanton has a strained right calf, and Aaron Judge has right shoulder soreness. However, it seems that Judge is doing well but still is not ready to make a return until at least the end of next week.

“I know he hit the cage today (Thursday) ... I don’t know his exact schedule through the weekend, but he’s doing well,” Boone said.“I don’t envision us having to squeeze into two, two-and-a-half weeks in...I feel like he’ll have plenty of time based on what we’re seeing day in and day out right now.

With this optimism from Boone it is certain that fans will see the Judge soon. The next steps will be for him to take on-field batting practice, then he will face live pitching in a game simulation, and from there he will be added to the Spring Training lineup.

It is important to remember that although it is frustrating for the fans to not see their favorite player, it is important for the Yankees to be careful with their players. The team has already lost Luis Severino and James Paxton for 3-4 months, so not rushing Judge or anyone else into playing will help prevent a repeat of last year.

--Missy O'Rourke
BYB Contributor
Twitter: @missy_orourke

ASTRO FANS "HATE US" SHIRTS ARE A BAD LOOK FOR BASEBALL

It's bad enough that the ASSTROS are okay with cheating, but apparently so are their fans. It's disgusting, it's just going from bad to worse over in Houston and Rob Manfred just doesn't care. This is a PR nightmare.

Not all ASSTRO fans are bad, but anyone who wants to wear these shirts should be embarrassed. This cheating scandal is not something to celebrate, but ASSTRO fans want to embrace it. How sick is that? Hey ASSTRO fans....your team cheated! I will use Dusty Baker's new favorite word...the ASSTROS PREMEDITATED to cheat and disgraced the integrity of the game. That's not a good look, and neither are these shirts.

Who would want to support that? It's bad enough that the ASSTROS chose to be cheaters. Their legacy and stats are forever tainted. They CHOSE that legacy. They chose to be remembered as the team who had a ton of natural talent, but decided they needed to cheat just to win. Don't you want to EARN the title of a champion? Why embrace cheating and then use this shirt as a proud "call to action" for this season? No fan base should embrace this.

This was already embarrassing enough for the team, but now the fans have just made the whole situation even worse. The Astros pulled off one of the worst cheating scandals in sports history, and some fans want to celebrate the cheating? This is the last thing baseball fans should celebrate.

That shirt is a reminder that Aaron Judge was robbed of an MVP award and that Cody Bellinger and the Dodgers did not have a fair shot at a World Series ring. It's the reason why MIKE TROUT TORCHED THE ASTROS. There are a lot of any players right now, and they have every right to feel the way that they do. The players involved in this have lost the respect of their peers and that is never cool. Integrity has been lost. These should never be things that we celebrate.

Baseball's credibility has taken a serious hit right now and Manfred's lack of action only makes things worse. This isn't a good look for baseball right now....and these shirts aren't a good look for ASSTROS fans either.

Stay classy, ASSTRO fans.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @nyprincessj 

ANGER AGAINST LOSER ASTROS GROWS AT A FEROCIOUS RATE

The Astros and Jim Crane might be the biggest group of tools in the country. They all need to go away.  It's crystal clear to me that the baseball world is now aiming to destroy them all mentally and eventually financially. They've turned the baseball world upside down.

And here's the other thing. They're lost in the batter's box this Spring training. Are you watching? They no longer walk up confident. They now flinch. They now swing for the fences like little leaguers trying to prove a point. Well, the problem these Astros players have right now is there's no garbage can to bang. They can't decipher pitches anymore. They relied too long on the banging garbage can. It's quite comical... losers.

.⁦@GeorgeSpringer⁩ it’s hard to hit a baseball when there’s no garbage can banging... isn’t it loser? #byb #AstrosCheatingScandal #asstros pic.twitter.com/5AT3kMFrwF

— Robert Casey (@BleednYankeeBlu) February 27, 2020

Or... they're just afraid they're gonna get it on the chin.  I don't care anymore about safety. Retaliation is a real thing... and it really doesn't matter if Rob Manfred wants to puff his chest and claim repercussions for retaliation or if Dusty Baker says he's concerned about premeditated retaliation.

With Alex Bregman’s HBP today, the #Astros now lead the league with 7 hit by pitches in Spring Training.

