COULD AARON JUDGE BE THE NEW HOME RUN KING?

The Yankees are on a nice roll, and we all want it to stay that way. There is a lot of hope and excitement for the rest of the season, and a lot of that has to do with Aaron Judge.

After this season, Judge will be a free agent and he's having one hell of a year before he becomes a free agent. So far nothing is standing in his way to earning a big pay day and breaking records on his way out. Or is there?

According to Chris "Mad Dog" Russo the Yankees may be in his way, you can check it out HERE if you want to catch up on his analysis. I must admit, it is an interesting take. I will leave it at that but he says the Yankees will never let him break the home run record.

"There is no chance. The Yankees won’t let him get near it. No chance he’s making it to 61 home runs. None...I think they’re worried. They’re paying him so much money. They’re worried about wearing a player out. They’re worried about somebody getting hurt. They’re worried about pitch counts, and overload as far as 162 games, but it’s a major problem with the sport."

Yikes!

Look, I don't care about him beating Roger Maris' record or getting close to Babe Ruth either. If he makes it there and is still productive and healthy while helping us get back to the World Series then that is icing on the cake for me. It is hard for me to imagine though. It would be nice to see though. What Yankee fan wouldn't like to see an epic record broken? That's something that sticks with us.

But what would be nicer to see is the Yankees continuing to win while staying healthy and winning a 28th title. That is the most important part after all. If the Yankees want to rest him at some point to make sure he is good for the postseason also....then I wouldn't be mad about that either, especially if it turns out to be the right move.

"Mad Dog" can think what he wants....at this point, I really don't care about records. I only care about a World Series championship. I'm tired of the drought.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

FREDDIE FREEMAN'S AGENT CASEY CLOSE NEEDS TO BE PUNISHED

 

This is Casey Close. He worked for Freddie Freeman. I say 'worked' because he got fired for not disclosing information that Freddie Freeman really wanted to hear. Freddie wanted to stay in Atlanta.  I guess Casey Close just wanted a big payday for his client, AKA, himself. It's shit like this that make me sick. Greed changes everything.

FOX 5 writes:

"Freddie Freeman's agent withheld specifics about contract negotiations with the Atlanta Braves' during his free agency, according to FOX Sports Radio host Doug Gottlieb... the final offer the Braves made to Freeman was "close" to the offer Los Angeles made, and his agency never told him about the Atlanta offer.

"He found out over the weekend just how close Atlanta had come in their final offer, called up Casey Close and said, ‘You didn’t tell me about this offer? You're fired,'" Gottlieb said during "The Doug Gottlieb Show" on FOX Sports Radio.

Gottlieb said, according to "really good sources in the business," Close thought there were better opportunities with the Dodgers.

"And that's why he never told him," Gottlieb said. "

Here's the problem. Agents work for their clients.  If their client wants something, its the agents job to make it happen. If things aren't going the way they should, that's when an agent steps in and tells the client and it's then that the client asks to make a move, be it another team, or give their thoughts on what to do next. And it is then, and ONLY then that the Agent does the next thing for his client. So, why the hell would Casey Close think it was OK to just make a decision so personal to Freddie Freeman? What balls do you have to have to do that? Scumbag.

Now look, Freeman will be fine. Los Angeles loves him. Freddie is playing great out there.  The situation however is Freeman's heart is in Atlanta, and during his free agency, it's clear that Freeman just thought the Altanta Braves stalled and didn't make an offer.  That's outrageous, it's sloppy, greedy and to be honest, when it comes to ethics and morals, Casey Close needs a freaking reality check. He has lost his way. How bad is that? 

So what should happen? If you're asking me, Close needs to be punished.

According to MLBPA REGULATIONS GOVERNING PLAYER AGENTS:

"The MLBPA has the right to revoke or suspend the certification of any Player Agent, under Section 4(O) of the MLBPA Regulations, if the Player Agent fails to comply with or engages in conduct in violation of any provision of the Standards of Conduct set forth in Section 5 of the MLBPA Regulations. It could also require that a Player Agent provides restitution to players for damages or losses he has wrongfully caused."

