KNUCKLEHEAD CANO

Source: Duane Burleson/Getty Images North America

He's one of the most talented players in baseball.  There have been plenty of new regulations and rules added to the game over the years to tamp down on PEDs and drugs that fall into that category.  Yet, that doesn't matter.  Robinson Cano is a user and Robinson Cano was caught and now Robinson Cano must serve an 80 game suspension.

I'm away on business, and so, the news broke on my phone... FROM MY 15 YEAR OLD that now has a very stern opinion of Robinson Cano... he's disappointed:

That bothers me the most.

Now my son's older now.  Much older than when ARod was dealing with his own guilt and suspension.  So he knows this is bad and I feel for him because he's a big baseball fan.  So he needs to think about this long and hard being a ballplayer himself in his young baseball career.  He needs to find new heroes now, or at least forgive Cano if he feels like he should.

Source: Lindsey Wasson/Getty Images North America

Now here's the report for all of you that think I'm rambling about nothing. ESPN has it and yes, it's an opinion piece by Jerry Crasnick, because, well, this story is loud and controversial enough to form only opinions about this news:

"Two days after suffering a broken hand on an errant fastball from Detroit pitcher Blaine Hardy, Cano felt the pain from a different hammer. He has been suspended 80 games for use of the diuretic Furosemide, which can be used as a masking agent to conceal PED use.

Source: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images North America

Cano's time on the disabled list will count toward his suspension, but he will lose about half his $24 million annual salary and be ineligible for the All-Star Game and the postseason, should the Mariners reach the playoffs for the first time since 2001.Cano was contrite in his apology and said he received the Furosemide from a licensed doctor in the Dominican Republic to treat a medical ailment, and he now wishes that he had been "more careful.''

But no amount of rationalizing or explaining will absolve him to the extent he desires. Perhaps he's sincere and was simply guilty of bad judgment. But we've heard too many of these types of apologies to react with anything more than cynicism. That has been truer than ever since Ryan Braun stood before a bank of microphones in 2012 and vehemently denied using steroids."

Photo: Getty Images

I like Cano.  I hated that he left New York for the money, but right now I can just suggest that he's a stupid knucklehead and clueless.  Who puts things into their body and not know what they are?  You're an athlete Robinson... what is wrong with you?

Cano, like every other player that is caught must be punished... but it's clear this guy has shattered his baseball career.  He will now be judged... he will now be under suspicion and he will no longer be the face of the Seattle Mariners... much like Ryan Braun and his Brewers and so on and so on.

Disappointing... but more crushing to me personally because the news broke for me from my own kid.  Hey Robinson... how about you call him and each of those kids out there who said you were their hero? Do the right thing...

You blew is G... you blew it.

GARDNER RANKED 9TH ACCORDING TO MLB NETWORK!

(Aug. 1, 2016 - Source: Rich Schultz/Getty Images North America)    

Not that this is a major deal, but it makes me feel good that Brett Gardner is getting some love.  So many people want to hammer this guy suggesting it's over for him and saying he should be shipped out or traded for something else.  The fact is he's doing his job.  He's a ferocious player, very hungry and he works hard. 

MLB Network ranks players as we get closer to the 2017 baseball season.  With that, they shared this with us here at BYB... and I wanted to share it with you:

(July 19, 2016 - Source: Al Bello/Getty Images North America)

"New York Yankees left fielder Brett Gardner was ranked 9th on MLB Network’s Top 10 Left Fielders Right Now! program...

Taking into account player performance over several seasons with an emphasis on 2016, a number of offensive and defensive metrics both advanced and traditional, and projected performance for the upcoming season, MLB Network’s Top 10 Right Now! series ranks the top players at each position heading into the 2017 season.

The complete ranking of left fielders is listed below, and an embeddable video recap on Gardner can be seen here:

Top 10 Left Fielders Right Now!

Photo: Cespedes / Getty Images

1.    Ryan Braun, Milwaukee Brewers

2.    Yoenis Cespedes, New York Mets

3.    Starling Marte, Pittsburgh Pirates

4.    Khris Davis, Oakland Athletics

5.    Michael Brantley, Cleveland Indians

6.    Randal Grichuk, St. Louis Cardinals

7.    Justin Upton, Detroit Tigers

8.    Carlos Beltran, Houston Astros

9.    Brett Gardner, New York Yankees

10.  Adam Duvall, Cincinnati Reds"

Interesting list. I don't agree with some of it, but whatever, glad the dude's in the top 10.