1.) Astros: 7
2.) Reds: 6
2.) Tigers: 6
3.) Phillies: 5 pic.twitter.com/1odDShWRmj

— Danny Vietti (@DannyVietti) February 26, 2020

Those pro players the Astros are playing against? They're PISSED! And they should be.

Some dude tried to tell me that the MLB pitchers and teams... even the Yankees should turn the other cheek and beat them on the field.

Oh... that's nice in theory, but this is more about competition. This is about integrity and character. And when the Astros decided to do whatever they wanted, and then Rob Manfred didn't punish the cheaters and Tony Clark decided to publicly acknowledge that he would do whatever it took to protect players... essentially the entire life rule about pride, respect and humanity went out the window.

And so I wrote MANFRED JUST MADE MLB THE WILD, WILD WEST! RULES DON'T APPLY! and guess what... I'm right. I'm literally always right when stories about integrity fall into my lap. Why? Because I am a very good judge of character. Jeez.. even Tim Kurkijan of ESPN said he didn't expect this scandal to still be hanging on.

ESPN MLB analyst Tim Kurkjian says the Astros' scandal has 'gotten bigger' than he thought it ever would https://t.co/UVuZHXEDZc - @NBCSWashington pic.twitter.com/NaL2RDkWZk

— Redskins Gold Pants (@SkinsGoldPants) February 26, 2020

Well... he's obviously misguided and a dinosaur... because social media will help the Astros Cheating Scandal NEVER go away. And thank God. Wrongdoing needs to be dealt with.

And the fans are pissed too. Yet another story about a lawsuit against this failed and disgraced Astros team.

KIIITV South Texas writes:

"The lawsuit is on behalf of fans, and once the law firm is done, they believe they will have filed a total of five class action-style lawsuits over the Astros cheating scandal. 

'Those tickets, in our opinion, are based off a lie,' attorney John Duff said. According to Duff, fans who bought tickets to Astros games feel they were duped into watching dishonest games. 

'Everyone who went to those games, it was not a fair game, it was essentially rigged there was no point in buying those tickets, so we want to get those people compensated,' Duff said. 

Three Major League Baseball managers and one General Manager have lost their jobs over the Astros illegally stealing catcher's signs during the 2017 season. Some baseball fans are suing because they feel duped after paying to go to Minute Maid Park in Houston and believing they were watching an honest game of baseball. 

'It's not just the tickets, some people spent $6,000 per seat, it's not just the ticket it's everything that leads up to going to the game being there coming home,' Duff said."

And you know what? Those fans will win that case... because they're right.

The Astros are a lie. The Astros are cheaters. The Astros? They're pathetic. Jim Crane must be forced to sell the team... and Baseball? They need to punish these losers.

WE WILL NOT GO AWAY.

THAT PUNCH TO THE GUT YOU DON'T WANT TO HEAR ABOUT!

Source: NY Post

ESPN bluntly and clearly said better than I could to open up this piece: "New York Yankees pitcher Luis Severino has an elbow injury that requires Tommy John surgery."  Whoosh.  Let that sink in.  Now come up for air.  Yeah, it is still bad.  My question is this: "Didn't he have an inkling based on his how he was feeling during the fall?" I mean couldn't he have been more proactive?

Again, I ask a simple question: "Why did you wait?"  All clues pointed to surgery last year, when Sevy was sidelined for most of 2019.  But, he decided to wait?  Why?  "Cashman said last week that Severino had two MRIs -- one in December and another in January -- and a CT scan after complaining of discomfort, and all tests had been negative. But the Yankees sent him for further testing. Cashman said Tuesday that a dye contrast MRI revealed the partial tear of the UCL," reported ESPN.  Again, I am not sure why we waited even until December for the MRI.  Was he waiting for a referral from his primary care doctor?

"I don't want to sugarcoat the fact that being without Sevy, that's a blow, but it doesn't change our expectations and what we're truly capable of," Boone said. "So, no, nothing changes," reported ESPN. The only silver lining is that this gives someone else a chance to make a name for themselves.  Jordan Montgomery has been throwing well, with his fastball up to 94 mph.  Recall he had Tommy John surgery in 2018.

Perhaps Jonathan Loaisiga, Deivi Garcia, Michael King and/or Luis Cessa will get the nod for the fifth starter the position.  Cashman said that this is the time of year where teams looks from within to arm the team with their best options.  Hopefully this will be the case.