Something needs to be done. Close messed with the nicest guy in baseball.  He needs to have some consequences.... bottom line.

Freddie will apparently represent himself for the time being. He did the right thing. He kicked Casey Close to the curb with the rest of the trash. 

THE KINGS OF COMEBACK

Source: Jason Szenes/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

I kicked off my morning with a run and a quick scan of the Yankee headlines. The one that drew me in among all of the others was this line from Bryan Hoch at MLB.com, "These Yankees have earned a reputation as kings of the comeback, showcasing a knack for taking advantage of opportunities and overcoming deficits." Taking advantage of opportunities is something I have been praying that this Yankee team would finally figure out after more than 10 years of just falling short of being great. But now, the Yankees are the Kings of Comeback and it is exciting to see this team come together and gel the way they are.

Source: Sporting News

“We believe in our lineup, and we believe in our ability to score runs,” Donaldson said. “Our bullpen does a great job of keeping the game where it is, giving us the ability to do that; to not allow them to get those add-on insurance runs. Once it gets going, we have the ability to put up some crooked numbers. And we did that tonight,” reported Hoch.

The only deflation I felt with this team was those two games against Houston, where the Yankees went 16 innings without a hit. But on any given night, the Yankees can come back and win or dominate early in games, making them the best team in all of baseball.

Source: NorthJersey.com

"The Yankees’ winning percentage of .730 entering Tuesday was tied for the ninth-best start to an MLB season through 74 games, with only one of the eight teams that had a higher win rate — the 2001 Seattle Mariners — making such a run this century. Those Mariners wound up tying the record for wins in a 162-game season with 116, equaling a mark set by the 1906 Chicago Cubs. At the most basic level, if the Yankees maintain this win rate over 162 games, they would win 118 games, an astounding figure," reported The Washington Post.

The key to keeping up with this pace is wellness. Can the Yankees stay healthy? That is the only question mark I have for this team, which has been traditionally their downfall, their weakness. In 2020, the Yankees revamped their health and wellness program by firing and hiring a new staff who seems to have these Yankees in great shape plus designing individualized training regiments for every player. In addition, these players have remained fit in the off-season, which is paying big dividends this summer.

Source: AP

"Trevino gave credit to a new offseason training routine, in which he worked with Lee Fiocchi, formerly the head strength and conditioning coach for the Angels, at a Texas gym called Dynamic Sports Training. That helped improve his movement, he said, leading to improvements both on defense and at the plate," reported the New York Post.

So claiming the title of Kings of Comeback comes with a lot of work, and commitment, and includes staying fit and healthy, both on and off the field. The key to keeping this title is staying the course, don't stop what you are doing to be at your best, and remaining focused on the main prize—winning the World Series. These Yankees are fun to watch. And reading these positive headlines every day makes me the happiest blogger in the world. 

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Senior Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

WHEN THE YANKEES WIN, THE YANKEE FAMILY FEELS GOOD

You gotta love the Bronx.  Quick note here. I was loving the fact that Aaron Judge was able to walk off 2 times against the Astros. The Astros had given the Yankees a reality check, and that was clear, but it was solid leadership that won the day for the Yankees.

  

We have a guy in Aaron Judge that seems to do no wrong. As a Yankee fan, you always wonder when the other shoe is going to drop, but so far it has not. That's good, but can they keep up their winning ways all season? Can they pick it back up after the All-Star break? I think they can. I really do.

The other day a little girl was bottle flipping in the Bronx and the entire crowd was behind her. Sure, she struggled at first, but she kept at it.  And then, on the third flip, she stuck it and the crowd went bonkers.