Happy Monday.

GARY SANCHEZ IS 'DAMN YANKEE'

I can't help but make a connection to our very own catcher phenom Gary Sanchez and fictional character Joe Hardy, the protagonist of the iconic musical Damn Yankees.  I mean, the resemblance of Sanchez's early successes in the field and at the plate are just incredibly complimentary to Hardy.  According to the story's plot, after losing year after year and game after game to the New York Yankees, middle-aged Joe Hardy trades his soul to the devil for an opportunity to become the Senators' next phenom and leads his team to the World Series. "Joe proves the spark plug necessary to send the team flying at full speed for victory after victory," according to TheatreHistory.com.  Could it be that Gary "Joe Hardy" Sanchez is leading our team to the post season?  Well, his numbers certainly provide the much needed numbers for a Damn Yankees sequel.

In case you missed it, we are up two in a series with the Baltimore Orioles.  Alright, I know it's not Washington but close enough given the proximity and their rivalry in the American League East.  We beat the birds with 27 scored runs over the last two games.  Sanchez hit two home runs, knocked in five RBIs with eight at bats.  It's absolutely incredible and he is making a believer out of us, who may have left this 2016 Yankee for dead until Sanchez's ascendance to the Bronx.

"I don't have an explanation for it," Sanchez said, through an interpreter. "I'm doing the same routine that I was doing in the Minor Leagues, I'm doing it here. I'm getting really good results right now. That's it," reported ESPN's Bryan Hoch after Saturday's game.  In addition, this nugget may impress you even more.  "Sanchez's 11 home runs in August are the most hit in a month by a Major League rookie since the Brewers' Ryan Braun also hit 11 homers in July 2007. They're the most by an American League rookie since Mark McGwire hit 15 for the Athletics in May 1987," according to the same ESPN report.

Now Joe Hardy's story didn't end well, so I don't want to make any further comparisons.  But seeing Sanchez's streak of success really made me feel like this is all surreal.  Truthfully speaking everyone thought the Yankees' chances of making the playoffs were unrealistic for this year, hence the fire sale earlier this month at the trade deadline.  But interestingly enough, we are still in it.  Lesson learned, never underestimate a team like the Yankees...ever!  There is this history and soul in the Yankees like no other team in baseball.  So whether Joe Hardy's ghost found his way into Gary Sanchez or the Yankees are just proving that they are always a team to be reckoned with, it's exciting to see things play out.  All things told, we are headed for a wild September.

--Suzie Pinstripe, BYB Senior Staff Writer
BYB Hot Stove Columnist
Twitter: @suzieprof

SILLY BOWDEN... THE YANKEES ARE NOT MAY SELLERS!

I love reading opinion articles about the Yankees. Sometimes, you find that article that you just scratch your head and then re-read it because you want to make sure you read it correctly and you aren't going crazy imagining things. That was me earlier today. I found a piece over at ESPN that I found myself talking to as I read it to myself. When that happens you know it is a good one and in this case it had "please refute me BYB" written all over it.

I am a baseball geek so I subscribe to ESPN insider and their magazine so what I read online is not available for everyone to read since it is subscription based, but if you subscribe like me you can find that link HERE.  Jim Bowden's story has some interesting ideas in it, and for those who can't read it the basic idea behind the article is that the Yankees become sellers now rather than later around the trade deadline and just ride out the rest of the season until they prepare for next year. I'm just not ready to give up!

1) Dismantle the bullpen and reload
The Yankees have one of the best (if not the best) bullpen in baseball. The article suggests that the Yankees could put Dellin Betances, Andrew Miller and Aroldis Chapman on the trade market and get as many as 6-8 good prospects for them. While I like the idea of getting some good prospects, I don't think the Yankees need to abandon their greatest strength so early in the season. I wouldn't be heartbroken if the Yankees gave up Chapman, because he is only guaranteed to us this year but I am not okay with giving up Betances, He is young, we still have control over his contract and he is one of our own.

2) Trade Carlos Beltran
Again not an idea that I am completely opposed to. Beltran will be a free agent at the end of the season, but he is still an asset to the team for now. He is a leader in the clubhouse and is valued so much that he was given the Roberto Clemente award in 2013 and he was a mentor for Aaron Judge during spring training. Speaking of Judge, until he is ready to come up to the majors it makes sense for Beltran to stick around. If the Yankees are going to trade Beltran keep him until Judge is ready to come up towards the end of the season. His leadership may be worth more than a lower level pitching prospect.

