WILL THE YANKEES FUTURE INCLUDE ISIAH KINER-FALEFA?

History repeats itself again. I'm not talking about losing in the postseason, but for the second year in a row the Yankees have to make another decision about who plays shortstop. I'm sure we all have some strong opinions on this since we are still coping with our ALCS exit.

Last year I really wanted Isiah Kiner-Falefa as our short-term shortstop but now I am really not so sure. He certainly didn't do the worst job.... but he really wasn't good either. I hoped for more, but it just didn't happen. It's not the first time this happened, and it certainly won't be the last either. Sometimes things just don't pan out, but I really am having a hard time getting excited about another year of Kiner-Falefa on the field.

Maybe he just can't handle the Bronx or maybe he's just a Gleyber Torres. We all remember how Torres didn't work out well at shortstop, but he did better at second. Maybe that's the case here too. Maybe he'd more serviceable for us at third base.

Boy, do I like the sound of that, and I think we all do. Anything that adds up to dumping Josh Donaldson would be a HUGE win for this team, but I am not going to hold my breath because I don't see anyone banging down the door to get him and if by some chance a team does exist the Yankees are going to have to eat a good chunk of the $21 million owed to him. I just don't see it happening.... but I'd love to be wrong.

So, what do the Yankees do with Kiner-Falefa? In an ideal world, if Donaldson is traded, he slides to third and that might work out since he does have experience there AND he got a Gold Glove. If we are stuck with Donaldson (which is realistic) then let him be a utility guy. It could be worse I suppose. I just don't see him as our everyday shortstop next year, especially after we all got to see Oswaldo Cabrera. I'm ready to see more of him.

So, what happens to Kiner-Falefa? That will be interesting to watch throughout the winter. He didn't have the greatest season in the Bronx so you have to wonder if he will have a second. It's not unreasonable to think he may not.... but then again that's not what happens to Aaron Boone every year so, who the hell knows.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj 

YES, BLEEDING YANKEE BLUE IS SLOWLY EXPANDING: INSTAGRAM, MERCHANDISE & THE BYB HUB

Just a quick note. Bleeding Yankee Blue has been around since September 2010. That's been a long time. During that time, we have built quite a significant fan base.  We have done interviews with Yankee players, important folks and beat writers in the Yankee and baseball world, we've helped raise money for charities, and the most important part of this whole thing... we have built a fantastic audience with loyal, BYB Freaks and for that we are most certainly blessed. Jeana, Suzie, O'Hara and I thank you. 

While 12 years in the mainstream is a long time, we are slowly trying to think of new ways to engage our audience. For example, we have the BYB Hub which is a secondly, sister-site to Bleeding Yankee Blue where it was the goal of myself, Section 36 and Greedy Pinstripes to help build up newer bloggers who want to break into the business. That's a free service for anyone that has a new sports blog and wants to get exposure. If you are interested in being part of that network, let me know. Here is the BYB Hub. Click on the link below:

BYB Hub

Secondly, while we have been on Instagram for a few years now, we are now just starting to get going to make a mad attempt to be more active on it. If you are interested in finding us on Instagram, just look for us at @BLEEDNYANKEEBLU on IG. Follow us, we will definitely follow you back.

Thirdly, BYB Merch is just continually being created.  In a partnership with Tee Public, Bleeding Yankee Blue is doing our best to get new, fresh, fun BYB gear out to you all. I have been working with Tee Public for a while now, but over the last few years the quality has gotten a lot better, and I've even purchased some for myself.  

The plan is to continue to bring new artwork to the tees and we ask that you continue to support BYB. Most of the time, Tee Public runs a lot of sales so you can get a high-quality Tee for 14 bucks (plus shipping) many times.

Also, if you have shirt ideas, send them to me. I am happy to make anything and if you have something special in mind and you think we can sell it, I will gladly have it created, even if it's only for you!

Look, we're not perfect here at BYB, but we've been in the game for a while now. We have opinions, we shared friendships and ideas together forever and we really have become a significant force in the Yankees blog world.  And so, I am happy to say that we are here and here to stay as long as we can continue to create solid content for you all.

I just wanted to say thanks for always believing in us here at BYB. You are all freaks, but you're OUR FREAKS and we appreciate it!

--Robert Casey
Bleeding Yankee Blue, Chief and Head Writer
Twitter: @bleednyankeeblu

THREE KEY REASONS JUDGE WILL REMAIN A YANKEE FOR LIFE

Source: Fox Sports

One could say I am writing this piece because I can't stomach Aaron Judge playing anywhere but New York. When I say, New York, I mean the Bronx. And after I read John Feinstein's piece, "The Yankees and Aaron Judge would be crazy to end their partnership" in The Washington Post on Saturday, I knew that my feelings were not just mine alone. Others like me believe that Judge will stay not because it makes them feel better to say that, but rather because the partnership they have forged is one that can't be broken by money or fame or hurt feelings. Here are three key reasons why Aaron Judge will remain a Yankee for life.

1. The Yankees, well are the Yankees. 

They have history and even though they have not won the World Series since 2009 and the days of Boss George Steinbrenner are long gone, the Yankees remain the most successful, most prestigious team in all of sports. As Feinstein states in his article, "Judge is a bright guy. He understands these things, and he understands legacy. It probably explains why he tightened up when he got to 60 home runs with 10 days left in the season and barely surpassed Maris’s single-season AL record of 61 home runs down the stretch." 

Source: Fox News

It is meaningful to break this record as a Yankee. It is meaningful that Roger Maris's family was there to witness it, with Judge's mom, traveling city to city to see history be remade. And Aaron Judge won't find the same kind of home he has had in Los Angeles, San Francisco or Queens for that matter. Sure, I like the Dodgers, but when they left Brooklyn, they vacated their spot in baseball history. It ended as Ebbett's Field went silent. Judge will not be the player he is now anywhere but as a Yankee. 

2. Scott Boras nor Casey Close is Aaron Judge's agent. 

Need I say more? Two of the biggest deals of the 2022 baseball season saw Boras and Close make a ton of money on Freddie Freeman and Juan Soto. Boras is known to push the envelope, making teams bid against each other, artificially inflating baseball salaries. As Feinstein reminds us, "Boras would tell him to sign with the Kansas City Royals or the Arizona Diamondbacks if they offered $1 more than the Yankees. Someone may offer Judge more than his current employer, but unless the Yankees don’t come to the table with some kind of reasonable offer, he isn’t going anywhere. The Yankees will do what has to be done." Then there is the shady Casey Close who was rumored to have not been completely up front with his client Freeman that the Braves did make an offer to have him remain in Atlanta. Despite some controversy around the claim, the fact remains that if Freeman had a counter offer in front of him, he may have stayed in Atlanta. Judge will likely have many suitors, but if the Yankees are able to meet with him before the free agency bonanza begins as soon as the World Series is over, the partnership needs could be placed clearly on the table—the Yankees need clubhouse leadership and Judge can bring that and more to the Yankees in 2023 and beyond.

Source: Frank Franklin II/AP

3. There's unfinished business in pinstripes. 

This goes back the earlier point about the World Series. Judge and his team have unfinished business. The business of the World Series—getting there and winning. "He has been rookie of the year, he is going to be the MVP this year, he hit 62 home runs, and the Yankees have made the postseason in each of his six full seasons. But they haven’t won a World Series. He might go someplace else and win one, but it wouldn’t feel the same as doing it in the place where he grew up as a player and where memories of postseason failures would make a postseason victory that much sweeter," writes Feinstein. I can't agree more. 

So things could and likely will get ugly in the weeks and months following the World Series. And as fans, we need to muster up the energy to get through it. But at the end of the day, for all of these reasons, Aaron Judge will remain a Yankee. Not because I feel better saying it but because the wise insights of this article align with what is true about this game and the New York Yankees' place within it. 

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

DAVID ROBERTSON GOES HAM ON ASSTROS, WITH ACTION & WORDS!

David Robertson and his wife Erin will forever be part of the BYB fam.  They were nice enough to wear Bleeding Yankee Blue shirts for us when our website started up and I was more than happy to make a donation from those shirt sales to the High Socks for Hope foundation. 

It was a good marriage between us back then, and because of it, loyalty (especially for me), runs very deep. I will always be a DRob guy here. BYB is his home whenever he wants it to be.

Robertson got the save last night against the Asstros in Game 1. I've never rooted this hard for the Phillies in all my life. Last night was big. Today, the Los Angeles Times has a solid quote from him in regard to his true feelings about the Houston Astros of 2017.

LA Times writes:

"The former Yankee was asked about the Astros and their infamous sign-stealing scandal before the start of the Fall Classic, and years after speaking out about being knocked around in game six of the 2017 ALCS, and the grudge he held for feeling he had been cheated out of a potential pennant, Robertson made it clear that he still hasn’t forgiven Houston.

“I think that those people who were involved in that situation still, every day, at some point, have to realize what they did and live with the decisions they made,” Robertson told the Los Angeles Times. “I will never get 2017 back.”

By the way, I love the shirts I made for Bregman and Altuve here. Haha. Anyway, look, this is 2022 and there is no question that World Series is revenge for DRob and I have tremendous respect for that.

DRob is a team, clubhouse guy. He understands team, he understands being a champion.  He's also a gamer.  And guess what, he's also one of those guys that's respected in the industry.  If he's blasting the Asstros, it's for good reason and it's because he sincerely believes those guys cheated and should be knocked down a few pegs.  So, trust his words and give him huge props on shutting those idiots down in Game 1.  

Love it DRob!

JUDGE CUTS TIES SOCIALLY WITH THE YANKEES

It's a ballsy move, but Aaron Judge is a free agent, so it makes perfect sense. 

It's just a shame it's so public. What we are about to see ladies and gentlemen is a top player, American League all-time Home Run leader and all-around nice guy, not to mention terrific clubhouse guy, enter a drag out fight for respect with the New York Yankees as he enters the open market. This will not be fun.

According to The Big Lead, but really, all you need to do is see it for yourself, Judge has unfollowed the Yankees on Instagram and Twitter. Game. On.

"Aaron Judge is now a free agent. While the Yankees would love to retain the 30-year-old slugger, they will have competition for his services. It appears Judge has begun the breakup, as he unfollowed the Yankees on Twitter and Instagram.

New York made several lowball offers to Judge earlier in the year, then executives spoke about them publicly. The Yankees screwed themselves by not locking up Judge a long time ago."

Let's call this what it is. Based on Judge's track record, the Yankees were not about to pay Judge the enormous amount he wanted before the season began. He got hurt alot, he wasn't hitting a TON of home runs. Makes sense. So they bet they'd have a nice negoiation at the end of the season with a good player... not a great one, a good one.

And then Judge went ham! 

Suddenly guys like Randy Levine and Hal Steinbrenner couldn't get ahead of it.  And so they made some offers, thinking "this guy's going To break down at some point" but he never did, capturing the home run crown.

In the end, the Yankees are going to have to pay up. But the problem is, and I firmly believe this, the Yankees are going to lose him. 

I wrote about this a few weeks ago. People were so focused on the playoffs it was probably forgotten, but the Giants are real competition with the Yankees, and they WILL do whatever it takes to get Aaron Judge.

Read MY SOURCE SAYS "JUDGE WILL BE A SAN FRANCISCO GIANT NEXT YEAR..."

"I have a source, a friend, that works for the San Francisco Giants. I will not reveal his name. I will only reveal what the buzz is and what he's hearing on the ground out there. He is not privy to private meetings. This is water cooler rumor, but still a pretty big one I want to share. The phrase he used with me is this:

"It's very real. Judge will be a San Francisco Giant next year."

I asked him why. He would not tell me. I asked him to give me more. He said he didn't have anything more. He told me to "trust him" and said it will come down to the contract, something Judge "could not walk away from."

And the truth is the Yankees will need to pony up or the already unhappy fan base will dwindle as well. 

Here's the bottom line; we have a manager that no one likes. We have a ballpark that costs a family of 4 nearly $1200 a visit for 1 game. You have no championship in recent years and if you lose Aaron Judge, a guy that should be captain and should be locked in till the end of his career, THERE IS NOTHING WORTH ROOTING FOR. 

Yankee brass needs to think long and hard about what they want, because what we have right now? It ain't working.

MARIANO BACKTRACKS AFTER KING DEREK LAYS GROUNDWORK FOR BOONE NARRATIVE

Before I get into this, let me state once again for the record the I am a GIANT Derek Jeter fan these days, and it has everything to do with him letting us into his life and personality after many years of him not.  Bottom line, I didn't get him back then, I don't think many did. But now, knowing what I know from his own words on how he dealt with the spotlight and the press and the fans... it all makes sense. "The Captain" documentary was eye opening for me and allowed everyone to see Derek as a real person. And I loved every minute of it.  So why I was very unhappy a few years ago with how he dealt with my kid at a charity event, I understand the context of it now, and so he is forgiven.

And that being said, it's important to let you know that when Mariano Rivera was speaking out against Aaron Boone yesterday, and we reported in MARIANO RIVERA DROPS A TRUTH BOMB ON BOONE & CO., I knew that he would back track over his comments suggesting that Boone would be gone if he were the owner of the New York Yankees.

Today Mariano said this. ESPN writes:

"The Hall of Fame reliever told The Associated Press on Thursday that he was speaking generically about teams and managers when he answered questions Tuesday during a videoconference session with Panamanian business executives.

"I said when a team like this, the New York Yankees, is expected to win, the season that they had, and they don't make it to the end, always the manager is the one that always ends up paying," Rivera said during a telephone interview with the AP.

"Although the manager doesn't hit, the manager doesn't pitch, the manager doesn't run, the manager doesn't do nothing but manage and make sure everybody's ready to play, unfortunately they never fire the whole team, they always fire the manager. I was giving a generic estimation. And obviously they took it out of context."

Yesterday I wrote: 

"Now Steinbrenner doesn't care about us, this is clear. But I am sure his people are calling Mariano's people and some discussion will be had at some point. But Mo is his own man, and I am thrilled that Mo came out and said what he said."

There is no question in my mind that this happened today. And couple that with Derek Jeter being the class act that he is, he said this to Bryan Hoch last night at an event, couching controversy and toeing the Yankee line. And we even saw a glimpse of the old Jeter where he distanced himself. Check this out:

Now Jeter is right in some regard. Ask Hal because Hal knows. Jeter? He just said he had his head down in Miami and couldn't add to any real discussion about Boone. That's fair.  But what happened next in my estimation was this...

Jeter's quotes came out right around the time that Mariano's did. Hal's people either reached out to Mariano's people, or Mariano saw that Jeter took the lead and decided that he probably overstepped and then Mo decided to back track.  Bottom line, the Yankees are like a huge corporate compound. You don't speak out against them, and you don't go against the grain. We as fans are so angry with Yankee brass that it was a breath of fresh air that Mariano said what he said. But today, after all that happened in 24 hours, decided that it's not worth it to pick a fight with the Yankees over something he's removed from. And so, Mariano followed Jeter's lead. While I respect them both for their opinions... I wish Mo stuck to his guns. Because I firmly believe that his quote was NOT taken out of context.  I really believe that. He can say the comments weren't about Boone. But he's right about it. So, I'm positive it was.

Whatever the case, it doesn't change the fact that Boone still needs to be fired.  He did a lousy job this year and the Yankees know this.  But they will continue to have him hang around and manipulate him for the next 2 year.  Shoot me now.

YANKEE WHIMPS! "MULTIPLE" YANKEES COMPLAIN ABOUT FAN BOOS

Hey complainers - are you new to the game? Did you not know that expectations are high here? I guess a few of you need some perspective and possibly another dose of reality.

Yup, there are some epic highs when you put on the pinstripes but there are some depressing lows also. You gotta be able to take both when you play here.... clearly some can't or maybe just don't want to. That's fine if you don't want to but you should've thought about that before putting on the uniform. So, the story HERE says "multiple" Yankees are not happy with all of the boos in Yankee stadium.... go call the wambulance! 

Look, I'm not one that looks to "boo" players on my team and I don't practice doing it but I also don't get so uptight about it if someone else wants to do it. Yankees, if you don't want to hear the boos then don't strike out a million times against the ASSTROS. It's really that simple. I feel no need to boo Aaron Judge, but as great as he was during the regular season he fell flat in the postseason. The entire team did....and when that happens a restless fan base that hasn't played in a World Series since 2009 is bound to be brutally honest.

And that's what the Yankees got a "brutal experience" from a fan base that has high expectations. We don't apologize for it. Any player who can't handle it needs to pull up their training pants and go play for a team like the Pirates who have no expectations. That's a stress-free job. New York isn't for everyone, we know this, but we aren't going to change our expectations either.

So this idea that fan culture could affect Judge or any other player from wanting to sign here doesn't make me want to feel sorry for anyone. If you are soft.... this probably isn't a fit for you.

And players aren't the only people in the Yankee organization to be critical of because Brian Cashman and Aaron Boone are no exception. They also have not delivered, and they have had a long time to prove themselves. It hasn't happened so the outcry for a change shouldn't be surprising.... but it is for some apparently. The article continues with "the gap between industry and fan perceptions of Cashman and Boone is particularly striking. Rivals consider Cashman one of the greatest executives in sports and say that Boone will immediately become a coveted free agent if the Yankees fire him. Other GMs and agents are genuinely baffled by fan hate toward those two."

Please....anyone else take Cashman and Boone, go for it. If people are really baffled by why fans are disenchanted with wither of these men, then I question how much baseball you have watched over the years.

Oh, and then there's this: "the irrational opinions on Cashman and Boone. I get that it’s World Series or bust but damn they’re spoiled." That is pretty rich considering it's been BUST for a long time, especially against some of our biggest rivals. So much for having standards, especially for a team that spends boatloads of money.

I won't apologize for having expectations for a franchise with a rich history. That history needs to be brought back to the present. These players and so-called executives need to quit their whining....or hit the road.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj 

MARIANO RIVERA DROPS A TRUTH BOMB ON BOONE & CO.

“If I’m the owner, Aaron Boone wouldn’t stay.”

--Mariano Rivera

Mariano said it. So, that's gospel as far as I'm concerned.  This is a true story. So to all you Yankee fans who believe that Boone is a poor leader, manager and you want to fire him? Guess what, you are in good company. Boone is not qualified to run the Yankees... yup, you are right. Mo says so.

The New York Post writes:

" “When things don’t come out the way we want them to all of the fault goes on the manager and somebody has to pay the price and we won’t put that on the players…”

Mariano Rivera said that Aaron Boone would be out if he owned the Yankees...

 

Frustration has been bubbling amongst Yankees fans that the team cannot advance past the Astros, and in the latest circumstance got swept out of the 2022 ALCS. Longtime Yankees play-by-play broadcaster Michael Kay eviscerated Boone for pulling Gerrit Cole in Game 3."

It's pretty obvious to me that Hal Steinbrenner and probably Brian Cashman to some extent like having Boone around to manipulate, make decisions for and just push around all so Aaron can make a few mil and be part of the Yankees losing history.  Boone's a robot, puppet and to be honest, cannot manage players. He doesn't use his gut, he uses analytics and as you can see, that doesn't work... unless you're adding up strikeouts.

Remember, Aaron Boone has one highlight in his life. He homered to beat the Red Sox in an ALCS a long time ago. But remember something... we didn't win a World Series that year. And the next year, our dopey Boone decided to play a pick-up basketball game in the off season and injure himself to be out the remainder of the season. His Yankee career was pretty pathetic if you think about it, and he's just building on it with his ridiculous managing career.

And so, if Mariano Rivera is blasting the Yankee organization and Boone for just being a terrible manager, something really needs to be done.  

Now Steinbrenner doesn't care about us, this is clear. But I am sure his people are calling Mariano's people and some discussion will be had at some point. But Mo is his own man, and I am thrilled that Mo came out and said what he said.  Why you ask?

Because Boone's a clown. Time is up for him.

FANS TAKE TO TWITTER VOWING THEY WON'T BE BACK IF BOONE RETURNS

I'm still not okay. How are you? Tough few weeks is underestimating the emotion. But I have to say the Yankees-Red Sox 2004 video share across the clubhouse was really the last straw.  Another demonstration of Aaron Boone and his awful leadership skills in action. As YES Announcer Michael Kay so eloquently and accurately said, “How, in baseball God’s name, can you be so tone deaf, as an organization?” Kay said.  “Are you out of your mind? I talked to three players from the ’04 team—they were outraged by the fact that their failure was being used as motivation for the 2022 team.” Amen Michael Kay. The performance of the 2022 Yankee team from August to present was atrocious. If the Yankees front office is planning on extending Brian Cashman's contract which thereby means Cashman keeps Aaron Boone at the helm, I won't be investing time in the 2023 Yankees. And I am not alone as fans take to Twitter with the same idea.

And my favorite:

I love baseball. But this year was really tough. I bought an Aaron Judge Road jersey. I went to three games. I watched the other 159 plus all of those playoff games. I don't know if I can invest that time next year if the Yankees stay with the same leadership and dare, I say, let Aaron Judge walk. 

Source: AP

"Should Judge accept to even meet with the Yankees owner before the bazaar opens? He has every right to reject that. A large swath of players do not reach six years of major league service. The honor of doing so is for the first time as a pro you get to be bid upon in an open market. Judge stared down the Yankees in spring believing their bid was insufficient. He turned down guaranteed multi-generational wealth. He gambled and responded with one of the greatest seasons in history — one that undoubtedly enriched the Yankees via attendance and TV ratings," reported Joel Sherman of the New York Post. Ratings we contributed to- and games we spent a lot of money at only to be left with this pit in our stomachs and ache that will likely not go away until the spring. Or for me, it might be enough to keep me from committing any more of my time with leadership who honestly does not care about the fan.

Source: Sports Illustrated 

Management is happy. They make money without having to go all the way to the World Series. They made extra money on two rain delays during the postseason. The Yankee organization is fine with just getting to the postseason, but winning, and putting the best team on the field, well that's just old school. Just read the latest article on the Yankees in Forbes:

"Since George’s death, however, the romantic notion of the overbearing boss wanting to win so badly he’d make a fool of himself to do it has vanished from the Yankees. They may be the richest team, and their owners might be billionaires, but they’re just not that much different from everyone else in Major League Baseball. George had made them extraordinary. Now they’re not. Just ask the Astros."

Fans demand more and are tired of being disappointed season after season for getting almost there. Empty stadiums, lower ratings and unsold tickets are the only way we can show management that we aren't going to put up with Boone anymore. But let's hope it does not come to that and the Hal Steinbrenner cleans house, once the World Series is over and then, after that sign Judge and make him captain.  

--Suzie Pinstripe

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @suzieprof

REPORT: BOONE & CASHMAN WILL BE BACK

 

We're just putting clown noses on everyone in the Yankee organization this week, aren't we?

If this news report by Sports Illustrated is true, Hal Steinbrenner is the biggest Bozo of them all. SI is reporting that Aaron Boone and Brian Cashman both will return next year. They write:

"...Steinbrenner is expected to bring Cashman back, meaning team manager Boone will most likely return as well.

Boone just finished the first year of his three-year deal though he has managed the team since 2018. He took the team to the ALCS this year before the Yankees were swept by the Astros.

If fans speak out against Cashman and/or Boone, it’s possible that Steinbrenner will rethink their return to the team."

It goes on to say that nothing is certain yet, but look, we know the way this organization operates. They like puppets. Boone does whatever the front office says, and when he's left to his own devices he sucks as well. So there's really no winning if you're a Yankees fan.  

If you read CASHMAN - THE RICH KID, O'Hara says "The sad thing is Hal, Randy and Lon seem like they are just corporate stooges in most companies thinking, "F it. I'm rich and will stay that way. Why rock the boat?"

And you really have to start thinking that they really don't care because the money is pouring in. Rain delay's that last longer than an hour at Yankee stadium in a packed house can make half a million alone! So why win a championship if they're rolling in the dough anyway?

The bottom line is we as fans need to beat the drum as fans and beat it hard. 

Twitter was and has been lit up for 2 days calling for Boone's firing. He is an awful manager. I know many hate Cashman, but I don't. I actually believe that Cashman gives us the players we need. Sure, some are duds, but that goes with the territory. Not everyone is good in the Bronx.  Boone however needs to manage and STOP TRYING TO BE THESE PLAYER'S FRIENDS. He does not understand gut decisions and he definitely plays favorites. If he didn't, we probably would have seen German in more than one game.

Look, I want Boone out, and I want him out now. Let's hope Hal cuts him loose. Cross your fingers... kind of like how Boone it every game.