"PERSONALITYLESS" BELTRAN TO WORK THE YES NETWORK BOOTH

I don't like it. There are things that I love and things that I hate. I don't hate this... but I honestly don't love it either. That being said, I know change is a thing and I guess as a diehard Yankee fan, I will need to embrace it.

The New York Post writes:

"The 20-year veteran has been hired by YES Network as a game analyst and is expected to call 36 games, YES’s Jack Curry announced Friday....

looking to fill a void left when David Cone joined ESPN’s “Sunday Night Baseball” team and Ken Singleton retired.

That opened the door for Beltran, who has been away from the game since he was dismissed as Mets manager in January 2020, less than three months after he was hired, in the wake of the Astros’ sign-stealing scandal. He did not manage a single game."

And I guess that's what bothers me the most. You have a team willing to hire you and then fire you on the spot when the revelations of Astros sign stealing scandal emerged, but YES just hires the guy like we forgot it or something.

Beltran's a good dude. But the Yankees and YES don't owe him anything.  Will he be successful for the 30 plus games he calls? I'm sure he'll do fine. But I have NEVER seen Beltran as a personality, and I certainly would have taken a Cameron Maybin (Read) over Beltran in the booth.

RUMOR: CARLOS BELTRAN TO REUNITE WITH THE YANKEES?

I'm not going to lie, this is far from my favorite headline this winter BUT....it's a possibility.

In case you missed the news, the Yankees are considering bringing back Carlos Beltran as a YES Network game analyst, read more about it HERE. Now that David Cone is taking on national work with ESPN and my personal favorite Ken Singleton has retired from his broadcasting career YES Network is looking for more on-air talent and Beltran is on a short list of names.

As we all remember, Beltran was the ringleader in the Astros 2017 cheating scandal and the Astros went on to defeat the Yankees in the ALCS and then "win" the World Series that year. In November of 2019 the Mets names Beltran their new manager but then in January both sides amicably decided to terminate his contract. Now....the Yankees are considering giving Beltran a second chance.

How nauseating, but here we are. I get it, the Yankees need more analysts. I have always liked listening to John Flaherty and he is already an in-house option that the Yankees are considering giving more air time to. Why not him? There are TONS of good names out there to consider. I'd vote for Curtis Granderson instead in a heartbeat! There are plenty of former players who didn't cheat and lose all credibility in their career who speak well and who are knowledgeable enough to fill these requirements. Why Beltran? 

Even if fans and Yankee brass "forgive" Beltran for what he did WHY should they be giving him a job as a Yankees announcer? It's just ludacris to think about and even an insult to the fan base and players. To anyone saying "but Alex Rodriguez cheated too and he is an announcer, so why not give Beltran a shot?" The difference is after Beltran left the Yankees he went to play for the Astros....and he helped the Astros cheat against his former team. Jumping to hire him to work for the team he cheated against is insane and why the Yankees reward him with this opportunity? 

Nothing like coming full circle. The Yankees hired analyst Aaron Boone to be a manager so why not former  cheater turned manager in Beltran (for a literal hot minute) to be an analyst? It fits their operating model so....is anyone out there really surprised?

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

 

THE STATE OF THE YANKEES

The Yankees are doing well.  They aren't doing bad by any means. But the way the Twitter world tweets, you'd think we were in the gutter.  

Capozzi is right. The Yankees are only 2.5 out of first place this morning. If you look at the standings that's third place, but it's ONLY 2.5 GAMES OUT! Everyone needs to relax.

First off, Gerrit Cole has been the Yankees saving grace.  6-2 record, 1.78 ERA. He's been pumping and dealing and making stuff happen.  And if you look at the way this team has been hitting... guys like Gleyber Torres for example, things are good. Sure we all want dozens of homers every game, but they are hitting well.

When it comes to pitching... I mean sure, losing guys like Corey Kluber sucks, but seeing right spots in Deivi Garcia try and shine is a good thing.  YES Network writes:

"Garcia, 22, is getting another chance to claim a rotation spot with Corey Kluber sidelined for an extended period.