3) Eliminate one bad contract and replace it for another?
Jacoby Ellsbury hasn't lived up to expectations. The media has openly criticized him and we have too here at BYB but the Yankees are trying to avoid bad contracts. We have also had our fair share of controversy with players and performance enhancing drugs. Yankee brass is ready to be finished with Alex Rodriguez and his performance enhancing drugs connection....so why add Ryan Braun to the mix as Bowden suggests? Ellsbury may be under performing but I value his integrity over Braun's poor judgment to be connected with PEDs twice now. That may just be me but....I am tired of talking about ARod's troublesome past so I would rather not do the same for Braun.

4) Reinvent Michael Pineda or upgrade?
Ok, so I agree Pineda is inconsistent but that seems to be the theme for this team. I also agree that the Yankees need to do some more digging and see if changing his endurance training, off day throwing routines and mechanics will help improve him. Where I differ with Bowden is the idea of trading him for Julio Teheran and Freddie Freeman. The article mentions trying to reinvent and figure him out in exchange for Greg Bird. First of all....I am not a huge Freeman fan. Second, I am not giving up Greg Bird for a reclamation project. Mark Teixeira is gone next year and I would much rather have Bird then Freeman and his expensive contract. Bird is the best candidate the Yankees have, and the free agent market doesn't look so promising.

5) Get rid of some big name dead weight
I am all for getting rid of those who cannot pull their weight and contribute, but in this case Bowden suggests walking away from both Tex and Chase Headley. I already asked who was replacing Tex. I am not so sure the Yankees are ready to embrace the idea of Nick Swisher at first and I'm sorry but Dustin Ackley is not an option. As far as Headley goes, as long as the Yankees can find a replacement I wouldn't cry over losing him but it needs to be thought out and not just a quick band-aid fix. It just needs to make sense.

6) Just give up on 2016 now
I'm sorry but we are the damn New York Yankees.....and we don't give up. Who gives up in May?! There is so much baseball left and a lot can change. The Yankees have not become so successful by just giving up. We are determined, gritty and we are fighters. Sure, having a losing season means a great draft pick but who wants a consolation prize? We expect to go out and compete every year and George Steinbrenner would also still expect that also. We are not changing our culture. We don't believe in the idea that "There is always next season" and I refuse to have that mindset.

7) Open the wallet next season
While all Yankee fans like the idea of having some money to go out and get some impact players that is not the direction that Hal has been going in for awhile now. It's all about saving money, developing the farm and growing our own players and getting under the luxury tax. Hal holds the purse strings, and he is not the big spender that his father was. However, I do like the idea of getting Edwin Encarnacion....so you wouldn't hear me complain there, Bowden.

So, when was the last time the Yankees became sellers BEFORE the trade deadline? I don't know. I also don't want to know and I don't want to start thinking like that now. It's too early to be thinking about sacrificing 2016 for next season. Yankee fans don't think that way and I for one am not about to start!


   
--Jeana Bellezza, 
BYB Senior Writer and Editor
Twitter: @NyPrincessJ 
 





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AND IT STARTS... THE RYAN BRAUN RUMOR

Yeah, here it goes.

It appears to have started from Ken Rosenthal and then Pinstripe Alley and MLBTR had some fun with the speculation.  Whatever man... with the Yankee stinking up the joint lately, names like Tim Lincecum (read REMEMBER TIM LINCECUM? HE'S ABOUT TO AUDITION) and now Ryan Braun are making Yankee fans giddy for change, but the reality is, it's doubtful stuff like this can happen.

Anyway, MLB Trade Rumors reports what Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports opines about:

"Brewers star left fielder Ryan Braun can veto a trade to all teams except the Dodgers, Angels, Marlins, Rays and Nationals, but the idea of rebuilding Milwaukee dealing him “is becoming more realistic,” FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reports..."

OK fine. Now couple that with this headline:Does Ryan Braun make sense for the Yankees?

But Thank God the PA article is realistic:

"Braun makes sense for the Yankees in many ways. But, the cost of acquiring him, and the maneuvering that will be required to open up a roster spot, make it unlikely that Braun has pinstripes in his future...The biggest question is where would he play? Beltran is in the final year of his contract, but at the moment there is no obvious landing spot for Braun....

The Yankees could find a taker for Gardner, but if they acquire Braun first, potential trading partners would have significant leverage in trade negotiations....Even if the Yankees found a spot for Braun on their roster, his acquisition would be at odds with the team's youth movement."