This girl had the whole section rooting for her bottle flip pic.twitter.com/CxSyGP7OKx

— Gleyber With No Brim (Corey) (@Saquon_Gleyber) June 26, 2022

This is what Yankee fans are all about.  Sure non-Yankee fans don't understand us, they think we're trashy, loud, annoying. But what they don't realize is we love our team and we love our fans. How many times are you sitting with stranger-Yankee fans and a home run is hit and you're high fiving that guy 2 minutes later. You don't even know him, you just know he loves the Yankees as much as you for those 3 hours.  And that's Yankee fandom. That's our Bleeding Yankee Blue family.  That's what makes this team the greatest.

I wanna tip my cap to the fans that made this girl so happy, it was awesome to see!  Go Yanks!

RUMOR: YANKEES ARE SHOPPING FOR A STARTING PITCHER

We still have more than a month to go before this years trade deadline and the rumors are already rolling and picking up steam, I like it. All eyes are already on the Yankees and the Dodgers as other teams are banking on us trading for upgrades so we can stay on top.

It's nice to be looking to trade this season for a upgrade and not out of desperation and I really hope it stays that way. Oh but, so do other teams, read more HERE. We still have a long way to go before the deadline but so far FOUR teams that are on pace to lose 100 games this season are actively scouting us.

That's smart on them, honestly. Heading into Sunday the Yankees starting pitchers led the American League in earned run average at 2.97 ERA and there's only one other team in all of baseball that has a better ERA and that the Dodgers at 2.63 ERA. That's impressive.

So other teams are lining up and waiting for the Yankees to come calling and when they do they may have some trade requests of their own. Over the weekend we learned that the Yankees are interested in Luis Castillo, more HERE. The Reds have been open to the idea of trading Castillo for a while now and they even asked the Yankees to include Gleyber Torres in a package back in January of 2021 that the Yankees quickly turned down. But now, they may have their eyes on a new name.

The Reds have been scouting Will Warren who has been pitching down in Double-A. Multiple teams will check in on Castillo and considering he isn’t a true “rental” the Reds have a little more say on what they can ask for in a trade. Castillo is arbitration eligible for next season and easily one of the most attractive trade chips this season and the Reds know it.

But the Yankees also another option to consider. MLB insiders have been blowing up social media since the start of June saying that the Oakland A's are "likely to move" ace Frankie Montas by the deadline also. No big surprise there since the A's are always selling....but the question is who would they want?

It might seem crazy to even be talking about this idea. After all, the Yankees pitching has delivered and the idea of another starter might seem like more of a unnecessary want than a need but as the old saying goes...you can never have too much pitching.

And I don't think it is a bad move. Honestly, the Yankees have already been talking about how they are going to minimize Nestor Cortes workload and what his inning limit should be. You also can't ignore that Luis Severino has only thrown 18 innings since 2018 thanks to various injuries and he's already at 72 innings this season. The Yankees are going to need to be smart with how they use both of these pitchers. Oh and not for nothing, we still don't know that Jameson Taillon will be effective for a full season more more innings pitched either.

As good as we have been so far, the Yankees will need pitching down the stretch. There's still a lot of baseball left to play and the Yankees have a lot of pitching challenges ahead of them. It never hurts to be proactive.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

YANKEES NEED TO STEP UP AGAINST HOUSTON

Source: CBS Sports

The Yankees are on pace to win 122 games this season with a record of 52-20, but from the looks of the last two games, you wouldn't know it. They played submissive to the forever cheaters, the Houston Astros, losing 3-1 and 3-0 respectively on Friday and Saturday at home. Saturday was worse than Friday because the Yankees were no-hit—totally deflating. As we move into the final game of this four-game series, the Yankees need to redeem themselves and step up against the Astros. 

Source: CNN

As Fox News reported, "Coming into their Saturday matinee against the Astros, the Yankees had looked like a juggernaut that could not be stopped, holding the best record in MLB. But on any given day, it could be your time. And on this one — at Yankee Stadium — it was time for New York’s No. 1 ranked offense to get no-hit. It was the Astros, led by RHP Christian Javier, who would blank the Yankees in the hit column for just the first time since 2003 and the second time in 64 years." It makes me just sick to re-read that quote. 

