SLAM HEARD 'ROUND THE BRONX

Call it a wakeup call. Call it theater. Call it whatever you want. Aaron Judge calls it the slam that woke up the Yankees.

That whole act with Aaron Boone slammed the table was comedy. The Yankees were dying at that point when he slammed the table and told the media that it was "right there" for the Yankees, they just needed to go get it.  Since then, my favorite meme is matching the beat of Boone's slap to Frank Sinatra's New York, New York. I mean, why not, right?

But Judge, who never makes it about himself, is crediting his skipper with waking the Yankees up.  I kind of like it, even though I think it's ridiculous.

NJ.com writes:

"...as Boone smacked his hand down on the table as he sat behind a microphone, saying the division title was “right in front of us,” the Yanks responded with a five-game winning streak, and now, five weeks later, have the AL East locked up, and a Wild Card Series bye.

Was Boone’s brief tirade a wake-up call for the Yanks? Some players told Randy Miller of NJ.com that it was indeed a turning point.

“He was sending a different type of message and tactic to pick us to pick it up,” Giancarlo Stanton told Miller. “I definitely noticed. I saw it on my phone and
TV. And it worked.”...

Watching his manager flip out during a press conference, Judge was fired up.

“Boone is a leader of this team day in and day out,” Judge said. “The trust that he has in us, the belief that he has in us through the good times and the bad times ... he’s been there for us and always has our backs. So when he speaks up or does something like that, you listen and you respond.

“Boone’s been one of the winningest managers so far in his career. He’s something special. When he did that after that game, we all had to look in the mirror and say, ‘What can I do to help this team out?’ You can definitely look back on that moment and see the team picked it up.”

If you know anything about my fandom, know that I don't care what makes the Yankees win... as long as they're winning.  

I love this story.  

Big game tonight folks!  Bader is in for Hicks, DJ is back... and Judge looks for #62.

Let's get after it.

#61! & REACTION FROM THE JAYS FANS WHO MISSED THE BALL IS PRICELESS!

I wonder who feels worse right now....Tim Mayza or the Blue Jay fans that missed catching Aaron Judge's 61st home run?

It wasn't a good night for the Blue Jays or their fans. What a night, Judge hits his 61st home run, Mayza becomes an answer to a trivia question and is now a well-known name to Yankee fans AND the Blue Jays lost 8-3....ouch!

And the opposite of ouch is watching two Jays fans go after the ball and miss it and then what their reactions. That was the icing on the cake and made me go back and watch it a couple of times on twitter. 
If you didn't get to see what I am talking about, check it out below.

DOH! That's gotta hurt! But now what does Judge have left in the tank? The Yankees are in the home stretch and Judge has played in 47 straight games and we are all ready to watch him him 62 in his last homestand of the season against the Orioles. I am crossing my fingers because I want to see it....we all want to see it.

I can't believe we are in the last week of the regular season. It's been a grind, it's good to be back on top as the AL East Champs and hopefully this is just the start. Congrats, Judge! Your home run tonight even made Jays fans #ALLRISE.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj 

CHASING #61

Source: The Athletic

Every night YES Broadcaster Michael Kay welcomes in the national audience who are waiting, like the Yankees fans are, for Aaron Judge to launch #61. I am lucky enough to have witnessed all of Judge's home runs this season. Each one of them, special. Each one of them, powerful and purposeful, as Judge, got his team off to a great start, single-handedly carried his team through the toughest days of August and now into the dog days of September. As we all wait for #61, let's take a look at some of his more memorable home runs in 2022.

Source: CBS Sports 

Judge blasted his first home run of the season against the Toronto Blue Jays' José Berríos, ironically the starting pitcher of Tuesday night's game. That home run came on April 13th and went 413 feet. "New York ended the first month of the season on a seven-game winning streak and Judge was a catalyst. Five of his six April home runs came in those seven victories." reported The Athletic. 

Judge started off May with a huge 453 foot home run against the Kansas City Royals and had one of the most impressive home runs in June against Los Angeles Angels pitcher Shohei Ohtani, smashing a slider over the left-field wall at Yankee Stadium for No. 19 on the season.

Source: Sports Illustrated 

His longest home run of the season happened in Camden Yards on July 22. Judge drove a pitch from Tyler Wells 465 feet over the left-center-field wall. And how about some walk-off home runs? Judge has had three walk-off home runs this season, most recently on July 28 against the Royals. 

“You feel it pre-pitch, like walking up to the plate and the walk-up song plays and the crowd is gonna get crazy,” Judge said afterward, when asked about handling the pressure of a big moment. “Then once you step into the box and dig in and take a deep breath, it doesn’t go silent, but you just kind of lock it in," said Judge following his walk off home run against Houston on June 26th.

Source: New York Times

His bat went quiet along with his teams for a lot of August, but he picked up as the month rolled on and since September, Judge has been on a tear. He was on fire against the Yankees nemesis The Tampa Bay Rays, and launched some fiery bombers in Fenway, with his "10th multi-HR game of the season, tying him for third-most in a season in MLB history" on September 13th, reported The Athletic. 

Judge hit two against the Brewers (58 and 59) and on September 20th, Judge became the third-fastest player to reach 60 home runs. That electric night, last Tuesday night was against the Pittsburgh Pirates—his home run ignited a ninth-inning Yankee comeback in a must-win game. 

Source: New York Times

Judge is still chasing #61. And although he makes it look easy with what appears to be an effortless swing, his at bats are anything but easy. He is working 3-2 counts, mashing base hits and carrying his team in both batting average and RBIs. He is on the verge of a triple crown season, but he remains one home run short of tying Roger Maris. Judge is chasing history and eventually, he will get there. 

We have waited for a season like this for so long and we got it. The Yankees clinched the AL East in their victory against the Blue Jays on Tuesday. And for Judge, his 61st home run swing will come too—we just have to wait. 

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

DREAMING ABOUT MATTINGLY AT THE HELM IN THE BRONX

I don't know if Don Mattingly will ever be the Yankees manager, but what I do know is I want it to happen.  News has come out about Mattingly and the Marlins. It turns out this will be the last season he will manage in Miami.

Fansided writes:

"The Miami Marlins and Don Mattingly have agreed this will be his last season as manager of the team. Come home to the Bronx, Don. The Yankees need you.

After seven years managing the Miami Marlins, Don Mattingly is going to be moving on...

Mattingly coming back to lead the Yankees as a manager would be oh-so-sweet for long-time Yankee fans. Since Boone is under contract for the foreseeable future, though, Mattingly coming back as a coach of some sort would be more likely in between management positions. Mattingly would need to be open to that, though, and may have more attractive offers on the table this offseason, if he wants to keep working at all."

We all want the Yankees to win, but say they don't this year. The Yankees could fire Aaron Boone. Will they? I doubt it, but if they did, I would love to see a guy like Don Mattingly slide in.   Who knows if this would ever happen, but damn, I would love it so much.

We shall see. Nice piece Josh Wilson at Fansided.

GONZO! SO LONG, ANDUJAR

No big surprise here, but Miguel Andujar is officially gonzo!

Andujar got a new home, just like he wanted. Maybe not exactly like he wanted, it took quite a while but it did finally happen. His most recent request to be traded happened back in June and honestly I wanted him to get his wish which is why I wrote I'M TEAM ANDUJAR BECAUSE THE YANKEES MAKE BAD DECISIONS! It was sickening to watch Andujar get passed over for worthless scrubs like Joey Gallo and Aaron Hicks but things have a way of working themselves out.

So now Andujar is a Pittsburgh Pirate and I hope it works out for him. He deserves to get some playing time ad not be stashed away in the minors as a 27-year old infielder / outfielder fill in. Is he the greatest baseball player? No, hardly. He's a far cry from where he was back in 2018 but he's not getting any younger and he has no opportunity as a Yankee. 

It's funny to look back now and think about how the Pirates asked the Yankees to include Andujar and Clint Frazier in a trade to get Gerrit Cole and the Yankees said NO. The Yankees considered Andujar to be untouchable at the time, and here we are four years later and the Pirates got him for free.

Now Andujar gets to reunite in Pittsburgh with several other ex-Yankees including Manny Banuelos, Greg Allen and Ben Gamel just to name a few. Hopefully this is the only similarity that Andujar sees on his new team because he deserves a clean slate.

So this is it....it is finally the end. It was a long time coming, too. I really think the Yankees should've cut the strings sooner and it is only being done now to free up roster space because it's just another thing the Yankees can't seem to manage properly. Andujar can finally pack his bags, get a fresh start and stop thinking about the Yankees.

Good luck to you, Andujar. I am sorry it didn't work out for you here, but best of luck to you in Pittsburgh.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj 

YANKEES KEEP THINGS MOVING DESPITE JUDGE'S QUIET BAT

Source: Michelle Farsi for The New York Times

The Yankees are winning and that is what we need them to do. Sure, we all want Aaron Judge to hit number 61 and 62 for that matter. But while we patiently wait for Judge to add more to the history books, the team around him is making things happen and this is exactly we need them to do. The Yankees keep things moving despite Judge's quiet bat. 

“Just passing the baton, knowing that the guy behind you has got your back,” Jose Trevino said. “One through nine, guys on the bench … we believe in each other. Outside noise doesn’t matter to us. What matters is this clubhouse," reported MLB following the Yankees 5-4 win against the Red Sox on Friday. 

The Yankees also knocked off the Sox at the Stadium on Saturday with a 7-5 win. The hits and towering home runs came from Anthony Rizzo and Gleyber Torres. We also saw some heads of base running by Harrison Bader, who has been a great addition to the team with his glove as well. 

“I think the casual person thinks, ‘I’m going to come tonight and [see him] hit a homer,’” manager Aaron Boone said. “The reality is, he’s just missed two [homers] the last two nights. He’s getting off the right swings; he’s making good swing decisions. It’s going to come," reported MLB.

Source: The Guardian 

But while we all wait, the Yankees are quietly winning as the 2022 season ticks on and the Yankees enter the final game of the four game stint against the Red Sox. Not going to lie, it is exciting to watch Judge make history. And equally exciting is to see Albert Pujols hit career home run numbers 699 and 700 in the same game on Friday night. At the end of the day, both teams, St. Louis and the Yankees want to get to the playoffs. That is the goal—as both guys know it is team before player. 

“We have the ultimate goal of winning our division and setting ourselves up for the postseason,” said Judge, who added that he did not think he had hit that ball off Barnes well enough for it to go out. “But this is step number one of many steps to come, that’s for sure,” The New York Times after Friday's win against the Sox.

Source: Michelle Farsi for The New York Times

The Yankees keep rolling with only eleven games left to play this season. They will finish out their final series with the Sox in a 7:07 PM start on ESPN Sunday Night Baseball. Could this be numbers 61 and 62 for Judge? I hope so, but if not, I hope the Yankees win and get that much closer to clinching the AL East and continue to ramp themselves up for a what will be an incredibly competitive postseason.

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

AN EX-YANKEE SCOUT WAS WRONG ABOUT JUDGE

As baseball fans, we frequently complain about bad calls that an umpire makes in a game. We all know those calls that infuriate us when an umpire calls an obvious ball a strike, but it goes beyond just bad umpire calls.

There are bad calls made before ever hitting a big league stadium and Aaron Judge was one of them. Now before you start throwing baseballs at my head, read THIS for the details. Scouts make the first calls before an umpire ever does and one scout in particular was dead wrong about Judge.

I find it fascinating, too. Tim McIntosh spent time with great players like Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera so he recognized special players, but he's human. After his playing days were over the  Steinbrenner family hired him as a minor league coach and later as a scout where he got his first look at Judge as a teenager.

McIntosh and other scouts were not impressed with Judge early on. Back in the day, McIntosh was intrigued by Judge's size even at a young age and after watching him said that despite his big build "there was nothing there" other than raw power he didn't think Judge had the "it" factor as a young teenager. He saw nothing that made him believe in Judge as a major league ball player but admitted "I just put him in the system in case something crazy happened. And then something crazy happened."

And boy something crazy did happen. Thank goodness Judge turned down the Oakland A's offer in the 2010 draft and focused on his education until the Yankees drafted him in 2013. Thank goodness McIntosh was wrong at first....otherwise we might have missed him hit 60 home runs as a Yankee and be a legitimate MVP candidate.

I love the human element of this sport, even though sometimes I want to strangle an umpire or two. Even these "experienced expert" scouts with baseball experience get it wrong. In the end, we got Judge and hopefully we keep him long term....and that would be the best result from a bad call we could ever ask for.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj 

HARRISON BADER IS LIGHTING IT UP IN THE BRONX

Source: NY Post

Aaron Hicks better not see the light of day in this Yankee lineup again this season. By the sixth inning in his first game in pinstripes, Harrison Bader was 2 for 3 with two RBI singles. He looked locked and loaded. Yes, Harrison Bader is lighting in up in the Bronx and I am hopeful he can carry us with his glove and his bat into the postseason.

"Bader, a native New Yorker who grew up near Yankee Stadium, had been on the 60-day injured list with plantar fasciitis in his right foot. Bader last played in a game for St. Louis back on June 26. Bader batted seventh and played center field against the Pirates," wrote ESPN.

Source: USA Today

In what is being called as the Wrecking Ball lineup, skipper Aaron Boone believes this is the best Yankee team he has managed in his five year tenure. And he expects that if things align the way he hopes, the Yankees will take it deep into the postseason.

“If we get at least close to fully healthy, yeah, I think it has a chance to be,” Boone says. “Benintendi would be big—to get that other left-handed hitter and a solid defender. [Harrison] Bader should be back Tuesday. It has a chance to be a real complete team. Could be [the best]," reported Sports Illustrated.

Source: NY Times

Since launching the Wrecking Ball lineup,  the Yankees are 5–2 , scoring 51 runs in those seven games, with Anthony Rizzo coming off the IL Sunday. Rizzo has been red hot both on the hot corner and in the batter's box. The Yankees could be set because playoff ball is about bats and bullpens.

Source: NJ.com

Getting Bader back is another piece of the postseason puzzle. Sure, it is just his first game, but if this is any indication of what is to come with this guy, things are definitely looking up for the Yankees. Let's keep the forward momentum flowing, as we see guys like DJ LeMahieu and Matt Carpenter make their way back too. Bader is a great start to what the Yankees can be as they move closer and closer to the postseason. 

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

BREAKING HOME RUN RECORDS IS REAL!

We haven't legitimately seen players break home runs records and end seasons in the 700 club in a long time, and this is good for baseball and it's exciting if you are a Yankees fan, a Cardinals fan, or just a student of the game. 

Yahoo Sports writes of Albert Pujols...

"Albert Pujols' 11th-hour power surge continued on Friday with the 698th home run of his career, putting him two long balls away from becoming the fourth person to enter the 700 club.

6⃣9⃣8⃣ pic.twitter.com/mXt3fe7JzW

— MLB (@MLB) September 17, 2022

The St. Louis Cardinals great took another step toward history against the Cincinnati Reds, blasting a first-pitch slider from Raynel Espinal 427 feet into the left-field stands."

And with Albert's career run, comes Aaron Judge with his big day yesterday. Yardbarker writes:

"Aaron Judge blasted a pair of solo home runs to raise his season total to 59 and move within two of the single-season American League record as the visiting New York Yankees avoided a series sweep with a 12-8 comeback victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday.

🚨New Record!🚨
2️⃣ more homers today for #AaronJudge! 🚀🚀 #58 and #59. Judge now holds the AL record for single-season homers by a right-handed hitter, passing Jimmie Foxx (1932) & Hank Greenberg (1938). @Yankees @TheJudge44 #yankees #RogerMaris #mlb pic.twitter.com/xnzvsv9g8s

— Patrick Mahan (@patrickmahan) September 18, 2022

Judge homered in the third and again in the seventh to pull within two of the AL and Yankees team record of 61, set by Roger Maris in 1961. Judge also hit a two-run double in the ninth for a 12-6 lead."

In the end, 2 nice guys who work their tails off. One ending a career and one looking for a long term deal to make him a Yankee for life.  I really hope that becomes reality for Judge. It's been quite a thing to see him play.

HARRISON BADER WILL SOON BE ACTIVATED

Quick note about Harrison Bader because everyone is excited to see what kind of energy he can bring to this Yankees club... they want to activiate him Tuesday.

MLB Trade Rumors writes:

"Bader will “likely” be activated from the 60-day injured list prior to Tuesday’s game against the Pirates. Bader played the sixth game of a minor league rehab assignment today with Double-A Somerset....

The Yankees’ 24-30 record since the All-Star break has led to some general unrest amongst the fanbase, though the team still has a 5.5-game lead in the AL East. If Bader is recovered and able to play at his usual level, however, there will be a lot less second-guessing given Bader’s proven defensive excellence. He is the reigning NL Gold Glove winner in center field, and even with his foot problems hampering his play this season, Bader still has a +9.6 UZR/150 and +6 Outs Above Average over 588 2/3 innings in center."

People are concerned about this guys hitting capabilities however. I say, let's just see what he has to offer. I feel like he's enough of a clubhouse guy that the hitting will come and the energy alone will help catapult this team deep into the playoffs.

PLEASE HELP ME TO UNDERSTAND WHY THE YANKEES ARE LOSING TO THE BREWERS?

Source: Pioneer Press

I am old enough to remember when the Milwaukee Brewers were in the American League and the Yankees played them twice a season. The Yankees played legends like Robin Yount, Paul Molitor, and Cecil Cooper, who could eat the Yankees' lunch any time they went head to head. But fast forward to 2022, this team really should have not given the Yankees the trouble it has. I am a fan of Christian Yelich but he is not the guy that almost beat out Cody Bellinger for the MVP a couple of years ago. And sure, there is former Tampa Bay Ray Willy Adames, mucking things up, but it should not be something this team could not handle—yet here we are. Please help me to understand why the Yankees are losing this series against the Brewers?

Source: CBS Sports

"Despite a 4-1 loss to the Brewers on Saturday at American Family Field that dropped the Yankees to 23-30 after the All-Star break, the team remains confident heading into October. With 17 games remaining, it’s go time," reported MLB on Sunday prior to the third game in the series against Milwaukee. But how can the Yankees GO, if the injury train of veterans and late bloomers are just not ready?

"Beyond Judge, though, which hitters will step up? Giancarlo Stanton has looked like a shell of himself since returning from injury, Gleyber Torres has had a very rough second half (though he has turned it on recently), Father Time has apparently caught up to Josh Donaldson’s bat, and the bottom of the order has been fairly bleak," reported SB Nation on Friday. Then there is the pitching, which has battled their share of injuries and readiness for the postseason, which make the Yankees' hopes look bleak at this juncture.

The starting rotation is okay. But there is this mistake with a hanging curve or misplaced fastball that enables pitchers to give up just enough runs to allow the Brewers and other not-so-worthy opponents to beat the Yankees. “I thought his stuff was good,” manager Aaron Boone said of Taillon. “I thought they really took tough at-bats against him. He hadn’t allowed a run until the [Willy] Adames home run. But even those first few innings, I thought his stuff was good,” reported MLB.com. 

Source: USA Today

“Even as we start to play well here, we’re still beat up and banged up,” Boone said before Saturday’s game. “But we’re also excited about the possible returns of some key guys starting [Sunday] and then Tuesday [and] Wednesday,” reported MLB.com. If guys like Anthony Rizzo who was activated today Harrison Bader, DJ LeMahieu, Matt Carpenter, and Andrew Benintendi who in that order make an appearance before the postseason, the Yankees could make a go of it for the American League Championship. 

But when we lose to the teams like the Brewers, I shake my head. And sure, the team is looking optimistically toward hosting the Pirates and Red Sox this week at home, they need to transfer their positivity to wins and go for it. 

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

WE LOVE JETER, BUT I REALLY DON'T THINK HE'S REPLACING BRIAN CASHMAN

Say what you will, but Cashman's done a pretty decent job. Look, not all acquisitions are gonna be superstars, this is New York. Some of these guys were stars in a smaller market. But in New York, it's the big freaking apple... it is hard to play here.  Joey Gallo... Sonny Gray... Frankie Montas... these are the guys I think about when I say that.  

You can't look at guys not performing and be like "This guy's a bum, so Cashman has to go." What you should be saying is "This guy's a bum."  I went off on Gallo for months and months.  He has a swing made for New York and didn't understand the pressures of New York.... and by the way, he still sucks in LA.  That's not Cashman's fault.

Derek Jeter night was amazing. With the success of "The Captain", I found a new love for Derek Jeter. Look, I'm the first one to really give Jeter a hard time. I really had a problem with how he handled my kid the night of the Joe Torre Gala we were lucky enough to attend. He just seemed like an autograph factory that night, signing and passing and never really acknowledging the kid who considered him a hero.  That bothered me. It bothered my kid. 

Now that kid is 20.  And we watched "The Captain" together... and we both walked away from that documentary thinking the same thing. "We get Derek Jeter now. He was guarded. It was overwhelming. He was private. We get it, he's forgiven."  It was hard to figure him out when he was an athlete.  Now we see exactly what he was going through. I said it once and I'll say it again, nice job with that doc.

But I think many fell in love with Jeter all over again after that doc. And now they think that because he's out of Miami, he's gonna start running the Yankees. While I love that idea, I just don't see it.

The New York Post writes:

"1. Cashman isn’t in danger of losing his job despite some fans’ wishes. Maybe if the Yankees fall out of first, then exit quickly as a wild card, but even then … Yes, some recent Cashman moves aren’t working, but evaluating a GM takes the full record into account, and he has 25 years of winning records. That’s a lot of winning.

2. Yankees boss Hal Steinbrenner values stability in a way his father never did. He’s not likely to completely change course off a “disappointing” 90-something-win season. And if he does, he’s unlikely to hire an unproven commodity.

3. Jeter isn’t known to be interested in a GM job.

4. There’s no evidence Jeter would be a better GM than Cashman."

Read the whole article. Heyman makes some good points. I find the last one hilarious considering he's using the word "evidence" and all this guy does is tweet made up shit about baseball rumors all day. Poor choice of words from a lousy baseball insider. But look, the article is good and he's right.

Yankee fans love what we can't have.  Look at Jordan Montgomery. Am I right?

Derek Jeter is loved. But Derek Jeter is not going to be the next GM. At least not now.