And so, while the idea is very intriguing, it's like the very early, "Rumor Mill" stuff going on and so Pinstripe Alley actually takes the time to break down how unrealistic it is... mostly because of all of the moving parts.

Look, the Yankees need to get it together. There is no question about that, but my take on this is simpleyou're not gonna just throw money at the problem to fix it.  If the Yankees aren't winning with the vets, then bring up the kids and let's have alittle fun at least.  There is zero reason to spend money on MORE veterans. You know what I mean?

Anyway, nice nugget.  I thought I would share!



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JENRRY MEJIA, THE STRUGGLE & THE MLB SHELL GAME

When the Yankees do well, or were expected to do well and don't, they are crucified by the New York press.  The Mets skated for years, and that's because they weren't terribly good, but that changed last season.  The Mets were very, very good.  And I wondered to myself... "When do they get slammed like the Yankees have been?" Well... with the lifetime suspension of Jenrry Mejia... thank God for John Harper of the New York Daily News:

Titled By keeping Jenrry Mejia around, Mets flunked test of their own

"The Mets had to know that Jenrry Mejia was a rockhead when he was suspended twice last season for using PEDs, so even if they were stunned on Friday to learn he’d done it again, getting banned for good this time, they should have known better.

That is, they should have cut him loose on the spot rather than hope to still get something out of him in 2016 and beyond. Yes, theoretically Mejia could have added bullpen depth late in the season, but two suspensions should have been enough for them to realize they couldn’t trust him.

And if you can’t trust him, what’s the point?"

And it's so true, but here's the thing;  The Dominican Republic has always been rumored as a PEDs haven for a long time. Not only the D.R., but many Latin countries. We've mentioned it here on BYB.  No excuses, what Mejia did was wrong, but hear me out;   Many kids from the D.R. grow up playing ball all their lives from a very young age.  In fact, my friend, a Dominican, told me once, 'Yeah, there's American age, and then there's D.R. age'... meaning, 'that kid may be 13 year old in American age, but he plays like he's 16'.

The Dominican Republic players play more and are less educated.  Many D.R. players are extremely, EXTREMELY talented because they grow up playing baseball every single waking moment.  Great, great players are made at a much younger age than American players, because the hope is to make a Major League team one day and most of them do.  Here's the concern though; With that hope and dream comes the cloud of PEDs. NOT ALL PLAYERS, but that is the perception. In the process, some might take what they need to get there, not caring or not even knowing of the consequences.

BYB writer Mike O'Hara has touched on this in THE PEOPLE VS. DAVID ORTIZ,  writing:

"The unfortunate fact seems to be that athletes from the Dominican Republic have what appears to be unlimited access to PEDs.  It’s almost as if the “D.R.” stands for DAMN RIGHT they’re using.  That is not an accusation on Dominican people.  NOT. AT. ALL.  There are countless players that hail from the Republic that NEVER took or would ever take HGH, Steroids and the like.  But many do…Manny, Alex, Sosa (Those rumored to a possible link like Cano, Pujols and Bautista)."

I echo this.  For players in the Dominican and other Latin countries, it's about getting out of the struggle, and that's the mentality and it is my opinion that that's where Jennry Mejia's head was and probably still was.  But there's alittle more to it.  Teams know this... and teams turn their back on it.

If you ask retired players today if they'd use now, guys like Don Mattingly, Johnny Bench, they said they would have, because it would have given them an edge or it would have helped with their injuries and furthered their career.  Andy Pettitte did it during injury.  He's still the Golden Boy in New York.  Remember when everyone hated Alex Rodriguez? He came back with a solid season and all was forgotten and in the end, as dumb as Jennry Mejia was... perhaps he was hoping to get back to that point.

What I'm saying is I see where Mejia's head may have been at. He just did it way too many times and that's just dumb.

Look, I'm not softening my stance on PEDs in baseball... it despicable. But it's very curious as to just how big this epidemic is.  Now, I will tell you, Major League Baseball could easily come out and say, "Hey, 1 offense and you're banned for life", but they won't ever do that.  That's because in the end, baseball is a business.  And so, if a player is tested and caught, the thinking is, "That player wouldn't be stupid enough to do it again, and so we'll just keep up with this charade. He's banned for 50 games... the game won't be affected. We'll keep making money."

It shows the fans that MLB is trying to clean up the game, and at the same time, it keeps the business rolling.  But for a guy like Mejia... for Manny Ramirez and I'm sure more... they just don't think any other way... because they were brought into America with a different mentality... it's about the struggle for these players.  My opinion of course.

Look, I like what baseball has done to clean up the game, but this is the extent of it. They will not do it much stricter than they already have and that's because if a black eye is on MLB for suspending everyone for life, they lose a ton of money and the system breaks down.  And so this is what we know... the D.R. and other Latin countries work to get out of their poorer countriles and these countries are the ones that a rumored to be havens for PEDs. In turn, many players that come out of there either are users or RUMORED to use.  Mejia may have been a product of that.

And by the way, this is not a racist slap at the D.R. people.  This is about understanding what the struggle means for some of these kids. It's about being able to make it and go back to their homeland and say, "I made it, you can too". Not all Dominicans are users. Not all Latin players are users.  Not all Latin players are criminals.  I'm saying to you, I think I understand how this is unfolding.

And this goes for all players by the way. Ryan Braun is a perfect example of trying to get ahead.  It's about the struggle for some, but it's also about the edge and many players, even talented ones want that edge.  Sometimes they just get caught.  Jenrry Mejia got caught.  Alex Rodriguez got caught.  Ryan Braun got caught.  But there's more to it... everyone... EVERYONE knows this is happening including MLB, but the job is to just tamp it down... not truly fit it.  That's where we're at.

I hope you understand my concerns, as well as my editorial. It was a tough one for me to write.  Questions or concerns or comments... let's have a dialog. I'm here.

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FURTHER EVIDENCE MAKING AROD "THE EXAMPLE" DID NOTHING

Baseball and PEDs is like a hamster on a wheel sometimes... it keeps going and never stops and never changes.

Bleeding Yankee Blue said it and we've been saying it for years. Bud Selig wasn't about cleaning up baseball at all. He was about making Alex Rodriguez the example because he just didn't like him.  Guess what?  It didn't work, and now, with recent news about Jenrry Mejia and now 3 Yankees minor leagues being busted for drug use... let's call Selig what he is... a jack ass.

According to Hardball Talk:

"New York Yankees Minor League right-handed pitchers Anderson Acevedo, Anthoniris Santana and Carlos Santana have each received a 72-game suspension after testing positive for metabolites of Stanozolol, which is basically old fashioned anabolic steroids."

OK, so let's review.  Stiffer drug penalties don't work in baseball. Why? Because getting suspended for PEDs is like pushing the reset button. 

Players get busted, they go away and will come back and all will be fine and forgotten.  Melky Cabrera.  Manny Ramirez...twice. Ervin Santana. Ryan Braun. Bartolo Colon. Alex Rodriguez...and trust me, Jenrry Mejia and Santana, Santana and Acevedo too.

What happened to cleaning up baseball? Bug Selig was about smoke and mirrors.  Bud Selig was hell bent on being the Commissioner that "cleaned up baseball", but it seems to have gotten worse, hasn't it?

Right... right... Bud can't hear me.

Look, I'm not naive.  I know what goes on in sports and it's been going on forever, but it was crystal clear to me that the strike in 1994 nearly ended baseball, and then, when players started hitting home runs and got bigger, the fans came back.  Bud saw the money rolling into MLB. His thinking was "Why complain now?"

Everyone loves a home run, right? And so baseball was back and bigger than ever. Home run records were broken and "Wow... isn't this great for baseball?"  Well, under Bud Selig's own definition... no it wasn't, but why say anything then?  Crook.

When people started noticing, Selig began to pretend there was concern.  He went through the dog and pony show, Congress, "stricter drug penalties", but as players went away to serve their fines and new players returned, all it showed me was MLB was still selling violators jerseys in their stores, and baseball and those punished players stats would stay intact and continue to play.  In essence... nothing happened. 

Nothing until Bud Selig decided to treat ARod as the example, "So this kind of thing wouldn't happen again."  Selig netted and punished the biggest villain in baseball, who also happened to use PEDs.

With Alex Rodriguez down and out... it was over and Bug could ride into the sunset. He accomplished his goal.

One problem... Alex came back better than ever this season, and hey Bud, steroids in baseball is still here.

Message to Bud Selig; You destroyed the sport and you wasted everyone's time doing it.  This ones on you.  If I was Manfred, I'd find away to fine you!

The commissioner who cleaned up baseball... right... not buying it.

Here's that hamster...

 




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