DAVID BEDNAR'S GOT BALLS & I DIG IT!

The Yankees have a crappy manager. The Yankees also have a crappy "closer" in Devin Williams. They haven't been able to fix Williams and honestly, that's a lost cause now. We all know that except Aaron Boone and Brian Cashman. Confidence has been at a season low, until Wednesday night.

David Bednar carried the team on his back. This team has needed miracles and we got one. Yeah, yeah I remember the game against the Marlins was not good but I'm calling it newcomer nerves because the rest of his season he has been reliable. We can't say the same for Williams aka the new Clay Holmes as far as I am concerned.

Our bullpen has been a sore spot, and he came in and threw 42 pitches over 1 2/3 innings....25 of those were strikes by the way. I hope Williams took some notes there. It looked as though he was gassed after 35 pitches, when he put two men on base with two outs in the ninth. I thought he was too, considering he hasn't thrown that many pitches in an appearance since 2022 but he convinced Baboonie to let him face Adolis Garcia and it paid off with a strikeout after a seven pitch at bat. 

THIS is the guy I want to see Baboonie using in a save situation, and Luke Weaver too. Hell I thought Weaver earned a closer role last season but here we are....still using Williams who blows leads. In Baboonie's words he's gonna "keep running him out there," read more HERE. He has no plans to hide Williams, who has proven he can't handle it in New York. It's the Baboonie logic that just doesn't make sense "if he's pitching like he's capable of, he's got a chance to be massively successful."

Isn't that just so insightful?! More Baboonie dribble. It's so ingenious. You mean.....if Williams pitches well he will be successful? What a major epiphany! All is right with the baseball world. Gee, I wonder if he would also say that if he's not pitching well he's not going to be successful? Someone get Baboonie on the phone and ask him to give some more insightful words.

The smart thing would've been to trade Williams at the deadline and get something decent back for him. I do think he is a talented pitcher and would do well outside of New York. He's not cut out for it here. He's a free agent at the end of the season and he's not coming back. A contending team would've given something decent back for him....and something decent is better than nothing for a guy who's not hacking it here, especially since the market was seriously lacking closer roles. Cashman missed the boat....AGAIN.

I know some people are saying not to get too excited about Bednar's outing. Get excited after consistent appearances. Most years I would agree, but this year we need guys with guts and balls, We need guys that will rise to the occasion and be the difference maker. We are seriously lacking guys like him.....we need this if we have any hope of clawing our way into the postseason.

Bednar's got balls....and he delivered. Baboonie and Williams don't have balls or brains.....it's that simple.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

THE YANKEES NEED TO MAKE A STATEMENT THIS OFF SEASON

The two teams playing in the World Series right now certainly deserve it. Diamondbacks Manager Tony Lovullo quieted the naysayers including Chris "Mad Dog" Russo and his pledge to retire if the Phillies didn't beat the D'Backs to claim NL Champions and enter the Series. And he didn't back down when Russo said he wouldn't honor his promise. He made a statement and backed it.

Source: USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con

"Nobody knows the magic that's sitting inside that clubhouse right now," manager Torey Lovullo said. "Nobody knows what we're capable of doing on a daily basis. Nobody knows how hard we're working to make today happen," reported ESPN prior to Game 1 of the Series. And on the Texas Rangers side of the field you have legendary manager Bruce Bochy, whose reputation precedes him. He wins. He is a leader, and he doesn't tolerate any crap, including keeping his flamboyant slugger Adolis García focused on one thing- winning. 

Source: AP

If the Yankees want to compete in this modern baseball game, they need to do more than game the system with analytics and money. They need to back up their statements with strong leadership, build back their credibility and build a team that can actually come together and win. The New York Yankees need to make a statement this off season and it is not just about buying players who they think can work together.

"Arizona claims it has enough internal motivation to keep it going but an external doubt here or there won't hurt the cause. Only a heavy underdog can play that card, and the Diamondbacks haven't shied away from it. They've embraced it and used it to their advantage," reported ESPN. The last time the Yankees have had that kind of culture was back in the early 2010s. And that has plummeted madly over the last 13 years. 

Source: NY Times

According to SI.com, "The Yankees have made it seem like the club actually will be making big changes this offseason and even has been linked to San Diego Padres star Juan Soto as a trade candidate. On top of Soto, New York already has been linked to multiple star players -- including two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani." This only works if we have leadership in place, the kind we are witnessing this postseason. All of the teams that played in postseason had strong leadership both inside and outside of the clubhouse. Are the Yankees seeing what I am seeing? Do they care? They can't just purchase players and plug them into an algorithm to see if there will be chemistry and production. They need wisdom, which they simply don't have in Aaron Boone or Brian Cashman for that matter.

So, when I say, "make a statement", I mean wake up and sniff what is going on around you. There is motivation, there is will, and there is tremendous leadership and guidance supporting these players competing in the Fall Classic. That is the statement. And if they don't back up their pledge to be better, it will be another 13 years before the Yankees look like the D'Backs and Rangers- the modern World Series competitors who deserve the right to be here. 

