CHEATER JOSH REDDICK JUST GOT OWNED ON TWITTER

Just because the Coronavirus pandemic has taken baseball away from us does not mean we have forgotten about the dirty ASSTROS and their cheating ways. This virus was the best case scenario for the pathetic ASSTROS because they had a brief break from the negative attention. I said HAD because Josh Reddick just had to go make an ASS out of himself on twitter so congrats dude, you get the spotlight back ya idiot.

It started out with just a simple observation in today's reality where we are all supposed to be practicing social distancing. We all still have to go to the grocery store. Some of us may still be searching for that toilet paper after all.

Which he then tweeted again to try and diffuse the situation as people were heckling him on twitter:

But then when he realized that he couldn't stop the people from heckling he decided why not just add gasoline to the fire. Forget about walking away and just leaving it alone, let's just piss people off.

So naturally, after that you can probably guess how people responded. This is just ONE example from a very long thread.

Reddick was incredibly stupid here for a few reasons. First, when does Walmart staff a large number of cashiers at any given time....pandemic or not? Even during the holidays, I saw maybe four cashiers at any given time. Self checkout has taken over the world.

Second, did he ever consider that during hard times like this maybe instead of trying to make a joke out of Walmart right now you should consider THANKING the cashier that finally checked out all of your groceries so you could continue to feed your family during this challenging time? Maybe...just MAYBE the cashier who processed your order was putting his or herself in even GREATER risk than you everyday because they DO go to work and interact with countless people during their shift?

They don't have the luxury of social distance right now. They are at greater risk of getting sick everyday! They helped sell you the food to help put on your family dinner table everyday. NO....Josh Reddick doesn't think about that because he has ZERO integrity and was just an insensitive jerk at the time of his childish Twitter temper tantrum.

So congrats dick, not only are you a hypocrite to your kids because you cheated your way to get that ring you flash all over social media. You are such a great role model for your kids, huh? Lets just add to it.... now you have shown that you only care about yourself. Everyone else be damned.

He's a jerk. Plain and simple. Before the Coronavirus he and his cheating buddies were front page news. He had a brief recess, but I've got news for you... you will still be front page news after this goes away and baseball finally comes back. You don't get off from this so easily.

So stay safe out there everyone and be well. And when you do have to go out to the grocery store don't be like Josh. We all have to stick together in times like this. Help someone out when you can....and again don't be like Jerk! 

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

HOUSTON IS IN DENIAL OVER ASTROS CHEATING SCANDAL

It's amazing how Houston still stands by their team. I mean, look, that Astros team are a bunch of losers, there is no question about it. But one thing we have never done in all of our time here at BYB when it came to the Astros Cheating Scandal is bashed the Astros fans for liking them.

This is baseball. You can celebrate being a fan any way you want. If anything, I have been blasting the Astros for disappointing everyone, and I have found a ton of sympathy for the Astros fans for being robbed by their heroes. After all... they were duped into thinking their ballclub was on the level. It turns out the Astros orchestrated a cheating operation that ran so deep that even their GM and Manager AJ Hinch had to get fired.

They were forced to pay a fine as an organization and for that I'm thankful, but to be honest it still wasn't enough.  And then of course came the lame apologies by the players, who, as we all know were not sincere and just did it because Rob Manfred asked them to.

But the baseball world was turned upside down because the cheaters got away with it, and of course for how Rob Manfred handled it.  But the Houston fans? They can root however they'd like. I respect that. I'd never attack them for that. Why should I? They're the victim here. They're the ones that got robbed.

Houston and it's fans don't see it that way however, and the attacks on me are alittle ridiculous and immature.  They don't know me. They don't know my family and they sure as hell are not intelligent to know how I truly stand on this Astros Cheating Scandal because THEY HAVEN'T READ A STITCH OF WHAT WE OUT HERE ON BYB. And so, let's review it again...maybe now the Astros fans are paying attention:

1. The Astros cheated. They need to be punished. In some cases, even banned from the game for life in my opinion.

2. The Astros fans got robbed. I'm sympathetic to their disappointment and they should do the right thing and express their disappointment to the Astros organization as a whole, not little me for not liking the Astros for robbing the fans.