"I definitely feel very good," Garcia said. "I understand the consistency that I want. I haven't gotten to that point yet, but I feel good. I feel excited for the opportunity, and I am looking forward to it."

So what does this mean? It means the Yanks are doing their best and winning while building their future. 

Look at Gio Urshela. This dude turned into a real superstar. We have him for his defense because it's the real deal. But the dude hits too! I love this by Pinstripe Alley:

"Singleton recounted how he had recently spoken with former teammate Brooks Robinson, who complimented Gio Urshela’s ability with the glove at third. That the 16-time Gold Glove winner and likely greatest defensive third baseman of all time is impressed with Urshela’s ability to field at the hot corner is high praise indeed."

When veterans of the game look at these young players and praise them like that, it means something. Gotta love that.

My one worry, and this can hopefully be worked out... is the injury bug.  Look, I love watching Giancarlo Stanton hit, but the dude gets hurt a lot. And Aaron Judge is falling into that same category.  When they are on, they're on and it's awesome to watch them hit dinger after dinger. But big bodies don't last long in baseball. Big bodies are there for the now, and not for longevity. Weights are great but with weights and supplements means quick muscle buildup and less healing and more hurting.  Is it worth it? Is it?

Look. The Yankees are in a great spot. I love what I see from them this season. We are finding ways to get it done.  So don't fret... don't get angry when we lose 3-2. Don't write off the season on a 2 game losing streak.  It's a long season... and the Yankees are only 2.5 games back! We got this folks... we got this!

IT'S A NEW BEGINNING & THE END!

Yesterday I experienced both an emotional high and a bit of a bummer all on the eve of baseball. In a handful of hours baseball is back. It's closer to the "norm" than what we saw for the 2020 season. I'm ready for some new excitement, as I try and process the idea of change at the same time.

A lot of news yesterday on baseball eve. I'm excited to have a final roster and to have Lucas Luetge part of it. It's the surprise that no one saw coming. It's a good story and gives you the good kind of feels that I think we all need after the long year we've all had. I know this year has felt like five (or more) and that's exactly what it's been for Luetge.

The last time Luetge pitched in the majors was 2015 with the Mariners. Since then he's traveled around the minors with a few teams....and now he's back on the big stage. The Yankees made it official yesterday and my mouth dropped when they did. That came out of left field (pardon the cliche but I couldn't resist) and it is the comeback story that gives me chills.

It's a new beginning for Luetge and he's earned it! During his time with the Mariners he only pitched 89 innings with an average fastball of 90 mph and a 4.35 ERA. Not great, but he was great in spring training where he pitched 10 1/3 innings with only two runs on eight hits, two walks and 18 strikeouts. He shut down opposing hitters and even Aaron Boone said it was "hard to deny" him a spot after that, read more HERE. The Yankees need another lefty, and he's earned a spot. Maybe he's figured out what works for him and can be consistent. I'm ready to see what he can do when it counts.

It's a new beginning for Luetge, but it sounds a like the end (again) for Ken Singleton according to the New York Post HERE. It's not a big deal for some people, but Singleton has been a favorite of mine for a long time now. In fact, it's always been a dream of mine to interview him. It may not happen, but one of my favorite memories will be watching games with my family on YES Network and listening to him call a game. I've always loved his perspective and if this really is the end, I will miss him going forward.

Selfishly, I'm hoping that YES president of programming and production John Filippelli can improve on his 3-3 record and convince him one more time not to retire. For me, his absence in the booth is a big miss even though he isn't calling games as often anymore. It's nostalgia for me.

So I am ready for the 2021 season. I am ready for Luetge's new beginning and will have to come to terms with Singleton stepping away from the booth. It will be hard. Mr. Singleton....I meant what I said earlier! If you are interested in chatting sometime, DM me!

  --Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

     BYB Managing Editor

    Twitter: @nyprincessj

THE YANKEES GAVE GARY SANCHEZ A BIRTHDAY PRESENT

It's called a JOB.

Well, Gary Sanchez can breathe a sigh of relief.....for now. Happy Birthday, Sanchez. Your birthday present from the Yankees is another chance to redeem yourself. I guess that means there was a bigger birthday bash but I hope he makes the most of his second chance.