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

THE TEXAS PRETENDERS

Source: CNN

 Many of you who read my posts here at Bleeding Yankee Blue know that I have been fed up with the Yankees for some time. I think once Aaron Judge ran into the concrete fence in Dodger Stadium my usual growth mindset gradually moved to a fixed one. Then I said that the 2023 playoffs were exciting and it was likely nursing my Yankee hangover because I adopted the Texas Rangers and I liked what I was seeing. But after Friday night's debacle, where the Rangers dished Jose Altuve a gift—allowing him to launch a three-run home run and take the lead for good—I am back to nursing that hangover again. The Texas Rangers may in fact be the Texas Pretenders and that is no good for us Yankee fans.

Source: USA Today

Now, I can't full credit for the title "The Texas Pretenders." I have to give some of it to @hammersiny—a diehard Yankee fan who often texts me to ensure I still have a pulse after some of the losses we have had over the last few seasons. The game on Friday night was a pivotal moment in this ALCS, one we as Yankee fans, are all too familiar.

"Both benches cleared as tempers flared in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series (ALCS) between the Houston Astros and the Texas Rangers on Friday. The game got heated in the eighth inning when Texas’ Adolis García was struck on the shoulder by a 98.9 mph fastball from Bryan Abreu," reported CNN. Now, what happened before that might have provoked the pitch that was nowhere near the strike zone or the batter's box for that matter.

"Two innings earlier, García hit a three-run homer that gave his Texas Rangers a two-run lead and celebrated emphatically, walking halfway up the first-base line and slamming his bat onto the Globe Life Field turf before making his way around the bases. Less than three months before that, García and Maldonado had jawed at each other at home plate in another benches-clearing incident. It all raced through García's mind in a split second," reported ESPN. 

The beef between the Rangers and the Astros almost reminds me of our ALCS days against Houston. And I got really fired up watching the emotions among the players and the two very experienced managers who were not having the "nonsense" that only got in the way of the game being played. Which all ended abruptly with the Altuve home run. 

Source: CBS Sports

The Texas Rangers have never won a World Series whereas the Yankees have won 27. And the Rangers appeared to be the real thing this year, but have they surfaced their weakness? Are they too emotional to win? Are they not locked in whereas Houston simply is? Does Houston play dirty? Yes. We know that all too well. But if Texas is going to persevere, they have to get out of their heads and into the game- keep focused on the game, and how to win. Don't let Houston's little tactics throw you. With Garcia out of the game, it removed him from being available later when the team needed him. With the time it took to the umpires to reset, it took the momentum away from the Rangers and placed it right in the hands of Houston. Which was likely their plan all along. 

The Texas Rangers need to stop pretending and take Houston's momentum away. If they want the chance to battle Philly or Arizona, and in many ways, help us as Yankee fans cope with the fact that we are not playing, then they need to get out of their own way and win. Stop pretending, stop emoting and start winning!

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

JAKE BAUERS IS A BONAFIDE BALLPLAYER!

Yesterday I spoke about the need to get a solid left fielder on Bleeding Yankee Blue.  Someone to replace Oswaldo Cabrera who has struggled alittle right now and definitely to erase the heartbreak of a Aaron Hicks who is now just a guy with a Yankee uniform that hangs around.  

If you read THE YANKEES NEED A SOLID LEFT FIELDER. THERE COULD BE A FIX you will understand. I hinted that Jake Bauers would be my pick to come up and "stay there". Let the kids play I said.  And just like that, Jake Bauers proving to the Yankee fan base that he is extraordinary, gets possibly hurt in the process.

MLB.com writes:

Play of the year.

Jake Bauers.

Please be OK pic.twitter.com/n6BTThDurZ

— Conor Maguire (@cmaguire2008) April 29, 2023

"Moments into his first game for the Yankees after being called up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre earlier Saturday, Jake Bauers made a running catch on the warning track in left field that was equal parts skill, instinct, courage and recklessness. He slammed into the wall at full speed after making an extraordinary grab on Adolis García’s sinking line drive, almost certainly saving a run while ending the first inning.

Unfortunately for Bauers, the stellar play ended his night, too, and his effort was in vain anyway in a 2-0 loss to the Rangers at Globe Life Field. He was diagnosed with a right knee contusion, and his status is uncertain. X-rays performed during the game were negative, and Bauers will undergo further testing Sunday."

Negative is a good thing. Will Bauers be out for a few days? Let's hope it's just a few.  What I saw from this kid yesterday was he wants to play, will fight his ass off to stay there... nothing like Aaron Hicks.

Aaron Hicks makes Gerrit Cole mad pic.twitter.com/aSco0Xtc0y

— gabe (@PlayoffTanaka_) April 28, 2023

The Yankees made the right move with this kid yesterday. I wish Bauers the best. This is my pick! Thanks for impressing us in Yankeeland Jake!