This is not the news any of us wanted to hear.  But now that we heard it, we have to root for a speedy recovery for Sevy.  He goes in for surgery on Thursday at Hospital For Special Surgery in New York. Prayers for Sevy.

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT FILED AGAINST ASTRO LOSERS

And here it comes... the hammer against the most disgusting major league baseball team in history... the Houston Asstros!

The booing will be hard against these ridiculous players. The signs will be taken out every game they are at. But now they are starting to get sued and this is where you really have to wonder what Rob Manfred and Tony Clark are thinking. They set the tone by doing NOTHING to punish these guys... and yet here they are letting them get demolished by the fans, the other players, team owners and the like.  It's fun.

I hate bad people. I can't stand liars and I especially hater cheaters. This just didn't give the Astros an advantage... it changed the course of other players and team's paths. Awards changed hands... contracts and careers were altered. It's pretty serious.

Now comes news of a class action lawsuit. Love this... check it out. It comes from Jurist:

"A season ticket holder filed a class action lawsuit on Friday against the Houston Astros for placing a deficient product on the field after violating league “sign stealing” rules... 

The plaintiff is seeking damages and injunctive relief from the Houston Astros organization. The plaintiff claims he, and others like him, “suffered (and will continue to suffer) actual, consequential, and/or compensatory damages in the form of, inter alia, overpayments for 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020 season tickets, the diminished value of their personal seat licenses, and a future diminished product in the field – for which they are entitled to compensation.” The plaintiff is seeking a refund for tickets purchased in these years and an injunction stopping the organization from raising prices for the 2021 and 2022 seasons."

That's legit and now that this person's done it... there will be more... many, many more. and you know what? They will win, because it's no longer an accusation against the Astros, it's fact... THEY CHEATED!

I hope everything bad comes their way. Losers.

GERRIT COLE PROVES WHAT BEING AN ACE MEANS

It's Spring Training... none of this matters other than the progress these players make. But damn does Gerrit Cole look good.

TribLive writes:

"Cole got off to a fast start in his spring training debut for the New York Yankees, throwing a 97 mph heater on his first pitch and striking out two in a hitless inning against Pittsburgh on Monday night."

He's in regular season form right there.

Gerrit Cole, Fastball (overhead view/tail). pic.twitter.com/lduyFXG2dz

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) February 25, 2020

But this is the best line of yesterday when it came to Cole's debut, and it came from Cole himself... "The game doesn't count, but they do." That's a guy that knows what he needs to do out there, but he' not getting ahead of himself.

Love this guy. What a leader.

PROBE DEMANDED IN ASTROS CHEATING SCANDAL

When it reaches the level of people bigger than Major League Baseball... it's something that needs to be taken seriously.

This is a quick note because this Astros Cheating Scandal is not going away.  Now it seems that New York State Senator James Skoufis wants action!

The New York Post writes:

"James Skoufis (D-Rockland-Orange) has drafted a resolution for the Legislature to vote on urging MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred to take action. 

'The Astros might have been able to pull a fast one on the MLB, but here in New York, we take pride in the integrity of our sports. The commissioner has a clear and unequivocal responsibility to investigate this further,' Skoufis, who chairs the Senate Investigations and Government Operations panel, told The Post. 

'It’s not only a matter of right vs. wrong, but it’s a matter of consumer protection: people all over the country spend money each year going to baseball games, watching them with their families, and purchasing memorabilia. MLB must further investigate the impact of the Astros’ cheating on the 2017 and 2019 ALCS series and take any and all steps to restore virtue to our nation’s pastime.'"

Integrity. That's right. Something that Rob Manfred, Tony Clark of the Player's Union, Jim Crane and the entire Astros team lack.

Go get them Senator Skoufis!

IMAGES FROM MLB SPRING TRAINING

I wanted to share some of the incredible photos from baseball spring training so far that I very much enjoy. I mean sure, there are Yankee shots here, but I am a baseball fan first and foremost and so, I looked around the league and found these. Enjoy it. If this post is a hit, I will do more of this.

Above is a great candid shot of Aaron Boone and Gerrit Cole one of the first days together at Spring Training.  Can't wait to see what this guy can do for the Yankees in 2020.

Here's Max Scherzer with his boys. Nationals are the reigning champs. I hope the Yanks can knock them off this season.

Another shot of Cole here. Stud.

Asstros players Alex Bregman and Jose Altuve sad because they were forced to apologize.  Dummies.

A shot of the Mets bash bros here.  The Mets did quite a bit in the off season. I am very curious to see if they can make a dent this season and get to the playoffs. My money is on "No".

Here's a shot of Masahiro Tanaka working on stuff. I'm looking to seeing Tanaka dominate this season behind Cole.

Just a gorgeous shot of baseball in the Cactus League. Can't beat the beauty here.

Justin Verlander looks sad here. That's because he should be. He was always so vocal about cheating in baseball, until his team did it and they got caught. Now he's suddenly silent.  Loser.

2 of my favorites...Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge just kicking it around.  Love watching these 2 dudes swing the bat. I actually don't think this is from the 2020 spring training season, but I love this shot.

The fans are a huge part of the game. That is why the Astros scandal is so important. That is why we need to punish the Astros... because of kids like this. Innocent in all of it and learning about the integrity of the game.

Good shot. Kyle Higashioka and Luis Severino chatting it up before the sent Severino back to New York to test out his forearm.  Hope that dude's OK.

Hope you liked this post. Let me know what you think.

JA HAPP FASTER, STRONGER, BETTER IN 2020

In 2002, Disney produced a movie called "The Rookie" where a high school baseball coach and father of three did the impossible.  His fast arm, after a life of injuries, actually healed and somehow, he was throwing faster and harder than ever.  So hard, as the story goes, that he became a rookie as an old guy of close to 40-years-old.  It is based on the true story of Jim Morris, who had a brief, but famous Major League Baseball career in 1999–2000.  What does all of this drama mean?  It means that maybe JA Happ is back to his rookie ways, as his fast ball was stronger, faster and better in his first appearance at spring training 2020.

Source: AP Photo/Frank Franklin II

“Life was there on the fastball. Mixed in some four- and two-seamers that I thought were effective. Thought threw a couple of good changeups and a slider. Good day of work. Got his workload up a little bit how we wanted to,” said Skipper Aaron Boone about his pitcher as reported by NJ.com.  Happ's fast ball clocked 93 mph, as he threw two scoreless innings, striking out three against the Blue Jays in the Yankee opener at George Steinbrenner Field.  Sure, this is one of many outings, but with all of the doom and gloom already facing the club around pitching, this is a bright light.

“The fastball was really coming out good,” Higashioka said. “All his secondary pitches looked really good. Sharp. I thought his location was really good as well. I thought he looked excellent,” reported NJ.com.

Source: SNY

During the off season, Happ spent a lot of time in player development in Tampa, working on mechanics and strengthening his arm.  Hopefully this work will pay off as he is likely being considered as a potential Opening Day starter for the Yankees with both Luis Severino and James Paxton likely out of the mix at the early onset of the 2020 season.

Angels pitching sensation Shohei Ohtani said he swam and shot some hoops this offseason as part of his training.  By the looks of him, he really has transformed his body as he comes back from Tommy John surgery, which shut Ohtani down for the latter half of 2019.  Like, Happ, he wanted to work hard and be better and that's the kind of dedication the Yankees and any team for that matter needs.

Source: SI.com

“You’ve got to do it because you want to do it,” he said. “You don’t want to do it because somebody writes something that maybe you don’t like or because you see something you don’t like. I think that’s a fleeting type of motivation. I think the motivation is always in here, doing what I needed to do," said Happ.

Let's hope that the Yankees pitching continues to both impress and suppress opponents this season.  This is a good sign on day one that Happ is ready to take the lead.  We need him to be that guy.  We need him to be that pitcher.

--Suzie Pinstripe
 BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

FIRST YANKEES SPRING TRAINING GAME TODAY

You wanna know the lineup? Here it is!

Baseball is back folks. Go Yanks!

NO ONE HERE BELIEVES THE ASTROS ARE GETTING DEATH THREATS...

And that's the problem when you lie and cheat and get caught. You're reputation is questioned... you live in a world of doubt. You are not trustworthy. In short... no one believes you. We don't believe the Astros who are clearly scrambling for sympathy.

Both Carlos Correa and Josh Reddick have come forward to state that they have received death threats, another story put out in the midst of the chaos that is the #AstrosCheatingScandal, created by them... now covered-up by Rob Manfred and Jim Crane, and protected by Tony Clark.

Photo: Josh "Loser" Reddick

Reality would tell you that death threats are serious, but here's the thing; the Astros players, clearly feeling pressure and clearly with their backs against the wall are playing victim. But they aren't the victim, they are the enemy in this entire scandal. They took integrity from the game, and sadly, they are trying to find public support for something that I believe NEVER HAPPENED... death threats.

KHOU 11 writes:

"Josh Reddick said he and his teammates are even getting death threats on social media. Reddick said his wife Jett has also been threatened. One Instagram commenter even said he hopes the couple's twin sons, 4-month-old Ryder and Maverick, get cancer, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan."

And the Houston Chronicle writes this:

Carlos Correa: "When you open social media these days, it’s the norm. You don’t see positive comments anymore. You just see ‘If you come to New York, you better watch out. Your wife better watch out.’ They start talking about raping, killing.” - https://t.co/rq1ErHchDA

— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) February 21, 2020

Notice they are Houston publications which means one thing... it was planted, it was editorialized on purpose. It written for sympathy. Don't buy it. My opinion of course... but I'm pretty good with judgement of character and the Astros character? It's out the window.

You want to know about death threats? Talk to Rachel Robinson who experienced it on the daily when husband Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in a world where black men were not accepted in the major leagues.

That's real problems. That guy just wanted to play the game he loved, but wasn't accepted.

The Astros? They cheated, got caught and now are crying about it because social media is having a field day with these losers. They're not receiving death threats... they're just being mocked and ripped apart verbally and on the daily.  They need tougher skin... especially because the consequences of their cheating scandal is now too big for them to handle.

Own it losers.

TONY CLARK: BASEBALL'S NEWEST BLACK EYE!

"I will never apologize for protecting player rights." 

--Tony Clark

That was a statement from Tony Clark, a former ballplayer and now the MLB Player's Union head... and a hack I may add.  Remember, the Astros were cheating, but yeah this makes sense. Tool.

IT'S ABOUT INTEGRITY, TONY CLARK... NOT PROTECTING WRONGDOING! Are all these people just idiots? Have they forgotten what character and integrity and doing right and wrong is all about? Do they realize they are right now on the biggest stage, under the biggest microscope with the world watching? With our KIDS WATCHING? Baseball is right around the corner. Kids play baseball, watch their favorites and what we are now saying to them is "You can cheat. You can do whatever you want because there is no punishment."

Tony Clark stressed there are no regrets about requesting — and receiving — immunity for the players. “I will never apologize for protecting player rights.”

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) February 21, 2020

Tony Clark should be ashamed of himself and if he had any ounce of integrity he would say to Rob Manfred, "Hey, I'm all about protecting the players but what was found in your report is damning, and we need to come to a common ground and fix it."

I mean, is Clark afraid of backlash from the players? Cause I have news for you.. have you looked outside Tony Clark? The baseball world is turned upside down, and while you think you're not part of the problem... you are... YOU ALL ARE!

This isn't about a disagreement between owner and player, Tony. This isn't about a contract dispute, or players wanting more sunflower seeds in the dugout during games or finalizing contracts.  Bro... this is about a clear cut case of cheating using a highly strategic technological plan and execution to win ball games for a long time. 2017 for sure... but there is no question as things keep coming out that 2018 and 2019 are in question for the Astros as well.

Think Tony... think. You are part of the problem. But you can fix it.  Listen to the players that fall under your jurisfiction.  Cody Bellinger. Aaron Judge. Trevor Bauer. Mike Trout.  These are the players that play the game at the highest level... they know it's wrong... the fans know it's wrong... even Rob Manfred said it was wrong... but in the end, you asked for protection???? ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?

Get your head straight or step down! You are a horrible leader and have no character you piece of garbage.

I am happy to report that this story is not going away any time soon.  That's because our baseball leaders are driving the train to failure. Keep banging the drum everyone... the Astros are a lousy, cheating crew and they must be punished! And right about now I think Manfred and Clark need to sit down and fix it... or lose their jobs!