I'm not really surprised that the Yankees didn't non-tender him. Since he has struggled he isn't going to be very expensive so the Yankees can keep him at a lower price and maybe someone will want to take a chance on him and they can trade him later. Plus, he's young. I didn't see the Yankees giving up on him YET and then risk him leaving to be successful somewhere else. Look at how long it took for the Yankees to finally give up on Greg Bird! That took a long time also.

I don't want to give up on Sanchez, but I'm not excited by much that I am seeing. Sure, the home runs are nice but he's "all or nothing" and too often he's nothing and his defense sucks. I want to be in his corner, but he's not making a good case for himself.

I'm not the only one who feels this way either, Ken Singleton also has concerns and even said "I don't know if Sanchez is salvageable. I hope so but Kyle Higashioka is so much better defensively," read more HERE. He's not wrong, Higashioka took his job. We didn't see Sanchez in the playoffs and that tells us a lot.

The Yankees have done everything they can to get Sanchez back on track, the even brought in a special coach to help him and he actually regressed both in offense and defense! If Sanchez wants to stay here, he needs to get himself right again....and I'm hoping that since he signed himself up to play in the Dominican Winter League that he can finally get it together.

I think the Yankees need to watch him closely and see if there is any improvement there at all. The Dominican Winter League is a very short 30-game season and it started November 14th. He's got very little time to make a good impression. 

Spring training is right around the corner....well usually it is. Who knows what will happen with this ongoing pandemic but by the time Spring Training gets underway they should know if they want to keep him or try to trade him.

So it looks like Sanchez is here to stay...for now.

  --Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

     BYB Managing Editor

    Twitter: @nyprincessj

I'M SAD TO HEAR ABOUT SINGLETON

Photo: Baltimore Sun

I have always been a fan of Kenny Singleton and I love him in the YES broadcast booth.  In fact, this is the equivalent to when Jim Kaat left the YES booth for me. I loved him too.  These are guys that have a full grasp of the game, are really in tune with our New York Yankees and they have always made me feel that as a fan, I can relate to them.  They make me feel like I'm their friend or something. Tough to explain, but I have a comfort when I hear their voices.  Now it turns out that Kenny is leaving.  Kenny tweeted this:

LOOKOUT! 👀 This will be my final season of calling baseball games. I’ve been playing or talking baseball ever since I was 4 years old. It’s time for this enjoyable ride to end. Thanks fans for allowing me into your homes & businesses. It’s been my pleasure. #Thisoneisgone

— Ken Singleton (@29alltime) March 12, 2018

And I will share the Baltimore Sun for this one...

Photo: New York Daily News

"Ken Singleton, who has been an analyst and play-by-play announcer on Yankees telecasts for MSG and the YES Network since 1997, announced Monday on Twitter that 2018 will be his final year in the booth....

'I'm finding this hard to accept,' Kay tweeted Monday about Singleton's pending retirement. 'I've known about it for awhile but I've been trying to change his mind. I'm not giving up in my quest. Twitterverse, please tell Kenny he should not step away following season. Too much more to give!'"

Gotta love Kay there.  I agree.  I'd hate to see Ken Singleton go.  I mean, who else will tell really fun stories about he and Paul Blair?

Anyway... in case you missed it, I just wanted to pass it along.  Let's enjoy this last season with Singleton.

THE NICEST DAY OF THE YEAR!

Photo: Kim Klement / USA Today Sports

The Yankees win in their first Spring Training game.  That's the least of it but still great.

As a baseball fan, it's just great to see our New York Yankees take the field today.  It was great to see baseball in live action on YES Network today.  It was great to see Giancarlo Stanton in pinstripes. 

Photo: Pete Caldera Tweet

Pete Caldera of the Bergen Record had the best Tweet to complete our day as Yankee fans...

Yankees win the Grapefruit League opener, 3-1 over Detroit. Aaron Boone on his first exhibition win as manager: "It's always fun to shake hands (after a game). But I thought for the first day we did a lot of things well.''

— Pete Caldera (@pcaldera) February 23, 2018

And that's it!  This is the "working-out-the-kinks" portion of our New York Yankees. 

(AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Couple that with what we heard from people like Kenny Singleton, read HERE

in this morning's BYB post, and the excitement we feel and even appreciate has been officially established for 2018!

Estevan Florial is up. Nick Swisher is really pumped about him — and everything, really. Nick Swisher gets pumped over laundry. But he really likes Florial: https://t.co/89EBdbRix1

— Brendan Kuty (@BrendanKutyNJ) February 23, 2018

When you see a guy like Nick Swisher who's out there as a Yankee special assistant chatting it up with the Yanks the last few days... there is this undeniable feeling of hope and energy we haven't seen with this team since 1996... we're BACK!

Bottom line, today felt good. No... it felt great.  We need it as Yankee fans and you know what? The Yankees haven't won it all since 2009.  That, my friends is a drought.  We are ready for a championship. 

Photo: Brandon Drury / New York Daily News

Cashman did some great things this off season.  We are a great group of hardworking players and the most important part of it? They are talented and YOUNG.

Very, very exciting.  

I leave you with this; I love what MLB did about today's game.  All players in baseball were required to wear SD caps in honor of the fallen in that terrible shooting at that Parkland Florida High School... Stoneman Douglas.

 

Class act.  Loved it. I want to order my own. I hope the proceeds go to those families.

We need more kindness in this world.  I approve 100%, Rob Manfred.

KENNY SINGLETON SEES BIG THINGS FOR THE YANKEES FUTURE

Look out!

Photo: Getty Images

I love when Ken Singleton speaks! When he does, I listen.  Don't forget, BYB interviewed him a while back because we love the guy.  (Read EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: KEN SINGLETON for that).

Photo: NY Post

Anyway... he had this to say about the Yankees future.  In a nutshell... it looks bright. This is brought to us by the New York Post:

"'In my own personal experience through the years, teams that come very close the year before, they are very determined the following season and very tough to deal with,' Singleton said of the Yankees, who lost to the Astros in Game 7 of the ALCS. 'In ’83 we had more injuries and more problems to deal with, but we won the World Series because we were more determined. I think that can apply to the Yankees.

When you talk to these guys in the dugout, they all reference that if they don’t win it there’s going to be huge disappointment. They are already pointing toward that, and that’s the way it should be.'...

'The Yankees sense they have the type of team now that was like the late ’90s,' Singleton said. 'They have a sense they have this kind of ball club again, and if everything goes right, they can challenge for a title every year.'”

Photo: Baltimore Sun

Singleton referenced 1983.  Just to put that in context, he was with the Orioles, and that year, they won the Championship.

I love what I hear from Kenny.  It's a smart analyst giving solid perspective, plus, it gets me excited.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: NANCY NEWMAN

Over the past 4 years at Bleeding Yankee Blue, we've been able to chat and really get into the heads of the YES Network crew.  For me personally, it started with Jack Curry, a personal favorite for me, because he was a guy I read when he was with the New York Times and admired.  As time went on and he went to the YES Network, it seemed like the perfect marriage for me personally to watch him there. After all, I loved both Curry's work... and now he was on YES.

But then it expanded. We interviewed Kimberly Jones, and later we chatted with buddy Bob Lorenz and even Meredith Marakovits and we even finally nailed down Ken Singleton.  All our interviews were a lot of fun and unique and we here at BYB are YES Network fans! So for us personally, the BYB writers that got to chat with these personalities of YES, well, it's personally satisfying.

Now I'm gonna give you all another treat. The one and only Nancy Newman.

I have always admired Nancy and I am a big fan of Yankees Magazine as I know many of you are too.  I always appreciated the way Nancy presented that show, but there was more to Nancy Newman.  She's had a busy career before YES and her hard work continues. Plus, sports has always been a big part of her life.

And so, I wanted to ask her some personal questions... you know, what makes Nancy Newman tick. Lucky for me, she's a BYB fan! I love that and appreciate it!  Not only that, we had a great chat and she answered all our questions.  I couldn't be happier.

And now, I offer you this... it's our BYB interview with Nancy Newman!  Enjoy this... I certainly did:

BYB: OK. This is a thrill for me. I hope you realize this...

Nancy Newman: Thank you, Robert! It is my pleasure!  Thank you for the invitation for interview! You do great work!

BYB: Thank you. Now Nancy, are you a Yankee fan? I know your background is extensive, working at the 2004 Olympics in Greece with NBC, and doing Sports for CNN. 

But where is your allegiance in baseball? 

Nancy Newman: I was definitely a Yankees fan in my formative years. My father was a big Yankees guy!  Bobby Murcer and Don Mattingly were big favorites in our house!  The Blue-Jays coming into existence was huge too.  It gave our family, and everyone in the Niagara Falls area, a chance to attend Major League Baseball games and witness the best.  I think it was at that point as a kid, that I really became hooked on baseball.  Going to games regularly was totally captivating for me!

BYB: I've been a fan of Yankees Magazine for a while. You do a great job.  How did that come about for you?

Nancy Newman: Thank you for the kind words regarding Yankees Magazine. It is a great program to work on. Our terrific executives at YES thought I was the right fit for the show. The producers are top-notch, talented and wonderful guys.

BYB: It's clear by your resume that you've always been a sports fan.  Tell me about growing up and wanting to be in broadcasting. Tell the BYB audience, especially young women who want to break into the business of sports reporting...

Nancy Newman: It's true, I have always loved sports.  I was a figure skater growing up and I loved skating, but I was also hugely into professional sports.  We went to alot of hockey, baseball and football games as a family.  We spent hours talking sports, reciting stats, discussing in-game strategy, it was a familial bonding experience! 

My advice to someone looking to work on camera in television would be this; To firstly, know your subject.  Good performance comes from confidence and confidence comes from the love of your subject matter.  Secondly, don't be too tough on yourself with regard to trying to make things happen quickly! Have a plan, but not so rigid so as to miss opportunities along the way you may not have previously considered! Focus on polishing your skills while on your journey, not just the destination.

BYB: It's no secret that Bleeding Yankee Blue loves the YES crew.  We've interviewed Meredith, Jack, Kenny and Bob Lorenz. Although, we find Lorenz shady. THAT IS A JOKE... We love him!

Tell me about the gang and the relationship you all have together. We are big fans of all of you!

Nancy Newman: I will say thank you on behalf of all of us at YES!  It is a GREAT crew, right?! I give a lot of credit to our amazing YES executives who place a high value on team building.  They take great care and put a lot of emphasis on fostering and nurturing a strong relationship amongst our Yankees broadcast team.

BYB: Where were you when Derek Jeter had his 3000th hit?

Nancy Newman: Derek Jeter's 3000th hit will be one of those moments remembered for a lifetime for all of us fortunate enough to have been there as well as for everyone watching it wherever they were. I was with the Yankees Magazine crew in the Stadium!  What a moment!

BYB: Let's follow that up with where were you when Derek Jeter had his final hit at Yankee Stadium?

Nancy Newman: Derek Jeter's final hit at the Stadium may be even more unforgettable! I remember being on the press box level at the Stadium envisioning the eventual scenario and saying to myself "Is this really happening?!" Of course, we soon found out, it was indeed!

BYB: Who was your favorite player growing up. It can be baseball or non-baseball. Yankee or non-Yankee. Spill the beans.

Nancy Newman: Wayne Gretzky.  The Great One.

BYB: Love it. OK, who was it who really got you into sports growing up?

Nancy Newman: My father and uncle for sure! The athlete I most looked up to when I was a youngster was  Dorothy Hamill.  She was the most amazing skater I had ever seen and so, to the eyes of this young figure skater, she had no equal!  I still keep her autographed photo from the Goodwill Games on my desk at home. 

BYB: I just want to say, chatting with you over the past few weeks, it's refreshing to know that I am not the only one who still uses a Blackberry.  Apparently you do too, huh?  Random I know, but explain to our audience why you like it when it comes to correspondence... Frankly, I'm tired of explaining myself... ha ha

Nancy Newman: I find myself explaining my Blackberry status to people, too!!  I just love my Blackberry and have not been able to "consciously uncouple" with it !  You can't beat the security features and that classic keyboard! Glad to have you with me on that!  I'm a Blackberry and iPad girl.

BYB: Finally, do you read Bleeding Yankee Blue? What do you think? Do we have a shot at the big time one day?

Nancy Newman: Yes, I definitely read Bleeding Yankee Blue!  I find your commentaries informative and thoughtful!  You and your writers are clearly dedicated and speak to the true Yankee fan in a factual and realistic way.  I respect your work!  Keep it up and great things are ahead for you for sure.

Nancy, I loved this interview with you. Sincerely.  Thanks for taking the time to talk to the BYB audience.  You are now officially part of the Bleeding Yankee Blue family.  Thanks!

BYB 4 YEARS LATER: INSPIRED BY YOU!

There is no other way to describe how I feel emotionally right now. Bleeding Yankee Blue is 4 years old today.  It's a birthday, and everyone reading this right now contributed to getting us here.  Yup, it's unbelievable... it's the most significant accomplishment in my life and so much of it has to do with you!

It started out with me back in September 2010. Then we started the climb... and with the help of my incredible writers and you all checking in on BYB every morning, noon and night, we've been a pretty large following. Bleeding Yankee Blue is now an appointment, and you... the readers, the fans, are the most incredible people in the world.  You guys appreciate our point of view, and you keep us driven.  That's very telling.  That's an audience that cares! That in turn helps put things in perspective for us here at BYB. It's been a pretty powerful journey, huh?

Look, despite the Yankees offensive problems this season, one things for sure, the Yankees will go on like they always have. But BYB is still standing tall. No matter what happens to the Yankees, we still fill our pages with unique perspective and interesting commentary. Dare I say, we even make you laugh and cry. Remember ladies and gentlemen, BYB started as a rant site and developed into something slightly different.
We’re the softer side of Yankee news, yet, we have an edge.  We were the underdog when we started and we’re the ones who kept grinding despite the criticism and nastiness of the other website and of the "stat heads" that suggested there were "too many Yankee sites." I laughed. I knew what we were doing was going to be different... so I ignored the hate, and my writers and I started our journey.

In the end, BYB are the ones who've succeeded and passed the haters.  And you know what? We did it because we knew we could.  We believed. We are fearless. We have confidence in a product and you embraced us like a family member that understood greatness.  There is no better give-and-take in life, and thank god you understand what we represent here.  Bleeding Yankee Blue is about hope, desire, passion and pure guts.  We never sleep. We always offer you a different perspective, be it positive or negative and there’s a crazy variety.  We’ll give you stats, but we’re not stat heavy.  You want heavy stats? Go somewhere else.  Bottom line, we found our audience. The formula was out there all along, but sometimes certain blogs think they have it figured out,  and they ignore the obvious... they ignored you.  We didn't and luckily for us, we have the audience the others don't have... and we become a family in the process!

So today, on our Anniversary, or our birthday, whatever you want to call it, we see the big picture.  We write about the Yankees, but we write about family and life and the lessons that will guide you.  You see, I have always believed that baseball and life are parallel in so many ways. It starts as early as Tee-ball, or childhood, and then develops into the Farm league, or, elementary school and the social aspect and learning that will take you further.

Before you know it, you’re on a 60-90 diamond and you’re in the real world.  And that swing you have may need a tweak.  Or, maybe that swing’s your attitude and how you handle people in the real world.

Baseball’s about stepping stones and in life, you constantly climb mountains.  There are obstacles, and dammit, it’s the hardest fight in the world. Many times you’re tired and you want to give up.  You stare at the mountain and you think to yourself, “I could stop right now and be content.” Then you mind wonders, and you think...  “But what if I make it?!”  Suddenly, there you are on top, and looking in the distance, there’s another mountain, slightly bigger than the one you just climbed.  But here’s the difference this time; You have the confidence to tackle it and go further.  That’s life. That’s BYB. That’s us, all of us…together as a family. I am so blessed to have you read our pages every day, and so happy that you are with us on this journey.

Because of that drive, BYB has created bonds with so many people over the years.  First off, I have become much closer to my writers, who, I have to say, are some of the hardest working people in the world.
Remember, we all have families, we all have jobs and we grind this BYB operation out daily for you!  Yes, we love it, but we do this for free. It’s for the love of the team and our passion for writing.  When you read us, when you share us and talk about us, there is nothing more gratifying, trust me... That's why we keep doing it.

We here, believe in the achiever and we've expressed that plenty.  We appreciate guys like Ty Hensley, and his promotion to the Staten Island Yankees this year. The fact that I can just reach out and ask for an update on Ty’s life and he doesn’t hesitate, makes me happy.  It means we're doing something right.  Ty knows we believe in him, and in turn, he and his family supports Bleeding Yankee Blue.

His mother Marci’s something else too... that's Mama Bear. Loving her family, supporting what we do as well! We love you guys. Keep going, kiddo!

Laura Posada started her own company as a life coach and her new website is Lauraposada.com. She and Jorge are all about a positive lifestyle for their family and the Posada family supports BYB and we couldn’t be happier about that relationship.

You’re an inspiration, Laura and Jorge!  Thanks for being you, for being great and for keeping us in the loop here at BYB. We’ll always be grateful of our friendship with you!

 He's headed into his 4th year of remission from cancer.  It’s been a truly brutal battle, but I’ve got to know Shane, and much like the title of our interview with him, THE FIGHTER, he truly is.  Besides his family who helped him through the fight, the Yankees did too.  They didn’t know it at the time, but them winning kept Shane fighting, and I was truly blown away by his story.  Be sure to read our interview.  The other blogs won’t do this type of interview… but we do, because the human interest element is emotional and touching and we all experience tragedy and achievement in our lives. I thank the Vargas for opening up to me. I will forever appreciate you guys!

I once met two Australians in Time Square for a pint.  I handed them 2 Bleeding Yankee Blue t-shirts. We shook hands, and became friends for life.  Joey and Charles Moses are 2 of the most incredible guys I know.  Since our birth at BYB, they have been there, supporting us, constantly communicating with me and we share stories about our families and life alot. But it was the Yankees that brought us together.  They’re my Australian Family. They’re wonderful. Read FROM THE BRONX, AUSTRALIA... WITH LOVE for more.

Amber Sabathia makes us smile every day here.  She's an entrepreneur and one of the hardest working women out there.  She runs AmberSabathia.com, has a clothing line called CCandy.com, which turned 1 this year and she and CC do plenty of great things to help others with the PitCCh In Foundation.  The Sabathia family is a true inspiration.  Plus... CC love us too:

We were able to interview David Phelps this year. Read EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: DAVID PHELPS.

He's a great kid with a great future. Plus, his wife reads us... what's not to like!

We were able to chat with Ken Singleton this year. Read EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: KEN SINGLETON. A great broadcaster with hardworking colleagues and I really loved learning about Kenny and the Cool Kids Campaign. Plus, we got to know guys like Bob Lorenz, Jack Curry and Nancy Newman alittle better in 2014!

Bob & Jack are THE STARSKY & HUTCH OF YES, you know.

BYB got to chat it up with draft pick Sean Carley, the young pitcher who drew comparisons to tough guy Kenny Powers, only to shave and have that story disappear before our eyes.  Read EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: SEAN CARLEY IS EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS.

Sean Carley is his own man, and proving it for the Yanks on the farm with the Staten Island Yankees.  Gotta love it!

We chatted with Brett Gardner during his hot streak this year! Read BRETT GARDNER EXCLUSIVE, and with that we started to realize that BYB was creeping ahead of the rest in the blog world. We realized that if these players and incredible people are coming to line up to talk to us... we have a voice... we're making things happen. We're relevant. Thank you for helping make that happen!

We even became pals with Chicago radio guys Fahey & Chivari, and while we never considered the combination of cats and wine before... we do now.  (Read MY CHICAGO FRIENDS ARE COOL! to be included on the inside joke.)

There's a reason why all these people have created a bond with BYB. We're trusted, we're professionals, we're family.  We're working hard as a group to take it to the next level.  We're no longer a blog... we're a website, an appointment and we're working hard not to disappoint.  Myself and my writers make sure you’re fed every day, and if it means we need to be as busy on these pages as we are in our own life,  then I guess we never stop working for our audience.

This is Erica Morales, literally crashing while writing for our BYB audience one late night.  There’s no bigger support than her family who send out this picture.  BYB's a grind, and Erica's lovely family respects her hard work and dedication to her craft.  This photo is significant in so many ways.

When Mariano Rivera went to Trenton one night, BYB was there. Specifically... Suzie Pinstripe.  You see the woman with the iPad on the right? That’s Suzie. She’s in the middle of it and she's working for you, the BYB audience.  Incredible doesn’t begin to describe it.

Steve Skinner, one of our writers has brought you very telling interviews with Ian Clarkin and Michael O'Neill.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: IAN CLARKIN
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: MICHAEL O'NEILL

Both great kids, both with a great future with the Yankees, and Steve made sure we had these interviews for our audience.  It proves our dedication. We don't want to disappoint, because we know you'll be looking for it.

All of my writers are unique in so many ways.  All of them have a flair and write differently. And all of them know that if each of us need alittle help getting something great on the pages of BYB... we all jump in and help. No matter what we're doing, no matter how busy we all are... we communicate, we figure it out and we make it happen.  Team work, and execution. This is the best damn group of writers I've ever dealt with. Jeana, Mike, Ike, Steve, Suzie, Erica, Alexis, Douglas. I love you guys.

Look, this post is meant to be a celebration!  When that happens, you like to thank the people on your journey with you. I know this is long, but you know it's not boring... it's a resume. We've accomplished alot... and for the record, all those names above happened in 2014!

The irony of today and our birthday is simple. We were frustrated back on September 14th 2010 with our Yankees, and today, the way the Yanks have been playing, our ranting has returned.  It's the same type of feeling I have for my team as I did 4 years ago.  I'm frustrated and annoyed.  Will it change? Or course it will.  I love my Yankees... here's the difference though; these days, I have over 3500 friends a day that I can talk to about it.  Back in 2010... I had only me.

Hard work pays off ladies and gentlemen.  What started with me wanting to write down my thoughts on a silly loss turned into a large family of fans, who aren't just Yankee fans, but just damn good people.  The BYB audience is smart!  You understand what we're building here and you're on board.  You know we're fans, you know we don't take ourselves too seriously and you understand that we're having fun.  The best part is, you've joined us. 

Bleeding Yankee Blue is 4 years old today. If you told me this would happen when it started, I would have laughed at you. But you lit a fire in me. You lit a fire in my writers.  You want us here! You appreciate us and trust me when I tell you, We appreciate our readers... our fans, our family. You read us and you wear us....

You let me know about it and Tweet it!  You Facebook and Instagram us. Hell, you even put BYB on Pintrest! It's incredible! We have a following! I mean, are you kidding?

That's why I call you guys my BYB Freaks! You have no idea how special it is to walk into Yankee Stadium and see someone wearing a BYB T-shirt.  You have no idea how special it is to know that you WANT TO WEAR US!  Again, I am blessed and appreciate your kindness and support.

You guys are the best, smartest, kindest, unselfish individuals I have ever written for. Our bond is unbreakable and we love you all for reading our pages and sharing your own stories and opinions.  It's been incredible to see what BYB has become and it went fast. I speak for all my writers when I tell you just how blessed we are. You make us smile just because you read us.  Trust me, as an author, you have no idea just how special it is to know that someone believes in you and what you have on paper.

So, Thank you.  Thanks for always being there. I'm blessed to have you all in my life, and I appreciate you pushing us to the next level.  BYB may have started with me, but it's inspired by you.  You guys keep us going.  Without you... we're nothing.

Thanks! We'll continue to not let you down.

-Robert Casey, CEO & Writer  BleedingYankeeBlue.com
Follow me: @BleednYankeeBlu



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