You're ridiculous. You got caught and you can't handle the pressure. Get over yourself. #Astroscheatingscandal #asstros

— Robert Casey (@BleednYankeeBlu) March 28, 2020

3. The Astros players? They are followers. The got comfortable cheating and they ended up getting caught and as a baseball fan first, I find them all to be despicable and trash. Again... FANS CAN EXPRESS HOW THEY FEEL ABOUT PLAYERS AND TEAMS ALL THEY WANT. And so, that is what we're doing here at Bleeding Yankee Blue. It's what we've always done.

So why do I receive this? Venkat, I am now watching you like a hawk.

This guy blocked me after I told him I wouldn't engage with him. He was blasting the Yankees. Again, I'm on the fans side, I just think the Astros are bad people for what they did.

This is lovely. The person's identity has been removed because I don't want escalation. I get this stuff from time to time.

And this guy tried to tell me that the Yankees have been cheating for all 27 titles using steroids or something. I didn't even get it. But he's 17 and has 184 followers so I just put it here because it was kind of funny.

Strip all the titles with a Yankees team chalk-full of guys pumping the juice then.#YankeesSuck #Roiders #Cheaters

— Hoodie Jake Marisnick enthusiast ©️ (@marisnickstan27) March 28, 2020

I'll tell you why. Maybe they're embarrassed. Maybe they're pissed that they were duped into thinking their team was something of importance. Doesn't matter, their behavior is over the line.  If a fan wants to rip a player a new one, that's fair game. When a fan wants to rip a journalist for an opinion and threaten his family or accuse that journalist, me, or abuse... that's when authorities need to be called.  Just so you know... you are not on blast.  You have now done what should never had been done... you crossed the line.

Today's Houston Chronicle sports front

On Correa's growing voice - https://t.co/xY49vFMpj3 pic.twitter.com/O1PIAzz5pW

— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) March 29, 2020

I leave you with this. This is the headline of today's Houston Chronicle, clearly an attempt to change the narrative and try to make their cheating team's tainted reputation into something of a rebirth of champions.  Here's the problem. You can't be a champion if you cheated your way to it in the first place, which isn't a baseball thing... it's a life thing. And that's my entire point.

I have said it since this scandal broke. The Astros are forever tainted and me as a fan can tell you that I will never look at them as talented players again.  I will always see CHEATERS and losers and guys that pulled the wool over the eyes of millions of fans so they could get a taste of victory on the big stage. The problem however is they manufactured it when all along, they could have won it legit with the talent they had.  And so, these days the Astros fall into the hell of taking their lumps and a Houston city trying to erase their bad and embarrassing past.

But that can never work.  Because where they go now... be it California, or Florida, Kansas City or the Bronx... they will be known as losers... cheaters... and not taken seriously.

Being a fan is an amazing thing.

You can root for your players and teams however you'd like.  But when you start attacking fans because you don't like their words... even threaten them and their family... that's where the line is drawn.  You lost site because you're probably too embarrassed to admit your team cheated you.

I'm sorry about that.  But don't take it out on me. Take it out on idiots like the Houston Astros and their organization.

COULD AARON JUDGE PLAY FIRST BASE?

Source: AP

It is no surprise that I am a huge fan of Aaron Judge and clearly I am not alone.  From the Judge's Chambers, to the number of jerseys sold, Judge is the face of today's franchise and to see him down on the injured list is hard.  Now learning just this week that he not only suffered a fractured rib but a collapsed lung, it is only natural to be more protective of Judge. But what if he came back from his rehab and took on another position?  Could that be possible?  Would that even be in the plan?

At the end of last week, fans were asking the same question and many called into The Michael Kay Show and simply asked if Judge could rehab his way back in the lineup at first base.

Source: NY Post

“No, no, no, no,’’ Boone said when asked if the Yankees have talked about what would be an odd move. “Sometimes when a guy has a few injuries, and significant injuries, sometimes there is a unlucky, fluke thing. You are playing major league sports and injuries come with it,’’ Boone stated through a call on Kay's show as reported in the New York Post.

Fans are always trying to fix things and of course their ideas for these fixes come from speculation, creativity and good will.  I mean who doesn't want to protect a fan favorite from injuries that have held him back from contributing more impact to the lineup?

Source: NJ.com

“He has had a couple of unfortunate injuries the last couple of years, but moving him? Absolutely not,’’ Boone said of Judge, who ranks near the top of defensive right fielders in the game. “He is an elite defender and one of the game’s great players. Never a discussion to move him," stated Boone as reported in the Post.

With no baseball in sight for at least the next month or more, fans having nothing but re-runs and a wide imagination.  Of course we all want Judge healthy and the Yankees to dominate the AL East leading to the post season and yes, the World Series.  The Astros have robbed them of this right for the last two years and now COVID-19 is delaying things further.

Let fans be fans and imagine and while they are at it, let's all imagine that it is June and we are in first place on our way to realize our dreams for a World Championship.  It will be here soon. So keep positive, dream and our chance will come!

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

ASTROS CATCHER EVAN GATTIS JUST MADE THE ASTROS CHEATING SCANDAL WORSE

I appreciate solid opinions. But I don't understand getting caught doing something wrong, having an overwhelming pressure surrounding you for doing that something wrong, and then adding fuel to the fire and then backtracking like "I didn't realize" I did something wrong, or "You got the wrong idea about me, I'm a good dude, I just thought it was funny", or like in the case of that other loser Lance McCullers Jr... "I'm doing a good deed! That deflects the pressure from me be being a cheater, don't it?" Read more on that here... MESSAGE TO LANCE MCCULLERS JR.--- YOU JUST PLAYED YOURSELF, LOSER!

Message to these Astros players everywhere... you cheated... YOU ALL CHEATED. Take your lumps, stop trying to talk your way out of it. We all know, including you that the punishment doesn't fit the crime and the smartest thing you can do during this Coronavirus pandemic is shut the F up because the world forgot about you for a bit, but not any more thanks to Evan Gattis, you piece of garbage.

We can all thank the Houston restaurant the Flying Saucer for this, because subliminally I think it tricked Gattis and it backfired bit time! They wanted publicity. Gattis fell into the trap and now he needs to pay the price of being stupid.

Yahoo Sports writes:

"For the most part, players and fans agree Fiers did the right thing by speaking out and helping initiate a full-scale investigation by Major League Baseball....

Not surprisingly, Fiers’ critics also include at least one player he shared the clubhouse with during his Astros’ career. Former catcher Evan Gattis took to Twitter to shill a “snitches gets stitches’ glass being sold at a Houston-area restaurant.

The phrase "snitches get stitches" implies that anyone who is considered a snitch should be physically beaten up. The inclusion of Fiers’ likeness speaks for itself. Apparently it’s a popular item in Houston.

The Flying Saucer reported the glass quickly sold out, with Gattis receiving the last one available.However, given the circumstances and the implications, it’s a purchase Gattis may have been wiser to keep to himself."

Then this Gattis moron tried to justify it...

The way the “public” feels about us cheating is how I felt when I at least assumed that other people were cheating against us. No excuses. But I understand everyone’s anger. Doesn’t exactly put humpty dumpty back together again.

— Evan Gattis (@BulldogBeing) March 28, 2020

For the record I have zero bad feelings towards Fiers. We have actually texted and I hoped he didn’t get too much hate/ (actual scary hate mail, threats etc.) he was our teammate. I just thought the glass was funny

— Evan Gattis (@BulldogBeing) March 28, 2020

Hey Gattis? STFU? Keep it to yourself. YOU ARE PART OF THE PROBLEM!

Here's the thing that these losers do not get.

The idea of cheating in the Major League's IS a thing, but the strategic, orchestrated, technological way the Astros did it was incredibly wrong.  These Astros and their fans are not registering the fact that it was the WAY they did it.  I'm not saying other teams don't cheat. I'm saying it was found out by MLB investigators that the ASTROS DID CHEAT and stole a championship in the process. And then... they kept cheating because they weren't caught in 2017.

They are tainted... like... FOREVER!

In the end, losers like Gattis… like McCullers... like Bregman and all those other idiots... they need to just shut up and be lucky you haven't been banned from the game for life.

They will never learn... and that's great for blogs like Bleeding Yankee Blue.

WHAT POSITION WILL CHUBBY GARY SANCHEZ END UP?

There has been plenty of talk about Gary Sanchez and if he's the right catcher for the job for the New York Yankees. I do know this... the Yankees love him, but I think the truth of the matter is he may not be the catcher they thought they were getting.

Now don't get me wrong, the dude is a solid hitter, but when it comes a his catching, while I love his arm behind the plate, the bottom line is... he's slow. Some would call him lazy behind the plate. I have.  In fact, in my podcast on BYB Media with Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa, our Managing Editor here... we spoke about just that



Now comes word that maybe his future isn't behind the plate at all.  Maybe it's first base or DH in the near future? Now, while this is obvious... I just wanted someone else to say it... not us.

NJ.com writes:

"We talked to a long-time major league scout this week who saw the Yankees a lot this spring to get a fresh scouting report on Sanchez. Here’s what the scout, who requested anonymity in order to speak freely, had to say: The Yankees are trying to alleviate stress on his back and everything else by dropping him down on one knee. I get it. He’s been hurt a lot. But watching Sanchez catch like this, I’m thinking, ‘The only guy who was very successful catching like that was Tony Pena.'...

"It’s easy to see why the Yankees are worried about Sanchez’s health. He’s a thick-bodied guy who uses his legs to hit home runs and to hit in general..."One knee or not, Sanchez is the same guy for me behind the plate. If I’m a pitcher, I’d hate throwing to him because of balls in the dirt."

“It’s a concern. Sonny Gray didn’t want to pitch to him two years ago. He said it. He wanted (Austin) Romine catching him every game. Sanchez is a catcher because he has a great arm. You don’t want to waste that. But he’s hurt a lot and you want his bat in the lineup, so do you make him a DH or move him to first base?"

Very interesting isn't it?  Now obviously this scout doesn't want to get crucified, so his name wasn't given, but look... it's not something that hasn't been said before. It's just more interesting that a writer isn't saying it, but instead, a scout.

Wow. Anyway, I just wanted to share that. enjoy your day.

REJOICE! THERE IS A PLAN FOR THE START OF THE SEASON

The regular season was supposed to start today...but then the coronavirus appeared and now we are just waiting for baseball to come back. Anxiously waiting in fact, but it sounds like MLB and the Players union are close to an agreement for baseball to return.

Thank goodness! This virus has affected everything in our lives. It took away our sports, then it forced most of us to stay in our homes WITHOUT our sports and now it has caused a lot of restructuring just to get baseball back.

MLB has a lot to figure out, here are some of the biggest pieces:

1. A deal with the MLB Players Association that would advance a portion of players' salaries and cover many other labor-related issues.

2. Assurances from teams that non-player employees will receive paychecks through at least April, with possible cost-cutting measures by May

3. Distributing payments to minor league players, most players have not received a paycheck since the end of last season in early September

4. Full service time should be awarded to players, even if they played a shorter season as long as it still concludes with a World Series Championship.

USA Today has a good write up on this HERE. There's definitely a lot to figure out before the season gets rolling, but when it does it sounds like MLB wants to play as close to 162 games as possible. There have been rumored proposals out there for a 100 game season that follows the original schedule. I've also seen an idea out there that every team plays one double header every week with a possible roster expansion.

I can't say that I am a fan of the doubleheader every week. I think that could be pretty risky especially for any injury plagued team like the Yankees for example. We already have injury issues with Giancarlo Stanton and Gary Sanchez as it is, I cant imagine the extra stress on these guys. We're all worried enough about Aaron Judge and his collapsed lung and cracked rib. That's a lot of stress on these guys, and at this point I have ZERO confidence in our medical staff. Hopefully we can void the doubleheader idea.

But either way, it sounds like both sides are getting closer to a deal and baseball could return by June or July if this Coronavirus finally starts to subside. Training camps would likely resume in May and playoffs would extend into November. The World Series would move to a neutral site in a warm weather market or a domed stadium if government officials allow, contingent on the containment of the coronavirus pandemic.

There is still a lot to figure out here, but it sounds like we are heading in the right direction. At this point I will take anything, I just want baseball back. It would be weird to watch baseball so late in the season, but as long as it comes back I will be a happy camper.

Stay tuned and cross your fingers folks, hopefully we get some good news soon.

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

NO ONE BETTER THAN O'HARA WHEN IT COMES TO YANKEE BASEBALL

I can talk to Mike O'Hara about baseball for hours.  He's just that knowledgeable and fun.  He and I are the same age, and so we can talk about 70's and 80's baseball like it was going out of style. We like similar players, we followed them growing up in our living rooms where ever we were at that time.  And when we chat, it just brings us back to a much simpler time, where there was no responsibly.

Only Yankee baseball on WPIX, and baseball cards and fun.

These days Mike and I are grown men, with families and plenty of responsibilities. We're in charge of making things run correctly in our respective households, or at least that's what our wives tell us.  But when it comes to the Yankees.... we'll always be kids and we'll always be in our happy place... and I think that's why O'Hara and I are so tight. We get each other... we have for a long time.

Mike reached out to me around 2011 when BYB was relatively new. He was working and hosting at the MLB Fan "CAGE" as he calls it and I was a fan of his before I even knew he was a fan of Bleeding Yankee Blue.  We started chatting it up and before I knew it, Mike was a staple in the BYB Family, writing unique stuff for our pages.  While Mike doesn't write as much anymore, he still does when he can. And let's not get it twisted... with the Coronavirus lingering, I think it's safe to say that he, and many have a lot more free time on their hands. And so, Mike wrote for us the other day to rekindle his connection with the BYB audience, and I decided that I needed to interview him for the BYB Media Podcast like I did with Suzie Pinstripe (HERE) and Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa (HERE). 


Loyalty runs deep with me... you know this by now.  And Mike? Mike's loyal and like a brother to me.

So give this interview a listen. We talked about everything, from COVID19, actor Bill Hader... to Goose Gossage to Reggie Jackson to the stupid Astros.

We talked Joba Chamberlain, David Ortiz and even Rob Manfred and George Springer.  This guy's real and honest and one of the best when it comes to talking baseball.

Let me know what you think.

And Mike? I love ya buddy. Thanks for taking the time.

JEANA BELLEZZA-OCHOA: ONE OF THE GOOD ONES

You know a good person when you meet them. That's how I feel about Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa. I like her drive, I appreciate her passion and I love that she wanted to do more on Bleeding Yankee Blue back in 2011, and when she asked if she could start writing for BYB full time, and stop being a copy editor, I knew one thing; she wanted to improve in not only the difficult task of writing... but improve as a person.

I am a sucker for anyone that believes in themselves and their will and desire to accomplish something great in their lives. It's attractive to me. I think that's why I am surrounded by those types of people here at Bleeding Yankee Blue. The people that write for us are very special to me. They are my family.

We have had plenty of writers here at BYB over the years. But many times things change and writers can't stick around. I do not fault any of them. Be it a personal issue, or they just get bored or tired of writing, whatever it is, I never judge. But what I do believe in is loyalty and at the end of the day, there will only be a few that will stand by my side in this project.  That's Suzie, that's Mike O'Hara and yes, that's Jeana-Bellezza-Ochoa. These folks have helped me build this little thing called Bleeding Yankee Blue, and so, any opportunity I can, I will help them back with whatever they need.  It's a special give and take and loyalty with me runs deep.

And that brings me to my latest BYB Media Podcast... this one is Episode 6... with my other BYB Managing Editor, Jeana.


I hope you take the time to listen to this one today. Jeana was with me here at BYB since 2011.  She didn't start out as a writer, but over the years she's become one and it's terrific. Take a listen today, and smile. If you are a reader of BYB, no doubt you read hundreds of Jeana and Suzie's posts... and no question you can relate with them in some capacity.  It's a very special interview.

We talk about everything, from the Yankees rotation, to injury to the Astros to chubby Gary Sanchez.

A very special thank you to Jeana and Suzie... and an extra one to our BYB audience. We love you, we appreciate you and we hope to keep going. This is the year of our 10th anniversary...  wow... time flies.

GERRIT COLE KEEPS HIS THROWING ARM LOOSE WITH A NEW CATCHER

Source: AP

The coronavirus has impacted all of us, changing our routines, keeping us at home and stopping all public gatherings.  We all remain confident that with careful direction from the National Institutes of Health and the World Health Organization, we will get through this and we will prevail.  And while we get through this, the Yankees continue stay the course.  Each of them, in their own way, are keeping healthy and staying loose, including our ace, who has found a new dancing partner to throw to, his wife Amy.

"Amy has a cannon, though that shouldn’t come as a huge surprise. We’re talking about a former college softball pitcher at UCLA (that’s where the couple met). Plus, Amy’s brother is San Francisco Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford. The sport, and throwing around a ball, is in her blood," reports NJ.com.  Take a look at this video of pitching practice at the Coles.

Whenever Opening Day is, Cole will be ready and from the looks of things, his wife Amy will help him get there.  Tomorrow would have been Opening Day 2020 and my son and I were going to embark on an Amtrak trip to Camden Yards for what would have been a terrific day.  Pickles Pub, Natty-Bohs and Gerrit Cole on the hill.  The smell of hotdogs and popcorn, the smiles of fans donning new Yankee jerseys with #25 sewn on their backs, the sounds of spectators cheering, balls hitting gloves, bats hitting balls and people together enjoying America's Past time.

Baseball isn't gone forever.  We all know that.  And the fact that we can spend this extra time with family, getting ready for the season, the best way we know how, well that is something special.  So to Cole, and the rest of the Yankee pitching staff, keep safe, stay healthy and stay warm.  And for my son and I, well, instead of watching the Yankees beat up on the O's at Camden Yards, we will have a catch in our own yard, as we get ready for the season to remember.

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

CLAY RAPADA: STICKING WITH HIS PASSION FOR THE GAME

As this BYB Media Podcast gets going, it's important that I speak to the people that I really appreciate and have stuck with Bleeding Yankee Blue for a long time. We believe in loyalty.

Now, when it comes to BYB and opinion, we're not haters here, it's just that sometimes we have very pointed opinions, and that's how our audience was built. We may not agree with other fans, maybe not even with each other, but at the end of the day, you, the reader can make your own decision and we, the writer can be satisfied with what we put out. And you know what? There's just disagreement sometimes.  The point is we're like a big family here... the readers, the writers, all of us and we chat it up on any given day about different topics. And many times that extends to public figures and players, their wives as well. Clay is one of those people.

Clay Rapada and I have a bond and yes it's over baseball... but it all started with a silly Bleeding Yankee Blue T-Shirt and how I convinced him to throw it on during one of his workouts in between teams. He's a man of his word and did exactly that and one day it popped on my Twitter and I couldn't be more happy.

We used to do #RapadaFoodWars on Twitter as well, where we'd make a meal and then tweet it to each other just to keep the other on our toes.