Source: MLB.com

If we want to call this a blip or a fluke, fine. But against the Astros? Why did it have to be them? A friend asked if it hurts more to lose to the Red Sox or the Houston Astros. I have to say, they both hurt, but more recently, likely since 2017, it hurts more to lose to the Astros. 

Sunday's game needs to put the Yankees on top with Nasty Nestor Cortes leading the charge from the hill. And speaking of the hill, the Yankees are about to get some more ammunition from the pen, which has been beaten up in the last few games.

Source: AP

NJ.com reminds us,  "Aaron Boone will soon have Aroldis Chapman, Jonathan Loaisiga, and Domingo German fully healthy and ready to be activated. No need to overstate the obvious: the three relievers would give the Yankees a nearly-untouchable late-inning presence." Hopefully, this much-needed boost will give the Yankees the mental capacity to go in there and knock the Astros on their asses Sunday afternoon. 

The Yankees need to get back in the ring and start throwing punches against the Astros today. No more caving to this team. Go after it. Step up, Yankees, and even out this series. 

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Senior Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

RUMOR: ROBOTS ARE COMING TO A MLB STADIUM NEAR YOU

If you are a baseball purist you are not going to like this one.....

Major changes could be coming to Major League Baseball soon, maybe. You can read more about it HERE but "robot umpires" are being used in 11 Pacific Coast League Triple-A stadiums and if you are a baseball traditionalist I bet you are mind blown right now.

But we knew this was a possibility years ago. Sure, there are a lot of "bad calls" in baseball and they seem to be more and more common every year. I got fired up about a bad call back in 2019 when I wrote AARON BOONE IS "WAITING" FOR AN EXPLANATION WHILE WE WAIT FOR ROBOTS and I got a few tweets from people who thought the idea of robots in baseball was insane.

And it might be, but I wrote that while I was completely annoyed. Any avid baseball fan knows how much this game has changed over the years, especially with Rob Manfred in charge and the most drastic changes may still be to come.

Can you image that though? ROBOTS calling balls and strikes from behind the plate. I am twitching just thinking about it. I completely agree that there are some infuriating calls sometimes in baseball and they can make you lose your cool completely but...it's part of the game. It's part of the human element. The umpires decisions (whether we like them or not) are part of the game! If you take out the human element of the game (even though flawed) and replace it with a robot....is it even baseball anymore? It sounds more like a video game.

And if you use robots to call balls and strikes why stop there? Does artificial intelligence just completely take over? It's crazy to think about, but honestly 30 years ago this robot idea was also crazy! I know baseball is trying to appeal to a younger demographic but is completely giving it a face lift the right idea? Alienating an existing fan base seems like a drastic idea but what do I know? Maybe I am wrong.

But honestly, if someone was looking for a reason to stop watching the game could this be that reason? Maybe. The passionate baseball fan inside of me truly hopes not. Reading some of the details of that article, they just don't make sense to me. When I look at the two examples used of Aaron Judge and Jose Altuve, Judge is 13" taller than Altuve but his strike zone is 3 inches larger.  Why is the lower part of the zone on Altuve below his knee, but Judge it is above his knee? Who came up with this magical formula? Whoever it was, please do not quit your day job or sell this insane idea that makes no sense.

Look, I love the strategy and the human element to this game even though it is insanely flawed at times. I like the idea that Aaron Boone can get so annoyed at an umpire that he flies out of the dugout screaming and yelling and maybe even kicks dirt at him. It gets us fired up inside! It creates a reaction.....

I know everything must evolve including baseball but newer isn't always better. Robots worked fine in the Jetsons cartoon but why baseball? I'm all for improvements but it feels like MLB is doing everything it can to make baseball The Great American Past-its-Time and I'm just not okay with that.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

JUDGE SAYS IT'S ALL BUSINESS WHEN IT COMES TO ARBITRATION

Dressed in more than smart casual business attire, Aaron Judge will head to court with a full suit and tie on Friday with 4 million dollars between the slugger staying a Yankee or moving on. There is no loyalty, really on either side of the game. But one thing there is—money, lots of it and Judge expects his pay day with or without an MVP award.

“It’s all business,” Judge said. “For me, it’s plain and simple: I love this team, I love this organization and everything, but this is a business side of it that I don’t like at times. I don’t think a lot of people like it; I don’t think the team likes it. You have to go through, you handle it and you move on,” reported Bryan Hoch. 

Recall that Judge is expecting more than the seven year, 213.5 million dollar contract extension he was offered just before opening day. The last time the Yankees went to arbitration was 2017 with Dellin Betances and Judge recalls that it was not a pleasant experience.

“He just didn’t like how the process went,” recalled Judge, who was a rookie that spring. “[Betances] kind of mixed personal [feelings] with business. He gave a lot to this organization, and the numbers he put up for quite a few years -- even though he wasn’t a closer, he did a lot of special things. Maybe he thought he should get reciprocated for that, but it didn’t happen,” reported MLB.com.

Source: NJ.com

Judge is putting up big numbers this season, leading MLB in homers heading into Tuesday night's game against the Rays and with a batting average over .300. He has also taken over center field, performing extremely well in the middle outfield position both in agility and with his arm. 

Judge was not in the lineup against the Rays in their second of three games at Tropicana Field. No one wants to see Judge on the IL, and the turf is something that the long outfielder struggles with if he has multiple reps on the surface. Let's hope for two things: 1. Judge gets his money and stays a Yankee and 2. He can stay healthy for an entire season and remain productive. It is all business for Judge and his team. Let's just get the deal done and move on. 

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Senior Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

THE YANKEES BLOW A BIG ONE ON FATHER'S DAY & IT'S NOT BOONE'S FAULT

Well, that sucked. No one expected the Yankees to blow a five run lead heading into the bottom of the sixth inning, but that's baseball. The Yankees win streak stopped at nine, but now it is time to start a new one today.

We all have our off days when we just aren't at our best and that was true for Luis Severino yesterday. He gave up two home runs, walked a season high four batters and gave up five runs but despite that the Yankees looked to be in full control.

Until they weren't. After Severino was pulled Miguel Castro and Wandy Peralta both came into the game and they didn't have their best stuff either....and it happens. The pitching wasn't the only downfall in the game. Sure, the Yankees scored nine runs and still lost and normally I would say it is easier to accept a loss when you score nine runs. I just tip my cap and say the other team played better and not dwell on it. I don't want to dwell on this one either but....the Yankees did have 13 strikeouts. This was a winnable game even with the ineffective pitching. If the Yankees had struck out less and also didn't leave 7 men on base the end result should be different.

The Yankees just didn't execute, so while it is easy to sit here and be a couch manager and blame Aaron Boone, I'm not going to do that. Hard to believe because I am not one to defend Boone ever and it would be easier to do if the Yankees weren't playing good baseball. As much as I don't trust Castro or Peralta and would rather see Michael King or Clay Holmes out there pitching every day, I know that can't happen. Everyone has to step up and do their job.

And not for nothing....the umpires made a couple of bad calls. Two obvious strikes were called balls and if the umpires would've called it correctly that would have ended the inning before the grand slam. But again "shoulda, coulda, woulda" is the theme of this game.

So the Yankees lost a game today after scoring 9 runs and it stings....but it happens. Thankfully, we won the series and are gained a game on them. 

Time to give 'em hell in Tampa.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

CLAY HOLMES BREAKS A MARIANO RIVERA RECORD!

Source: AP

We have had a lot of posts about the Yankees dominating offense. The picturesque home runs, the incredible walk offs and the convincing run generation over 9-straight wins against tough teams cannot be overstated. But this piece is about their pitching; which has been outrageously good! Jameson Taillon is 8-1 this the season, pitching an absolute beauty in Toronto on Saturday—eight strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings of shutout ball, with four hits and two walks allowed. And who came in put an exclamation point—the Yankees best closer since Mariano Rivera. And Clay Holmes not only saved the game but he broke a record in the process.

"The Yankees' reliever pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings with a strikeout, no hits allowed and no walks. It was his 29th consecutive scoreless outing, a new franchise record that was previously held by Mariano Rivera. It earned him the team’s championship belt on Saturday, awarded to the most impactful player in a game," reported MLB.com. 

Source: USA Today

Both Taillon and Holmes have had their bouts with injuries, challenges and just overall hard times. But you would not know it from their performance this season. Taillon goes out cool and collected with each start and Holmes is laser focused in the closing role—0.28 ERA over 32 innings pitched. Holmes humbly accepted his record breaker on Saturday, understanding the magnitude of his performance.

“Just the fact that it’s Mariano Rivera makes it pretty special,” said Holmes. “He’s a guy that I grew up watching, I think everybody did. What he’s done for this game is pretty amazing. So just to be in the same category for this one little thing he’s done is pretty cool,” reported MLB.

And it was Taillon who provided more context to the Yankees victories this season, noting that this team finds a way to win ball games even against the best pitching and most noble of teams.

Source: NJ.com

“It just seems like every day we show up, we expect to find a way to win that night,” said Taillon, who got his eighth win on Saturday and lowered his ERA to 2.70. “There’s a confidence within the group that we’re going to find a way to do it,” reported MLB.

Source: NJ.com

To say that this team is exciting to watch is an understatement. And to think that their pitching, particularly in this case, their closing pitching has a guy who potentially could break more records this season, records that the great Mariano Rivera set is just mind boggling. Today, the YES broadcasters contemplated how long this team can keep performing like this. Between the depth of their pitching and their clutch hitting, from across the team, not just one or two players, the Yankees could sustain this "finding a way to win" all season long. And with Holmes in the bullpen, it just seems anything is possible. 

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Senior Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

RUMOR: A NEW CATCHER IS ON THE YANKEES TRADE DEADLINE WISHLIST

It's early, but I'm already thinking about this years trade deadline. Usually by now I have a decent list of players on my wish list but this year it's a little bit different. This year, if the Yankees continue to stay relatively healthy they can focus on adding pieces they want not just pieces they need to replace injuries.

Weird to think about, but this years trade deadline is just over six weeks away on August 2nd and the Yankees are are still thinking about Willson Contreras, read more HERE but so are a lot of other teams. Let's face it, the Cubs are in full rebuild mode. Contreras is the last big name left that holds any weight with their fan base....but his days in a Cubs uniform are numbered.

The Cubs and Contreras have not come to an agreement on a long-term contract extension and he is a free agent at the end of the season so he's on his way out of Chitown. Back in March we wrote RUMOR: YANKEES HAVE CHECKED IN ON YET ANOTHER CATCHER and the Yankees are still interested.

Before Jose Trevino, the connection to Contreras made a lot of sense. Trevino's done well for the Yankees while Kyle Higashioka has struggled....but can Trevino continue to perform at this level? His career .245 BA leaves me skeptical but I hope he proves me wrong. The Yankees have time to sit back and watch for a bit. 

But the Yankees aren't the only ones that will sit back and watch. The Astros and the Mets are considered favorite landing spots for Contreras and I think the Mets would be willing to give more to get him. As bad as the Astros production has been from behind the plate I think they will continue to trust Martin Maldonado and give him the chance to work through his issues. On the other hand, the Mets have already proven they are willing to make a big splash to win and James McCann hasn't lived up to their expectations so I think they will push harder to get Contreras.

But this is why I get excited about trade deadline rumors. I love the speculation and possibilities and this year if the Yankees continue on their current path they can add to strengthen the roster from a place of want and not just need. 

The Yankees have been tied to Contreras for a while now....it will be interesting to see if he eventually ends up in the Bronx. Good thing is we still have plenty of time to speculate. 

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj