FORMER TEAMMATE OF DEVIN WILLIAMS COMES TO HIS DEFENSE

Look, I’ve been giving Devin Williams the business lately—and with good reason. My beef started the moment he told Yankees fans he “didn’t feel like himself” early on... and then made good on it by single-handedly draining the life out of this team. It became painfully obvious that this guy wasn’t closing games—he was closing doors on wins.

Meanwhile, Luke Weaver was the one who had the guts, the grit, and, dare I say, the actual results. I said it after the World Series, I’m saying it again now: Weaver was the guy. The Yankees pulling Williams from the closer role felt less like a baseball move and more like a wellness check. “Is Devin sad? Quick, somebody get him a stress ball and a long reliever.”

Then Matt Blake waddled out of the dugout and gave us the ol' “stop being mean” routine—telling fans it “doesn’t help” to criticize a guy who's actively lighting games on fire. Listen, Matt: fans can boo, cheer, yell, groan, or throw a shoe at the wall. That’s the gig. You don’t get to play guidance counselor for the Bronx. We’re fans, not therapists. Zip it.

Now we’ve got Christian Yelich chiming in with the “everything’s fine” speech. According to Yelich, Devin’s one of the best closers in the game, and we’re all overreacting to a “small sample size.” Oh, good. That classic closer stat: Vibes per inning.

Let me ask you this: if it’s Game 7 of the World Series and Williams decides he’s “not feeling like himself,” and blows the series. Are we still calling it a small sample size? Are we still lighting scented candles and whispering affirmations? No. We’re throwing chairs. And probably beer.

The reality is simple: Williams was brought in to do a job—get outs, close games, lock it down. Instead, he melted down. And when that happens in New York, fans let you know. That’s not cruelty; that’s currency in this city. You want to wear the pinstripes? Earn them.

I respect Yelich defending his guy—really, I do. But here in the Bronx, respect is earned every time you toe that rubber. I’m not rooting against Williams, but right now, I’m out on him. If he turns it around, I’ll be the first one clapping. But until then? I’m just calling it how I see it.

That’s the take.

LET'S BE CLEAR; GALLO ISN'T STRUGGLING... HE JUST SUCKS

Big bodies don't mean anything if they cannot deliver. I've always believed that, yet, that's the trend it's going. I have a kid playing college ball. The path to get there wasn't always easy and most recently it became more difficult because college coaches are enamored with the big body and that's based on the recent trend of the MLB. Everyone wants the home run. No one wants to doubles hitter, the bunter, the Ronald Torreyes, the Willie Randolph, the Christian Yelich type. Why? Because they're small, or skinny or don't hit the go ahead 3 run home enough.

Baseball leaders today would rather you swing and miss than swing and single, as long as your velo is high, their thinking is "It will come."

Well Joey Gallo is in purgatory because of that.  He was never really a "player", he was a home run hitter.  When Gallo came to New York, I knew it was going to be a disaster.  People would tell me constantly, "Wait until 2022. He's gonna have a monster year, you watch." 

Well, I'm watching.  But more to that, just look at his career. That tells you all you need to know.

He is a career .203 hitter.  TWO O THREE. Think about that. How important is VELO if you can't hit a baseball? So when there are articles out there that suggest that Joey Gallo is "Struggling", I need to laugh. Boone tried to address it too. Give me a break. amNY writes:

"...Gallo has still been striking out 39.5% of the time this season. 

“I think the team Winning definitely helps big time, but you also have a personal expectation and pride,” Boone said. “Desire to succeed and be a part of this thing, which he very much is. It’s a heavy burden, especially when you’ve had success in this league and have been an all-star in this league and you’re not getting the results. Especially when you pour everything into it, which Joey does.

“It’s frustrating and I know it’s difficult and I know it certainly weighs on him and wears him. Unfortunately, it’s part of this sport sometimes and such a hard game, and such a game of failure. You have to find a way to figure that out.”

But the worst part of it all is talk. We're talking about struggle, but there is no solution, no progress, just talk. Gallo doesn't try to adjust and the Yankees just try and hide him in the lineup or give him a night off to "rest". Maybe, just maybe his big body isn't working as advertised. Maybe baseball's idea of the big home run every 10 at bats isn't a real thing because it means nothing if a guy can get on base and the next guy, Joey Gallo, doesn't do a thing to move him over to get him in. 

We've lost our way in this new baseball trend and clearly Gallo has too. Bottom line, he isn't a struggling hitter these days... he's just not good. And you know what? That's ok. The solution? Cut him loose. The problem? You can't get much for him, he has zero value.

My 19 year old's solution? "Gallo just needs to go to an OK team. He doesn't fit on the Yankees. He doesn't fit on a really good team. He needs to be part of a rebuild."

... and I happen to agree.

BEHIND THE SCENES OF EVERY GOOD PLAYER IS A CHAMPION

Mother's Day 2022 looks very different than the past two years. For me, in particular, it is turning into a really wonderful day. I mean who wouldn't want to go to a single-admission double header at Yankee Stadium with your two kids? But on a day-to-day basis I believe it is my role to guide and support my two twenty-something kids as they navigate the sometimes-rough waters of life. The role of a parent, in this case a mother or someone that has served that role for you, cannot be underestimated or undervalued. Behind the scenes of every good player is a champion and many times it is your mother.

Source: NY Post

Recently Aaron Judge was in the spotlight for his kindness instead of his lingering contract. Recall that in Toronto last week, a Blue Jay fan handed a Yankees fan wearing #99 on his back a home run ball blasted by Judge in the series against Toronto. A day later, the young fan got to meet his hero and Judge signed his ball. Kindness is not something that is automatic. It is learned. It is witnessed. It is carried into practice after observation through the circle of people around you. Baseball is more than just talent, it's personality and humility too.

Source: Aaron Judge

"I know I wouldn't be a New York Yankee if it wasn't for my mom," Judge said. "The guidance she gave me as a kid growing up, knowing the difference from right and wrong, how to treat people and how to go the extra mile and put in extra work, all that kind of stuff. She's molded me into the person that I am today," reported MLB.com. 

One of baseball's best players Christian Yelich, almost gave up the sport of baseball in Little League. Now he leads his first place Brewers at the top of the NL Central Division and credits his mom for keeping him committed all those years ago.

Source: The Players' Tribune

 "Almost everyone in the big leagues can say that if it wasn’t for their mom they wouldn’t be a professional baseball player. Baseball moms offer so much love and support and encouragement to their sons and daughters. They go above and beyond the call of duty, and they’re almost never recognized for it. They do it out of love, plain and simple," Yelich shared in a 2019 Players' Tribune post. 

According to a 2018 Washington Post's article, "He wanted to play professional baseball. Here’s how his parents helped him get there," journalist and MLB mom Edie Ravenelle share the heart of preparing your child for a career in sports. Beside repetitive practice and countless hours of playing baseball and watching yourself and others play baseball, she provides a list of other learning that needs to take place and modeled by mothers and others close to a child:

• How to graciously lose or to handle not getting the playing time you think you earned
• Self-reflection and resilience following a poor performance
• Overcoming setbacks such as getting injured and then having to work your way back
• The ethics of true leadership in doing your job, the right way, even when a coach or a teammate might not be.

Source: MLB.com

When a baseball player makes it to the big leagues, they cite that in order to be at their best, they need support. Support comes in various ways, from fan to coach support. But there is also a family behind a big leaguer who has also committed time and effort in helping to prepare that young man for a future in baseball. Sure there is the countless hours of driving to and from practices and washing and prepping uniforms for the next tournament. But there is also the wisdom that mothers and guardians can give impressionable kids during their formative years which is a huge part of that player's future success.

So, when I step into Yankee Stadium for the first time in more than two years Sunday afternoon, Mother's Day, I reflect on how I got here. You see it was my kids that planned the day. They collaborated and bought the tickets. They know my love of the game and wanted to make this a day filled with things I love. There is so much behind their success as not just athletes from elementary through college, but as people. Never underestimate what you do for others, from kind words to teachable moments. They all have value. Because behind the scenes of every good person is a champion that helped them get there. Happy Mother's Day to all of you who have shared your wisdom and kindness with others who need it. 

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

JETER JUST MATURED AS AN OWNER

I hated when Derek Jeter took over the Miami Marlins. I thought the decisions he made to fire guys like Jeff Conine, Jack McKeon... Andre Dawson and Tony Perez were stupid considering they were part of what made the Marlins fun and a have a sense of history.

I think getting rid of that hideous statute in center field was just him swinging his weiner around acting like he was in charge. The thing is ugly, but again, important to the building and make-up of the Marlins. No other place had it. Look, I don't know the Marlins financials. I don't know how much money they were wasting and what they needed to do to sustain a solid baseball life in Miami.

What I did know is that symbolism is important to fans, and when they see a guy like Jeff Conine, Mr. Marlin, shown the door, you have to question it.

I do think that no one will go to that ballpark for a while now that Giancarlo Stanton, Justin Bour, Ozuna and Yelich have left.  But look, that's old news. This next move Jeter move is the right one... and so, he's forgiven by me, for now at least.

NBC New York writes:

"Miami Marlins CEO Derek Jeter told team employees during a conference call Monday he is forgoing his salary during the coronavirus pandemic, a person familiar with the discussions told The Associated Press. 

The person confirmed Jeter's comments to the AP on condition of anonymity because the Marlins have not commented publicly on the call. 

The person said other members of the Marlins' executive team agreed to take pay cuts, while baseball operations personnel will continue to receive their full salaries through at least May 31."

Let's see what happens next.

AN INTERVIEW WITH THE "CHASING DONNIE BASEBALL" GUY

Well, it's here. With the Yankees consistently winning and every night breaking the consecutive home run record I have decided to step away from that world for a moment and talk about that card collecting dude on YouTube. We got the interview!

If you don't know what I'm talking about, you need to first check out:
I LOVE THIS DUDE'S BASEBALL CARD YOUTUBE CHANNEL! 

After that we snagged an interview and here we are. Love this one very much, I think you will too.  Here he is, a very opened conversation with my man Mikey from the YouTube channel, Chasing Donnie Baseball.

BYB: When did you start collecting baseball cards?

Mikey: My earliest memory goes back to 1977. I had an older brother who collected all the 1977 Yankees cards: Thurman Munson, Chris Chambliss, Graig Nettles, Bucky Dent, Rob Guidry, Don Gullett, Ken Clay, etc - he has them all and so did I. 

I can still see those cards as clear as day in my mind. I was only 6 years old.

2. Obviously this is passion of yours. I collect too, but my collection is unique to me. I don't go looking for perfect cards, but rather cards for my own collection. What are some of the more interesting cards you have in your collection?

Mikey: I collect too, but my collection is unique to me. I don't go looking for perfect cards, but rather cards for my own collection. What are some of the more interesting cards you have in your collection? I really love this question because, as you said, many of my favorite and most interesting cards have zero monetary value to me no matter what Beckett's has it listed at. Well, for starters, I am obviously a Don Mattingly card and since I have over 1,500 of his cards I will leave them out of this answer. 

From my older collection cards like my 1956 Jackie Robinson and Hank Aaron are both in terrible condition but I don't care. I love pulling them out often and just looking at them. Especially the Robinson card because he is a historical figure. The late 1970s and early to mid-1980's are the bulk of my collection. So my Topps Ron Guidry rookie from 1977 is a prized possession. I love my two 1979 Topps Danny Ainge "error" cards (see pic). Again very little value but they were so cool to own back then. 

I was a huge Dale Murphy and love his 1977 Topps Rookie Card. Whenever I see a Gorman Thomas or Cecil Cooper card from early 80' with the Brewers I have to buy them. Sometimes at a flea market when I asked "how much" the person usually just says, "you can have them for free". Lol. I don't know why, but those two cards just remind me of my childhood years of card collecting. My 1981 Topps Rookie card of Fernando Venezuela is another one that brings back great memories. It was the card EVERYONE wanted in 1981. Fernando-Mania was everywhere. Now they are worth maybe 25-cents but I always buy it when I see it.

3. This idea is brilliant and I love this idea of breaking open packs on YouTube. Why did you come up with this idea?

Mikey: I cannot take any of the credit for the idea. About 8 months ago I happen to click on a video on YouTube from a channel called "Jabs Family". 5 minutes into the video I was hooked. Here was this guy, all you see is his hands and the cards, and you hear him just talking about the cards he was opening on camera. It was a live stream so people were interacting, He was so great. Really easy to listen to and was very interactive. It was fascinating to me and seemed like so much fun. So after that night, I started to do some research on how I could start my own channel and 8 months later, "Chasing Donnie Baseball" was born. There are now many others on YouTube doing the same thing but each with their own spin. But the biggest difference we all bring to our channels is one thing: Ourselves. People will either like to hear you talk as you open packs or they won't. I'm hoping people enjoy listening to me an I share my own memories of card collecting as I open packs. I have a lot to learn but in the meantime, I am having a blast! 

4. Obviously your favorite player is Don Mattingly. With Donnie as your first top player, give me your top 9 after Mattingly.

Mikey: #9 Cody Bellinger
#8 Christian Yelich 
#7 Curtis Granderson 
#6 Freddie Freeman 
#5 Bernie Williams 
#4 Rickey Henderson 

#3 Jim Abbott 
#2 Dale Murphy

5. You mentioned in one of your videos that you had Muscular Dystrophy. Why do you want people to know this about you?

Mikey: Wait! I do?! LOL, kidding :) 

So when you watch my videos after a few minutes you will quickly realize there is something off with the way my hands move; the way I grab the box and cards; very little hand strength. Plus I am much slower than the guys on the other channel and it's not by choice. So I just wanted to be real with my viewers. Look, I never have been one to shy away from my disability. When people meet me they are usually very comfortable asking about my disability because they can see I am very comfortable discussing it. So why not be that open and honest with the viewers on my channel? I tell them I'm not letting them know as some excuse, but to just make them aware as to why I may be struggling or going a bit slower than most. The other reason s I hope maybe someone will see one of my videos and hear me mention my disability and just maybe it motivates him or her. Perhaps someone is feeling sorry for themselves and sees my video and it inspires them to get going, move forward. If you are motivated and enjoy doing something, NOTHING should ever prevent you from pursuing it. 

6. What's the one thing you want people to take away from these card videos?

Mikey: Card collecting should always be about having fun. I am NOT doing this for monetary gain (their isn't any, lol!) - I am doing this because collecting cards brings me joy. Plain and simple Sure I mention the prices of cards and we are always looking for the big "hits, however, in the end, my viewers and I have to be having fun. The day it stops being fun I will turn the lights off on the channel.

7. Side track. Big Yankee fan? What do you think about the Yankees this season?

Mikey: Love the question cause I'm always ready to talk Yankees baseball. The obvious equation for them to hold onto this high level of play is to get their studs back, it's that plain and simple. However. what these young men have done filling the shoes of Judge, Stant, Didi, etc is beyond remarkable. I don't know if it happens like magic when you put on a Yankees uniform but this crops of players EXPECT to win, not just compete and I love that! But, I think unless we get 90%-100% healthy this ride with this group of incredible players may end come October baseball. Just my opinion.

8. Final question, do you ever read BYB? Did you ever hear about us before we did that surprise post for you?

Mikey: I have read BYB for years, and I'm not just saying that because you did a write up on Chasing Donnie Baseball or because you are interviewing me now. In fact, if you watch the quick video I made on my channel after I discovered your article you will hear me explain how surprised, humbled and honored I was to get recognized by such a reputable site. I absolutely love what you stand for, like a family. 




That is exactly what I am hoping attracts subscribers to Chasing Donnie Baseball. BYB is absolutely my go-to site for Yankees news and analysis. want to personally thank you, Robert Casey, for giving Chasing Donnie Baseball such a large platform to share who I am and what we are all about. Maybe we can flip a few piles of some old 1982 Topps I have laying around?

I had a lot of fun with Mikey and this interview.  You can always see Chasing Donnie Baseball on YouTube, here's Mikey's page. Subscribe. It's a really clever concept and I personally love and endorse it.  CHASING DONNIE BASEBALL.

I hope you all enjoyed this as much as I did.  Happy Tuesday... stay dry if you're living in the Tri-State.  Hey... go look through your old baseball cards. Maybe you'll find a few gems!

LUKE VOIT WANTS A PIECE OF THE HOME RUN DERBY & I DON'T LIKE IT

It's only June and Luke Voit has already tied his career best 15 home runs. It's a great accomplishment for him so now what? It sounds like Voit has more in mind then just regular season home runs....it sounds like maybe a trip to Cleveland for the Home Run Derby is in store.

It's still a month away but Voit s already thinking about it. When he was asked if we would accept an invitation from Major League Baseball, his response was easy, "Hell Yeah!" read more HERE. He sounds ready to go, but should the Yankees share his enthusiasm in this? I've never really taken a hard stance on this one before. This year is different.

It would definitely be nice to see fan favorite Luke Voit go out there and hit dingers and make some money if he won the whole thing. He does it during a game and we get a thrill out of watching him hit there, especially when the game is on the line. Why not do it just for fun? No pressure....just a competition amongst the best hitters in baseball.

As much as I would love to watch Voit share the stage with other power hitters like Christian Yelich or even Cody Bellinger I really like the idea of him sitting out even more. We haven't watched the Yankees compete in the Home Run Derby since 2017 when Aaron Judge won it all and we watched Gary Sanchez put on his own show defeating Giancarlo Stanton. It was exciting to watch. I'd love to watch a Derby like that again.....but not this year.

The Yankees are still dealing with injuries. As much as I want to watch Voit hit dingers and maybe even win it all I like the idea of doing everything we can to avoid new injuries. Voit is healthy and we need to do everything we can to keep him that way. Voit has been the power hitter we've been missing. Sitting out of the Derby is what is best for the Yankees and their still troubling injury concerns.

We've all had debates about if the Home run Derby really affects a player's swing or if it doesn't at all. I've always said the Derby is good for baseball. But what would be better for the Yankees would be for Voit to save the dingers for the games that matter.

Maybe I am wrong. Maybe I am paranoid and playing too safe but I'd rather be safe then sorry. I'd rather see Voit hit homers in games that count. Especially games that the Yankees can win and help get them back to the World Series.

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

YANKEES DOMINATE IN BYB'S MLB FRIDAY ROUNDUP

Source: Charles Wenzelberg- NY Post

With the Yankees off as the Tampa Bay Rays make their way to the Stadium for a three game set this weekend, baseball continued to please fans across the country with exciting plays and intriguing stories throughout the MLB this week.



Kicking things off with baby bomber Gleyber Torres seems a good place to start this week's highlights as Torres made it clear that Gleyber Day is here to stay in the Bronx.  Torres hit three home runs during the Yankees double header sweep against the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday evening. The 22-year-old’s performance joined Joe DiMaggio as the youngest Yankees to have a three-homer day.

"It's really good," Torres said. "In a doubleheader, we felt really tired in the second game for sure, but you just focus and do the job to help the team. I think there's no better feeling than when you do the job and you help your team,"reported MLB.com.

Source: USA Today

Aroldis Chapman also came in clutch during the doubleheader, pitching scoreless innings and earning his 10th and 11th saves. It was a great week to be a Yankee!

Source: NY Daily News

The Mets are well...doing Mets things such as Michael Conforto suffering a concussion after colliding with Robinson Cano on Thursday. Jeff McNeil also leaving the same game with lower abdominal tightness.

“We had some tough things happen today, but we’re not going to give up,” manager Mickey Callaway said. “Those guys in there definitely will never quit," reported the NY Post.

The Mets are on their way to Miami which will helpful help the team get few wins after this disaster.

Speaking of Derek Jeter's Marlins (10-30), the team is currently on pace for the most losses in a season since 1899. Not a record you want to break. After trading away their biggest players, Giancarlo Stanton and Christian Yelich, things have gone straight downhill for the team. I thought maybe getting rid of that terrible home run statue/fountain/nightmare in the outfield would maybe help the team but I guess it isn’t that easy.

Source: CBS Sports

Keston Hiura, the Brewer’s number one prospect (15th overall in MLB) learned he was headed to the majors less than two years after being selected by Milwaukee.  Hiura did not disappoint and finished the night 2-for-3, becoming only the fourth Brewers player to reach base three times in his debut, the first since 1976.

“It wasn’t nerves; it was more just soaking in the moment,” Hiura said. “The lights are brighter, grass is greener, dirt is nicer; everything just stands out to you. I was really just soaking it all in. It hasn’t really hit me yet, but I’m quite sure it will sometime soon," reported MLB.com

That’s all for this week! Here’s to hoping out teams continue to improve and we have another exciting week of baseball.  Let's sweep the Rays and the Orioles in the coming two series.

--Missy O'Rourke
BYB Contributor
Twitter: @missy_orourke

ONE MARLIN'S STAR DOES NOT A CHAMPIONSHIP MAKE

I love Bleacher Report. Have I ever told you that?

But this story, while fair in regards to just how good Caleb Smith is, is just off base for one simple reason. 1 player does not make a championship. And the Marlins and Derek Jeter are just not there yet. In fact, let's face it... they'll never be there.

BR has a good story about Jeter and how the Marlins got Caleb Smith from the Yankees and all of that.  Here's some of that:

"In November 2017, the Marlins acquired Smith, along with first baseman Garrett Cooper, from the Yankees for right-hander Michael King and $250,000 in international bonus-pool money.

King has yet to make his MLB debut or throw an inning in 2019 after he suffered a stress reaction in his throwing elbow prior to spring training.

Smith, meanwhile, owns a 2.11 ERA, a ludicrous 0.89 WHIP and has averaged 11.8 strikeouts per nine innings for the Marlins.

It's only May, but the 27-year-old is building an NL Cy Young case."

And that's all fine and good... but what does that mean for the Marlins team itself? I mean, the whole reason why Jeter wanted this team was so he can make some big changes and bring the team a championship. But since taken over, he's managed to release any iconic management or front office name, sell off their top stars to just shine elsewhere... um Christian Yelich and Giancarlo Stanton to name a few… and look at the standings...

So yeah BR, say that Derek Jeter fleeced the Yankees when they got Smith all you want. Isn't the whole idea of getting good players is so you can win? They're not winning.  Hell, I was at Marlin's Park when I was in Miami a few weeks ago. There were more Cubs fans than Marlins fans. They play like a Triple A team. There's no life.

There's actually no reason to go there. I walked up to the ticket office and spent 20 bucks on good seats. They are hemorrhaging money and there isn't 1 solid star to root for. It was embarrassing.

Look, I come off harsh here. Smith is good, there's no question. But it doesn't matter. If the Marlins can't win, no one cares about Caleb Smith. No one... except for Smith himself, Smith's mom and Bleacher Report.

BASEBALL'S VILLAIN SPEAKS AGAIN

Now that Manny Machado won't be a Yankee for the foreseeable future (and hopefully never is) I don't have to hold back anymore. Fact is he's a Padre and he's also in my neighborhood for the next couple of weeks until spring training is over. Until that happens, the media here is just going to keep pumping out the Machado headlines because he will continue to make himself be the center of attention.

He calls himself a villain, he's given himself that role after making mistakes that have led to regrets. He did make a lot of mistakes.

Even if baseball fans want to look past the "I'm not Johnny Hustle" comments there is still no changing the mindset of other players in the game like Christian Yelich. It's hard to just forget the play where Machado spiked Jesus Aguilar, and Yelich made it clear he won't. He went as far as to say "He's a player that has a history of those types of incidents. One time is an accident. Repeated over and over and over again, you're just a dirty player. It's a dirty play by a dirty player. That's what it is. I have a lot of respect for him as a player, but you can't respect someone who plays the game like that." That is probably one of the worst consequences for anyone. When you lose credibility with people it is a hefty price to pay.

So yes, Machado has earned his villain status and he wants all of us to believe it doesn't bother him. I'm not buying it though, the New York Post ran THIS story here days ago and it is still all over media coverage down here in cactus league territory almost a week later.

"I always will be the villain, no matter what. I don’t know why. That is just stuff I have to deal with and I have been okay dealing with that situation. That doesn’t bother me."

I just don't buy it. He does know why. Machado has obviously lost the respect of some of his peers and even if he did get the last laugh this winter it hurt his free agency. He didn't sign until spring training was already underway. For a short amount of time he had the most lucrative signing in baseball until Bryce Harper stole his thunder. He got his payday....but even he admitted it wasn't the deal the deal he was thinking of because the Padres "weren’t the first choice, obviously. They weren’t in the picture at the beginning." 

Yankee fans can and probably will speculate that we were the first choice. Countless media sites called us the "favorites" to get him so with that kind of hype must come with some level of disappointment for him. Machado still says the assumption that he wanted to be a Yankee is "very incorrect" and he should say that now. In the end, he should be looking forward because the Padres were the ones to offer the insane contract and they definitely "showed me the love" as he put it. It's time for him to appreciate what he has and stop thinking about the Yankees. Most people would agree though that the Yankees were the dream. It was closer to home, and was the perfect fit that never happened.

So maybe now disappointed Yankee fans and Machado can finally turn the page. What's done is done. Maybe Machado is finally starting to realize that. "I have done some pretty dumb things. I am not going to lie. I see the things I have done. And I have done some dumb things. At the same time, I have done things that get blown out of the water and suddenly I am that guy. At the end of the day, I play baseball and I don’t let anything else get in my head."

But let this get into your head, Machado...at the end of the day you are a baseball player that didn't get your first choice. You got a huge contract but you could've had your first choice if you made better choices. You could've been in control of your own destiny. Now you will have to work hard to change the perception that you are a villain instead of building a legacy. You labeled yourself. The world will watch and see if you can overcome that.

Let that one sink in.

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