@BleednYankeeBlu home made gumbo.. Italian sausage ... Meatballs and shrimp #RapadaFoodWars pic.twitter.com/79ppXYuY8A

— Clay Rapada (@pada5something) December 5, 2014

@pada5something It's been awhile #RapadaFoodWars Hope you're well. #BYB pic.twitter.com/Io20h2Q9lw

— Robert Casey (@BleednYankeeBlu) July 16, 2016

It was kind of cool and the dude definitely has a sense of humor and I have a lot of respect for a guy like that. Someone that has a job like pitching on a major league team, but can be playful with the fans when he needs to be. He's just a good dude.

But the truth is I've always been a fan of Clay and the way he pitches. He used to come into high pressure situations, with the Orioles, the Tigers, Rangers, the Yankees and with that amazing delivery, I was just in awe... me being a lefty myself and never really being a successful pitcher, it was just cool to see this lanky dude come in and dominate in his relieve role with the arm slot he had.  And yes... it was awesome to see him pitch for the Yankees... my favorite team.

We finally sat down for an interview on the BYB Podcast with Clay Rapada, and I was thrilled.

We talked about everything, from what he's doing now with the San Francisco Giants, to leadership when it comes to Derek Jeter compared to Alex Rodriguez... to the Yankees when he got the opportunity there, to where that Bleeding Yankee Blue shirt is right now... to the Astros, and even youth sports.

It's a thrill and I am very happy to share this with you now. Thank you Clay, you're the best.


Good Luck and stay in touch my man!.

WE PLAY TODAY, WE WIN TODAY... DAS IT!

Yes, a drop in the bucket of positivity. Sure, I'm no doctor and don't claim to understand the pathology of a virus. Why write anything then you ask? Because believe it or not we ARE stronger than those on the 24-7 television broadcast are giving us credit for.

Am I being too "Rah, Rah!"?

Is this too much Micky telling a so-called "Bum Southpaw" to, "GET UP! GET UP, YOU SON OF A BITCH! DON'T LAY DOWN! DIE HARD! ONE MORE ROUND! Because Micky loves ya."? Maybe. Maybe it is...but I don't see it that way.

In 1996 a journeyman infielder coined the inspirational phrase, "We play today, we win today. Das it!" I wish Mariano Duncan was at the podium with the Coronavirus Task Force everyday. Why? Because that's the way we need to play this stretch.. NO DOUBT in who we are and how we fight.

Day by day we are bombarded with "experts" telling us why it's bad and offering no really glimmer of hope for the population. Well, they are the front office...WE ARE THE PLAYERS!  Due respect to Brian Cashman, I'd rather have DJ in the box with 2 down, down 1 with a runners at 2nd and 3rd in the ninth.

Hope is a wonderful thing. It leads us to a path that can lift the team around us to become the best version of themselves. Despair? Well, there's plenty of that out there if you'd rather buy that brand. That's your call.

I'm not asking you to change your mind any more than I'm asking you to suddenly be an Irish Catholic. HOWEVER, blocking out the noise of the crowd and seeing the stitches on the ball tumbling toward you give you a shot to make great things happen. Don't believe it? Grab a book, look up challenging times in history....ANY history.

I'm so tired of hearing that we can't... so to steal from the boys up the I-95 in 2004....COWBOY UP!

Yes, I invoked the battle cry of "THE IDIOTS"! WHY? Because they were actually geniuses. I've not written for BYB much lately. I have time... we all do now, and I wanted to chime in from the cheap seats today to let whomever reads this know that I believe in this team!  I always have. Maybe it's my upbringing. Maybe it's because I'm a coach myself these days. Maybe it's because I'm scared too, but I won't let this thing keep me on the mat!

I believe in the better days ahead. I believe, because if we play today, we win today! Das it!

Be safe. Be smart. Fight back! and Believe!

--Mike O'Hara
BYB Contributor
Twitter: @mikeyoh21



Sometimes it just takes a bit of music to shake you from the slump. Here it is: