OGs IGNITE NEW PRIDE OF THE NEW YORK YANKEES

Source: The Washington Post

OG is a slang term for someone who’s incredibly exceptional, authentic, or “old-school.”  If you don't know... now you know.

Earlier this week I went to Disneyland with my two adult kids for the very first time. For me, the mere presence of Mickey Mouse ignited the youth, passion and fun in me. For my kids, they saw Disneyland through a very different lens and perspective—transforming them instantly into Disney Adults who also turned back time to simple and fun despite the challenges they face post-pandemic. 

Source: Corey Sipkin for the NY POST

On Saturday, the Yankees held the first Old Timers Day in three years and that same kind of nostalgic feeling rushed through me. As Jack Curry said, "that tingling sensation" you feel when you remember what that player meant for the Yankees at the moment in time in the team's history. In particular the ceremonial first pitch by Ron Guidry to Thurman Munson's son Michael, sparked so many memories of that 1977 team, who won a championship after a long drought, 45 years ago this season. 

Source: Corey Sipkin for the NY POST

"The modified program had alumni mingle with current Yankees and coaches in Monument Park before their introductions to the crowd, performed by Michael Kay and John Sterling from behind home plate," reported MLB.com. There was no three inning game but the excitement of watching your Yankee heros make the great walk or trot from Monument Park onto the field can't be undervalued. “I remember coming here as a player and having the opportunity to see all these guys at Old-Timers’ Day,” Bernie Williams said. “I met Mickey Mantle, Whitey Ford. We had an opportunity to meet them behind closed doors in the clubhouse. Now things have changed a little bit, but I think the sentiment remains the same," reported The Washington Post. The team elected to have a ceremony vs. a traditional three inning game given that players are recovering from injuries or recent operations.

“Unless they got an influx of younger players, I don’t know if the older guys can play anymore,” Ron Guidry joked. “But, if they have (the game), I’m sure the crowd would love it, so we’ll have to see what happens over the next couple of years,” reported The Washington Post.

A game is fun but it is the conversations and mentoring that can hold much more value for players. Research from multiple sources makes the case for committing OG mentors to foster relationships with your current employees or in this case players. They bring experience and wisdom and can share so many stories and tips from their vantage point, reflecting on their careers and the various challenges and successes they have had. Certainly having members of championship teams, even scrappy teams that somehow were able to overcome their obstacles to win can have a great impact on the Yankees of today. And it didn't hurt that the Yankees beat the Royals in grand style, with Aaron Judge hitting his 200th career home run and 42nd of the season. 

The OGs of Disney and of the Yankees can ignite your fun, passion, nostalgia, and your good fortune. And the OGs on Saturday certainly ignited a new pride for the Yankees, which I hope permeates the Yankee core to stay strong, hungry and persistent through the next couple of months. 

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

REMEMBER WHEN RYAN WEBER LEFT? OH... HE'S BACK!

Quick note. Last week I wrote that Ryan Weber was taking off. He wanted a major league deal and the Yankees weren't giving it to him. So, he opt-ed out in hopes to find one. Read YANKEES LOSE RYAN WEBER... COME ON, MAN! for that.

Later in the week however, Weber came back. Not sure how or why, but the dude is back with the Yankees. MLB Trade Rumors writes:

"The Yankees have re-signed... Ryan Weber ...to minor league... per an announcement from their Triple-A affiliate, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.

This is old hat by now for Weber, who is signing his fourth minor league deal of the season with the Yankees. On three different occasions now, Weber has been selected to the 40-man roster, pitched in one game, been designated for assignment and elected free agency after clearing waivers. Each time, he’s returned on a new minor league deal. In all likelihood, this scenario will play out again the next time the Yankees need some length in the bullpen — or possibly a spot start. The journeyman Weber has pitched well both with the Yankees and the RailRiders this season, but his overall track record in the Majors is fairly pedestrian: 174 2/3 innings, 5.10 ERA, 14.7% strikeout rate, 5.4% walk rate."

Now let's see what happens next. I wonder if the dude shows up in September when they do call ups. We will have to see.

WITH LUIS CASTILLO GONE, WILL THE YANKEES SIGN SYNDERGAARD?

 I read about this and I got pissed.

It's true, the rumor around Yankeeland is that they are looking for bolster their rotation a bit, and in doing so they are looking for that "lightining in a bottle" scenario and Noah Syndergaard could be it for them.

Empire Sports Media's Daniel Cunningham writes:

"Prior to the season, Noah Syndergaard signed a one-year $21 million deal with the Los Angelas Angels. So far this season, Syndergaard is 5-8 and he’s pitched to a 3.83 ERA. Worth noting that he hasn’t gotten his velocity back since recovering from Tommy John.

Syndergaard used to sit in the upper-90s on his heater where as now it sits between 94 and 95. Obviously there is some money tied to Syndergaard, but my guess is that the Yankees would ask for the Angels to cover some of that salary if they were to proceed with their interest.

....Syndergaard is a pitcher the Yankees have liked for a while. However, with him previously being on the Mets, they never had a chance to get him. His price tag was too high in the offseason for their tastes." 

Obviously we will have to see if this really happens. Cunningham is right, this is a guy that has always been attractive to the Yankees and while he could help, Thor's a big pain in the ass and runs his mouth.  Can you imagine him and Josh Donaldson in the same clubhouse? Yikes.

Right now this is just a rumor.  We will see if there are any legs to it.

MARINERS LAND LUIS CASTILLO

The Yankees were apparently engaged in trade talks with the Reds for Luis Castillo, but it would be the Mariners that would win this one.

MLB Trade Rumors writes:

"Mariners and Reds announced a deal sending two-time All-Star Luis Castillo to Seattle. In exchange, the Reds bring back four prospects — highly-regarded infielders Noelvi Marte and Edwin Arroyo and right-handers Levi Stoudt and Andrew Moore.

Castillo had been perhaps the prize of this year’s rotation market."

Let's see what happens next.

THERE ARE TEAMS THAT ACTUALLY LIKE JOEY GALLO

I just read about Joey Gallo and the fact that teams are interested in him. Jon Heyman reported it. Trust me, he's never right, but I'm hanging on his every word right now.

Jon Heyman tweeted this:

Yankees are shopping Gallo but so far having trouble finding anyone willing to offer the type of prospect they seek. Padres and Rangers like him but both are wrapped up in Juan Soto talks at moment. https://t.co/Fqa6cHnu5k

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) July 28, 2022

Interesting. 

Dan Mennella of Audacy writes:

" the Yankees are indeed "shopping" Gallo ahead of next week's deadline, and at least two clubs -- the Padres and Gallo's former team, the Rangers -- are interested, though the Yankees are yet to receive an offer of the caliber of prospect they apparently are seeking...

Gallo, 28, has seemingly seen his role as an everyday player diminish in recent days, being left out of the starting lineup in three of the past four games -- this coming even with the Yankees being down a regular due to Giancarlo Stanton hitting the IL owing to Achilles tendinitis. Stanton had been seeing increased playing time in right field as the Yankees began shying away from Gallo."

All I can say is this... make it happen. Make it happen Cash.

BENINTENDI IS BRONX BOUND, BABY! BYE BYE JOEY?

Alright, alright, alright! Now we are talking.  We are just under a week until the 2022 Trade deadline and the Yankees have already started what I hope will be an extensive shopping spree. Hopefully.....fingers crossed.

Earlier this month I said ANDREW BENINTENDI SHOULD BE BRONX BOUND! and I have REALLY wanted to see this happen but even recently I was skeptical that it was going to happen. Boy am I glad I was wrong! I am excited to see Andrew Benintendi in pinstripes, it's time. I think he adds a lot to our lineup. Yes, give me that left handed bat, .321BA and his ability to just put the ball in play and not be a guaranteed strike out! And if you are about to tell me "but he only has 3 home runs" you can save it because I don't care. 

He can do everything that Joey Gallo has proven he CAN'T do for us. Benintendi is the answer to my prayers (at least I hope)....and do you know what those are? Easy, let me tell you.....it's a one-way ticket to get Joey out of town! BUH-BYE Joey. I don't care where you end up, honestly. You don't gotta go back to Texas but ya can't stay in a Yankee uniform. We tried the Gallo experiment. It had immediate positive results last season after we got him but ever since then it's been an absolute train wreck. The outfield needed a serious upgrade and not that it would've been hard but I believe Benny is the guy.

Now what? Unless the Yankees believe that Giancarlo Stanton is a bigger problem than this recent DL trip I would assume the Juan Soto trade is probably off the table. I guess time will tell but the most important part of this for me is getting a trade partner to kick Joey to the curb. He's still on the roster so there are more moves for Brian Cashman to make. Get it done! For the record though, I was skeptical about Benintendi and yet here he is, so I would be okay with being wrong about Soto.

And for those of you who have been following the Benintendi "vaccination status" chatter on social media, hopefully Joy Heyman's tweets will put your mind at ease.

So if you were worried about the Yankees getting him and then not being able to play him when the Yankees travel to Canada, you can stop stressing. The Blue Jays wouldn't be trying to get him to have him sit on the bench for the rest of the season at home....right? 

Now the best part of all of this is now the Yankees start a series at home against the Kansas City Royals, so I am hoping to watch a Yankee win against Benny's old team.

So, next I am hoping Cashman is going to surprise us with a pitching upgrade. Oh but, don't forget to get rid of Joey. In fact, I will be right over to help pack him! 

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

ANDREW BENINTENDI IS A NEW YORK YANKEE!

Huge get and it happened just a short time ago.  Jack Curry I think was the first, I could be wrong (love that guy. But here is Jeff Passan's tweet.  Andrew Benintendi is a New York Yankee!

The New York Yankees are finalizing a deal to acquire outfielder Andrew Benintendi from Kansas City, sources tell ESPN. Three minor leaguers will be headed back to the Royals.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 28, 2022

Now who are those minor leaguers?  Beck Way, Chandler Champlain and TJ Sikkema.  I really don't know much about them, but no question going to the Royals may get them a better shot at making to the bigs.

For Benintendi, this is a great get. He's a terrific fit.

CBS Sports writes:

"Benintendi, 28, owns a .321/.389/.399 batting line with three home runs this season, which earned him his first All-Star Game berth. He is scheduled to become a free agent after the season."

I look forward to watching this guy in New York! Gonna be fun!

Welcome Andrew... let's get after it.

More from BYB's own Jeana Bellezza in the morning!

OUTFIELDER BRYAN REYNOLDS STILL ON THE YANKEES RADAR

Yes the Yankees are linked to Juan Soto and Andrew Benintendi. Yes the Yankees have talked about David Peralta and Ian Happ too. But Bryan Reynolds has been a guy that's been on the Yankees radar for a while.  And while all those other options are good, the trade value for them could be bigger than for a guy like Reynolds. Whatever the case, this tid-bit is interesting.

Inside the Pinstripes writes:

"The Yankees (along with the Miami Marlins) have "not stopped calling" about Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Bryan Reynolds...

the 27-year-old hasn't exactly looked like the All-Star that played in 159 games and earned MVP votes a year ago. The center fielder, who recently returned from a right oblique strain, is slashing .257/.339/.459 with 15 homers and 1.4 fWAR across 84 games played...

Reynolds is a young player with a solid track record and three more years of team control after this season. It might not require the type of package a Soto trade would command, but Reynolds is still a valuable piece that Pittsburgh won't move unless they get what they're looking for."

Look... Matt Carpenter is shining in the Bronx right now.  A guy like Reynolds could do the same. If the Yankees can flip Gallo to another team by the deadline, Reynolds would be a nice fit and probably more productive than Gallo down the stretch. 

We will see what happens, but this is interesting to say the least.

DAVID CONE WANTS THE YANKEES TO SWOOP IN ON SOTO

 I love David Cone. Should the Yankees listen when he says they need to strike to get Juan Soto?

Audacy says: 

"...appearing on “The Show” podcast, the ex-Yankees pitcher-turned-YES Network analyst encouraged the Yankees to make a serious run at Soto.

"This is Cashman’s one shot,” Cone said. “The Yankees need to do it right now, they really do. The window is there for them, the fanbase is clamoring for it. If you’ve been to Yankee Stadium lately, the crowds are up, the ratings on YES are through the roof, now is the time to strike.

“You look at a top-10 prospects list for the last 20 years, go back 10 years and look at the Yankees top-10 prospect list – maybe one or two of them made it. Anthony Volpe is a nice player, probably going to be the next shortstop for the Yankees, so maybe you carve him out and save him, but pretty much everybody should be on the table if you can get Juan Soto at this point. It would be such a smash for the Yankees to get him in the lineup."

Do we really need Juan Soto? Personally I don't think we do. But I'm not David Cone and I sure as hell have never dealt with the money that the Yankees have to land this guy, not to mention what they are willing to give up.  

Pay close attention to this story folks.  I didn't give it much thought until Coney said something. Now my mind is wondering.  

Secondly... what happened to Aaron Judge if we do land that guy?

Stay tuned.

YANKEES LOSE RYAN WEBER... COME ON, MAN!

I'm a Ryan Weber guy right here.  I didn't want to see him go, but there you have it... he's gone too.  First Shane Greene, now Weber.

NJ.com writes:

"The veteran journeyman rejected the Yankees’ outright assignment to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, the team said Tuesday, and is free to sign with any other team. Weber has pitched well in his short big-league action this year.

In three appearances, he’s given up just a run and pitched 7 2/3 innings. On July 16, he threw three scoreless innings to earn his first MLB save in a 14-1 win over the Red Sox at Fenway Park.

At Triple-A, Weber has gone 2-2 with a 2.55 ERA in nine games."

Maybe that's enough to have another team take a chance on him, maybe not.  What you don't want is to see this guy go and then come playoff time he shows up in a match up against the Yankees and dominates.  That would truly piss me off.

Whatever the case, it's safe to say that Weber is bye-bye.  Good luck buddy.

THE PHILLIES ARE DOING THE RIGHT THING

The Hit King is back.  At least in Philadelphia.

Pete Rose is no doubt one of the best players to ever play the game. Gritty and determined he was the first player I saw growing up in Kentucky for a short time and thought, who is this guy on the Reds? He was so awesome. It was there that I fell in love with baseball. Soon after when I moved to New Jersey it would be Ron Guidry who would catch my eye and from that point on I was a Yankee fan. But Pete Rose will always be in my top 5 all time... no question.

The New York Post writes that Pete Rose will be welcomed by the City of Brotherly Love... Philly. And you know what? I love it.

"The sport’s all-time hits leader will be at the Phillies’ alumni weekend and be introduced on the field along with his former teammates from the 1980 World Series championship team on Aug. 7. That team’s shortstop, Larry Bowa, broke the news on Saturday night during the Phillies’ TV broadcast of their game against the Cubs.

The Phillies said in a statement that they “received permission from the commissioner’s office” to invite Rose, and the team consulted with Rose’s teammates from the 1980 club and “everyone” wants him there.”

Now I kind of wish the Phils went rogue and just invited Rose without checking with our dopey commissioner, but this is still a move in the right direction.  If Manfred wants to redeem himself as not being the worst commissioner we've ever had, he should watch the reception in Philadelphia and gauge the fact that Rose has done his time with his betting scandal.  He needs to come back to baseball... and needs to be in the Hall of Fame too.

Kudos to the Phillies. This is awesome.  I may actually try and get tickets to this one.

SHANE GREENE... GONZO

 

The Yankees brought him back to see if he had anything left in the tank. They decided he didn't.

MLB Trade Rumors writes that the reunion with Shane Greene and the Yankees is officially over.

"The Yankees have designated reliever Shane Greene for assignment, per the team. The move creates an open roster spot for Ron Marinaccio, who has been reinstated from the 15-day injured list.

The veteran Greene has made just two appearances on the season, one for the Dodgers and one for the Yankees. "

In his one appearance with the Yanks he pitched 1 inning, gave up 2 runs, a homer and walked 1.  He also struck out a batter. ERA? 18.00.

I think that sealed the deal. Good Luck Shane.

WHAT'S GOING ON WITH STANTON?

Is he really just "exhausted" as Aaron Boone said HERE or is there more to the story? It's a fair question to ask after Giancarlo Stanton missed two games in a row after he was named MVP of the All-Star game. The Yankees have taken some tough hits lately, if this is more than just exhaustion, it is terrible timing.

I hope it really is nothing, but considering that the Yankees have lost nine of their last 17 games it is hard to ignore. We all knew the Yankees weren't going to keep the same incredible pace all season and they had to slow down at some point. But after the Yankees have had some unfortunate losses with Michael King and a giant question mark surrounding Luis Severino it's a lot of bad news in a short time frame.

And it just leaves me and the rest of Yankeeland wondering exactly what is ailing, Stanton. Neither side is giving a lot of details other than Boone saying there are no injury concerns right now. I want to believe that, especially with the great season the Yankees have been having so far but it is hard to also forget that Stanton has quite a lengthy history with leg injuries.

So I hope it is just "exhaustion" but at the same time, if there isn't more to the story why not just shut it down? Stanton's smirk and smartass answer of  "Sure, write what you want" only adds fuel to the fire as we are already wondering what moves the Yankees will make as the trade deadline is fast approaching on August 2nd. Yankees have been connected to Luis Castillo, Andrew Benintendi, bullpen help and now....more focus on Juan Soto IF Stanton is hurt? Yikes!

Hopefully it's just exhaustion as the Yankees are trying to spin it. However, if it is I have an idea on how to help with some of that it's called rest and focus on the game. Maybe he's not doing enough of either now that he has a new love interest and it bring me back to 2020 when he was hanging out with / bench pressing Adriana Lima and couldn't stay heathy.

Hoping for good news from Stanton as the Yankees continue to push towards an AL East title....and maybe even a championship at the end of the season. 

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

WHAT MICHAEL KING'S INJURY MEANS FOR THE YANKEES

The Yankees have been playing from their knees during these last two series since coming back from the All-Star Break. The first was a doubleheader with Houston, where they failed miserably. And they are in the midst of the second, against Baltimore, which has been a horrible showing for this Yankee team. To add salt to the Yankees' wounds, hitting them while they are down, Michael King suffered a season-ending, hard-to-watch pop in his elbow on Friday night. What does this injury and King's absence down the stretch mean for the Yankees? Here are my insights.

Source: New York Post

"Before the injury, the 27-year-old was having a breakout season and was a pivotal part on the back end of the Yankees bullpen, posting a 2.29 ERA and a career-high 66 strikeouts through 51 innings pitched. As the Yankees seek to continue rolling throughout the season, MLB’s upcoming trade deadline could be the time to find another relief pitcher. With King’s absence, the Yankees called up Clarke Schmidt from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Schmidt had posted a 3.00 ERA in 24 innings in MLB this season," reported SI.com. 

Although many contemplated that the Yankees would go for another bat and outfielder to fill the gap for their non-performing peers, they are going to be forced to find two great arms to take the helm for King and the floundering Aroldis Chapman. Chapman simply cannot pitch and King will be unable.

Prior to last night's news that King would be sidelined for the rest of the season with a fractured elbow, Sports Illustrated predicted, "The Yankees are World Series contenders and are on pace to win 111 games, but King’s injury could impact New York’s position heading into the playoffs if he’s unable to pitch again this year." 

So who is available for the Yankees to pick up in a hurry, before the looming trade deadline in August? According to MLB Insider, "Reds right-hander Luis Castillo is the best starting pitcher available on the market, and certainly won’t come cheap. Regardless, the Yankees rotation has recently experienced some turbulence, and lost Luis Severino to the IL with a low grade lat strain. That’s why MLB insider Buster Olney believes Castillo should be the big move that they make ahead of the deadline." That could solve the starter issue but there is still the gaps in the bullpen. Sure the Yankees can try to plug that hole with current prospects but so far, that approach has been lackluster.

Are the Yankees in trouble? Yes, without a doubt. They have the rubber game in Baltimore and they have an upcoming short series with the Mets this week, in Citifield. King's injury coupled with Severino, Miguel Castro, Ron Marinaccio and very early on Chad Green, has put the Yankee in a very challenging position. Could Zach Britton be back? How about Deivi Garcia? These are still questions for the Yankees. Do the Yankees have another diamond in the rough out there? If so, I would like to know. 

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

EVERY STRIKEOUT SO FAR OF JOEY GALLO FOR MY BUDDY JIM STEVENS...

You can't hate but be concerned about the hole in the lineup that is Joey Gallo.  My friends think I am annoying. "You try and be a major leaguer and hit a baseball every game" they tell me. You know what? Nice try. I stopped playing ball when I knew I couldn't make it. I wasn't big, I wasn't hitting home runs and I was running out of time. 

Clearly someone say that big body Joey Gallo and convinced him a long time ago that he had the chops to go to the Major Leagues. And everyone fell for it. I guess playing ball in high school in Vegas propped him up and then LSU was just another step in the right direction. But it really doesn't mean much when you don't perform in the MLB. One would suggest peaked years before the draft... and that's OK.

Joey Gallo leads the Yankees, striking out in 44.6% of his AB’s this season.

Here’s every single one of them. pic.twitter.com/wJ0nFlpkzv

— Bronx Central (@BronxCentral) July 22, 2022

Someone at Bronx Central posted this video of Joey Gallo sucking the life out of the game. Every strikeout this season all wrapped up in one. My friend, and BYB reader Jim Stevens broke my chops a few weeks ago telling me I post about Gallo-hate way too much. I do, I admit it... and sure I pick on Joey, but enough's enough. This guy has to go.

Jim, forgive me... I had to post this... because it's amazing!

MY KID LIVED THE (MLB ALL-STAR WEEKEND) DREAM

Growing up, watching baseball with my grandfather, MLB All Star weekend was always my favorite part of the game. It showed the players having fun, and seemed to make them more real to me.

Five years ago, when my oldest started playing softball, she knew it was a pastime. 

Women in sports are not as widely respected or fairly paid.

But she absolutely fell in love with the game.

She quickly started following Jennie Finch because, not only was she a multiple Olympic Medalist, she also played at the MLB Celebrity Softball game every year and made it very clear that women in this game are serious athletes.

She took to researching Hall of Famers such as Dottie Komenshek, and more recent athletes such as Lauren Chamberlain, and Cat Osterman.

For the past few years, her heart has belonged to the game, and the game has belonged to her.

Now, that’s not to say that it has always been smooth sailing. At a whopping 4 ft 11 in, she’s always had to work twice as hard to get half of the deserved recognition. She learned quickly- if she was serious about the game, she had to take the pastime and make it a passion.

From that point on, she took off!

The past two years she has been playing with the City Divas - A Bronx RBI team that goes back more than 20 years. With the Divas she has been afforded many opportunities on the field. From playing in the Babe Ruth Tournaments to being part of the HBCU Juneteenth Tournaments in Washington, DC. She’s also become an incredible in-field utility player, with a passion for catching, like my Yankees favorite, Jorge Posada- although behind the plate, she is much more like Pudge Rodriguez. She currently plays 3rd base for the 18U/16U teams.

The greatest opportunity came in May when she was invited to try out for team DREAM out of Harlem, NY to be a part of the Jennie Finch Classic at MLB All-Star Weekend.

Samara says that she was nervous when she learned her coach had suggested her for the tryouts. She came home saying she “showed out.” Whether she was going to make the team or not, she absolutely was going to give it her all. DREAM’s softball coach saw something in my girl, and the rest is history! Have to say- her hard work and the dedicated coaching staff of the City Divas helped get her there.

Samara spent the last week in Los Angeles, California taking part of the MLB All-Star Weekend festivities. She played 3rd base at 2 of the 4 games played by her team and went 4 for 7 the whole weekend.

The highlight for her was meeting Lauren Chamberlain and Jennie Finch herself. Both who spent a significant amount of time in the dugout with each team. Of being at the tournament itself, Samara posted on Instagram that she was “literally living a dream.” Her second at bat during game 4, Chamberlain herself walked over to her, and said “you got this, kid!” Giving her a supportive pat on the helmet before heading into the dugout to cheer with the team. Samara hit a bloop past second for a single, and scoring an RBI. “She (Chamberlain) gave me good luck. I played my best game yet at 3rd after that.”

Samara was also present at the celebrity softball game and Home Run Derby. Seated along the first baseline, she said the softball game was the funniest game she has ever witnessed. She got to witness Bryan Cranston getting “Finched” first hand, saying him being ejected was first rate comedy.

For me, the best part of the week was conversing with Jennie Finch herself. We discussed the importance of having softball and the girls at MLB All-Star weekend. Growing up, young ladies were never represented on that stage. Watching the girls from the 12 MLB Youth Academies being represented is a huge deal.

I appreciate how much work Finch and the other Softball legends have put in to ensure that the game and our girls are represented, respected and honored for their hard-work and athleticism. It’s been a long road, but the change is happening.

Take it from Samara… my kid literally lived the dream!

 

--Erica Morales

BYB Contributor

Twitter: @e_morales1804

THE LATEST SCOTT BORAS SALES PITCH IS A RIOT!

"I do know that there are a lot of teams that feel that Joey in their market and their uniform would be more of the normal than what he is in New York. But right now, he’s on a winning team, he’s on a team that’s doing very well, he can be a major contributor to it …" Scott Boras

OH PLEASE, Boras! Please don't tease us anymore. Please from your mouth to the baseball god's ears PLEASE let ANY other team take Joey Gallo off of our hands. That would be the greatest gift so far this season. You can read more HERE and laugh. 

He COULD be a major contributor but he hasn't been. He's been dead weight! You gotta hand it to Boras though, he always makes things interesting. He usually makes me laugh my ass off and this time he certainly didn't disappoint. It's his job to sell his clients, so it's no surprise that he is working overtime trying to spin this. I guarantee the guy would try to sell snow to an Eskimo so believe me when I say I am not shocked by his statements....I just think he is delusional.

"He had a nice home run the other day. Defensively, he’s been playing at very, very high levels. And he gets on base a lot because he’s walking at rates now that he was before. We certainly have things to work on."

More ice selling again. Great, he had a nice home run the other day which brings his grand total to 11. Really impressive (sarcasm). But, what has he done for us lately, Boras? Or....consistently for that matter? How has he been a positive contributor? Everyone has nice moments in this game, but rare moments aren't enough when you play for the Yankees. 

So please, Boras show us the teams that are lining up for the guy who is a very good defender but has a .164 BA and 98 strikeouts making him a SURE out. Oh and a rather expensive sure out at that. If another team wants take a gamble, the Yankees are all ears. Maybe another non-contending team can overlook all of the strikeouts and be okay with the occasional big hit.

But we can't afford that come September. He's an insult to Mario Mendoza, the guy that inspired the baseball cliché of "batting below the Mendoza line." He's reinvented it, we should call it the GALLO line from now on. Time to give poor Mario a break.

At any rate, please Boras....find a willing team and we will send Gallo packing. Hell, we might even throw in a new bucket of baseballs and some Big League Chew to sweeten the deal! 

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

WHAT JUDGE'S RESPONSE TO A FAN MEANS FOR HIS FUTURE AS A YANKEE

I just love the All Star Game. It is a tradition in my family to gather, watch, text and banter about the game, the players and the fanfare around the baseball classic. We grill up some hotdogs and eat peanuts and no matter where we are, we talk and text about the game. For me, I love watching the pre-game material and the behind the scenes with fans and players hours before first pitch. During the game, I like to watch the game—definitely not a fan of the player's mic and catcher's cam. But before the game, I am all about it. Yet this time, I stopped in my tracks as Aaron Judge gave a warm-up interview with the guys from ESPN. His response to a fan might stop you in your tracks too.

"While speaking to ESPN's Marly Rivera before Tuesday's All-Star Game, Judge was asked about a young fan named Jacob who was afraid his favorite player won't be a member of the team after this year. The 30-year-old gave an answer that is sure to raise some eyebrows." 

"Jacob, buddy, we've got a lot of great Yankees on this team. There are a lot of great Yankees who will be here for a long time, so don't be upset," Judge said. "Hopefully you'll be a Judge fan for life."

To not have Judge be a part of the Yankees' future is not something I can even conceptualize. He has brought so much to this franchise; filling the void of Derek Jeter but his connection to fans is way deeper. He has charisma and spark and an infectious smile. And let's not forget his own Chambers in right field. I can't imagine the Yankees without him and I hope I don't have to.

To add insult to injury, the Yankee slugger was asked about the possibility of playing with Juan Soto, who could be a replacement for the the 30-year-old franchise player. Recall that earlier this week Soto declined a 15-year, 440 million dollar deal with the Nationals. Judge in judgian fashion handled the questions perfectly, as always, but it felt awkward.

Source: SI.com

"Juan's a special player. It would be fun to see him be in New York," reported SNY. Judge's demeanor was authentic despite the fact that Soto could be enlisted to fill the void of Judge should he decide to move on from the Yankees. "Judge responded to two separate questions about Soto and had only positive things to say, even joking that he hopes the young slugger doesn’t end up on a team the Yankees have to play a lot down the stretch," reported FanSided.

Let's not forget that Judge is a native Californian and his family resides there now. Playing out in Los Angeles and perhaps finishing out his career there could be enticing to him. But the pain of seeing him head to the west coast from New York might be similar to experiencing the beloved Dodgers leave Brooklyn. Well, maybe not that dramatic, but you get the picture.

Source: NJ.com

Judge's response to the young fan is authentic. He doesn't want to guarantee anything because anything can happen between now and the fall. But the thought is out there, right from his own mouth. Judge might not be in pinstripes next year. And for the first time, he clearly articulated that possibility to a national audience. 

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