GLEYBER TORRES IS ON FIRE!

Monica Bradburn/MLB Photos via Getty Images

You all know how much I’ve always rooted for Gleyber Torres. And you all definitely know how I’ve always felt the Yankees treated him like the kid who showed up to a birthday party without a gift—tolerated, but not exactly welcomed. While the "favorites" got gold stars just for breathing, Gleyber had to practically walk on water to get a solid acknowledgment.

So, what did he do? He packed his bags, found a team that actually wanted him, and now he’s thriving like a cactus in the desert—except with way more hits. AJ Hinch seems to know what he's doing, and Gleyber looks like he’s finally got a manager who doesn't treat him like a temporary intern. The dude looks happy. And productive. Which is wild, right?

One of the biggest sparks in the Tigers’ 2025 revival? Gleyber Torres, of course. The two-time All-Star second baseman—and former Yankee, in case you forgot—has been a revelation. Plate discipline? Rebooted. Efficiency? Through the roof. Swag? Intact.

But let’s not pretend this came out of nowhere. In the 2024 postseason—remember that?—Torres was a machine. He hit .292 with a .933 OPS and somehow managed to reach base a franchise-record seven times in the first inning alone. While Aaron Judge was doing his best statue impression, Gleyber was busy getting on base and giving the team a chance. Boone couldn’t manage his way out of a paper bag, but somehow that was Gleyber’s fault?

So what did the Yankees do? Naturally, they looked at this productive, still-young, playoff-proven infielder and said, “Eh. Not enough dingers.” Brilliant. Front-office genius at work.

Meanwhile in Detroit, Gleyber’s the guy. A clubhouse leader. A spark plug. And oh yeah, he’s raking. He signed a one-year deal, bet on himself, and right now, he’s cashing in on that bet with style.

As a fan, nothing would make me happier than to see him make the All-Star team, carry the Tigers into October, and maybe even fire off a subtle wink toward the Bronx while he’s at it. Because if anyone deserves a shot to prove the Yankees wrong, it’s Gleyber Torres.

GLEYBER TORRES PREDICTED TO BE TRADED BY THE TIGERS

 Well, I guess the honeymoon is over.

Look, I love Gleyber Torres. I've defended him a lot.  The bat has pop, the smile’s contagious, and when he’s locked in, he looks like the kind of guy who should be in every All-Star Game until the sun burns out. But if the early noise out of Detroit is true—if he’s really playing hardball again about switching positions—then maybe someone needs to slide him a copy of “How to Make Friends and Stay in the Lineup.”

Torres signed on with the Detroit Tigers this offseason, a team bursting with youthful potential and a hunger to find out which of their shiny young pieces are ready to eat. And let’s be clear: Detroit did Gleyber a favor. They took a flier on a guy whose defensive limitations were well-documented and whose bat had started flashing more “decent” than “dangerous.” They gave him a chance. But now, according to The Athletic’s Jim Bowden, that generosity may be met with the same old “I’m not moving” routine.

Bowden laid it out:

“Torres didn’t want to move to third base for the Yankees last year after they traded for Jazz Chisholm Jr., so he’s likely not going to move to third for the Tigers either. He’s a below-average defender at second base, too.”

Translation: Gleyber, you’re on thin defensive ice. And if you’re not hitting .300 with 25 bombs, teams aren’t going to keep designing rosters around your comfort zone.

Bowden added that A.J. Hinch is the guy tasked with untangling this positional mess. And while yes, it's a good problem to have when you’re trying to juggle a bunch of major league-ready bats, it’s a worse problem if one of those bats refuses to move to where the team needs him.

The whispers of this issue actually started back in March when podcaster Chris Brown casually dropped a tweet on March 17th hinting at the situation. 

It felt like a blip then, but now it’s starting to look like a full-blown thing. We’re not saying Gleyber’s got a full-scale locker room revolt on his hands, but… this isn’t exactly “first-day-of-school” enthusiasm either.

So here’s the deal, Gleyber: you’re talented. Everyone knows it. But you’re no longer the young phenom with endless runway and two All-Star nods in your back pocket. This is the part of your career where you either become a clubhouse asset or a transactional footnote.

Detroit believed in you when others didn’t. If they ask you to play third, short, second, first, or sweep the dugout steps—maybe just smile, grab your glove, and do it. Because the alternative? Getting moved at the trade deadline because you couldn’t adapt? That’s a brutal way to lose another team’s faith.

So as a long-time member of the Gleyber Torres Fan Club, it pains me to say this—but my guy, it might be time to stop worrying about where you’re standing on the field… and start focusing on how to stick around on any field.

Let’s not make this another chapter in the “what could’ve been” saga.

FAMILIAR ISSUES FOR GLEYER TORRES IN MOTOR CITY SPELLS TROUBLE!

There was one thing I liked about Gleyber Torres when he was a Yankee....he was consistently a better hitter than most of the roster. That's it, sadly. So when the Yankees moved on and didn't make him an offer I wasn't disappointed. He forced the Yankees hand with some of his own choices....and I think that could happen again in Detroit.

When the Yankees traded for Jazz Chisholm Jr. last season, it was anticipated that he would play second base and Torres would move to third. Of course that didn't happen, Torres threw a diva temper tantrum and told the media "I'm a second baseman. I play second." That was the beginning of the end for Torres.

Fast forward to the offseason, where he signed a one-year "prove it" deal with the Detroit Tigers hoping to reset his value and cash in on a bigger long-term deal this coming winter. He's already on the Injured List with a strained oblique (deja vu) and the Tigers should really be thinking about this long and hard. Torres not clogging up their second base position makes room for more of their young talent and eliminates the log jam that he willingly creates.

Supposedly, when Torres signed he was open with the Tigers about wanting a short term deal to reset his value that included a permanent position at second base. At the time, the Tigers were anticipating some of their younger talent to spend a majority of the year in the minors if not all of it. Now, it's looking like some of their talent is ready sooner than expected which means the Tigers have a log jam when everyone is healthy.

With Torres out, Tigers can play Colt Keith at second (where he is used to playing) instead of first base. With Keith at first, that bumps Spencer Torkelson from his spot at first base and leaving the Tigers with a puzzle of how to get his bat in the lineup besides a DH spot. All of that could be avoided if stubborn Torres would just slide over to third base.

So it's crazy to me. It puts manager A.J. Hinch in a seriously pickle as he talks to the media about his options and ideas. He insists the idea of Torres to third is "not even a topic" read more HERE. It should be but the details should be different. Players need to realize it's not about them, and the roster should be constructed every day however it gives the team the best chance to win. Also, Torres made himself a RENTAL in Detroit. It's what he wanted. Why does he get to call the shots on where he plays?

Torres is a below average second baseman. The data doesn't lie. The Tigers have some young talent that will be around much longer than Torres. So the Tigers should do what they want, period. I think they will eventually....not yet though. I think Torres is going to find himself traded around the deadline. It will give the Tigers more flexibility with their roster and allow them to get rid of dead weight that is all about himself and not what is best for the team.

This is ultimately what will hurt Torres in the end. He's a diva. Teams don't want divas. The Tigers would be stupid to keep him if their young talent continues to produce. In the end, the loyalty will be to their young talent and not Torres and his ego. He needs an ego check and fast.

Where will Torres end the season? And will he learn his lesson before he hits free agency? 

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

GLEYBER TORRES & THE FOREVER THIRD BASE DEBATE

Here we go again. New team, same dilemma. 

Gleyber Torres has traded Yankee pinstripes for Tiger stripes, but the question that followed him out of the Bronx is already back: Could he—would he—fill Detroit’s glaring hole at third base?

The Tigers’ infield is looking a little patchy after multiple injuries, prompting podcaster Chris Brown to throw out a potential fix: Trey Sweeney at short, Colt Keith at second, and—wait for it—Torres at third. Sounds reasonable, right? Well, not so fast.

If history has taught us anything, it’s that Torres plays second base and second base only. His reluctance to shift positions reportedly played a role in his exit from New York, and there’s no reason to believe that stance has changed now that he’s in Detroit. Would manager A.J. Hinch even bring it up? Probably not. The relationship between Hinch and Torres seems solid, built on mutual respect—something Torres might not have always felt with Aaron Boone.

But here’s the real question: If Torres wants to turn his one-year stint in Detroit into something more, would he consider a little flexibility? A few starts at third might not just help the team—it could help him secure a long-term deal. For now, though, it’s a moot point. Torres is the Tigers’ second baseman, and the third base debate remains just that—a debate.

CELEBRATE GLEYBER TORRES 'CAUSE HE DID NOTHING WRONG!

I'll keep saying it—I never wanted Gleyber Torres to leave the Yankees. I always believed the organization lost patience with him too quickly, never giving him enough time to fully develop. That’s the heart of the matter. 

Mistakes and errors happen all over the field, but when Torres made them, he was immediately criticized. Meanwhile, Anthony Volpe could make similar mistakes, and it would be brushed off as a "learning experience for the young player." That double standard never sat right with me, and honestly, it's a big reason I have reservations about Volpe. He’s not perfect—far from it.

Just based on the eye test, Volpe hasn’t impressed me enough to say he’s definitively better than Torres. I know I’ll get pushback for that, but it's how I feel.

When Torres returned to play the Yankees with his new Tigers team, he received a warm reception from the crowd as Detroit’s leadoff hitter. The applause was loud showing that many fans still appreciate him.

“I was a little surprised by the fans... They welcomed me really good. I know everybody there. So, it’s fun. It’s just like, you know, good competitor, and trying to both be ready for the season.”

Torres said. He also made his feelings clear about his departure. “I feel I deserve to be with an organization that wants me... I’m here now and that’s the reason I’m here.”

When asked if he felt the Yankees no longer wanted him, his response was telling: “I don’t know. Maybe you can ask them.”

Here’s where it gets interesting—AJ Hinch is a big fan of Torres. Funny how things work out. Aaron Boone has always been painted as a "player's coach," but I never really saw him as a strong advocate for Torres. If he was, I’d probably remember it more clearly. Boone might try to be everyone’s friend, but that’s not the same as truly supporting a player. Now, Hinch believes in Torres and wants him to succeed in Detroit. That’s great for Gleyber. He deserves a fresh start and the chance to prove himself without unnecessary scrutiny.

Reading his comments, it’s obvious that Torres knew the Yankees didn’t truly want him anymore, and that’s disappointing. I’ve always felt that the organization treated him differently from other star players, almost as if they were waiting for him to fail so they could justify not offering him a new contract. Business is business, but that approach feels unfair.

One lighter note from the New York Post highlights how Torres has kept in touch with his former teammates, who had plenty to say about his new look.

“I remember I posted my first picture on social media, and a bunch of guys texted me, ‘Oh, you look weird,’” Torres said, laughing. “It’s fun. The relationships I have made there with my boys are amazing. Anywhere we go, we want to continue that.”

At least the players still appreciate him. The bottom line? I’ll always be a Torres fan, and clearly, many Yankees fans still feel the same way.

MAYBE AARON BOONE JUST COACHED GLEYBER TORRES WRONG?

I’ve said it a thousand times, but I’ll say it again: I never wanted to see Gleyber Torres leave the Yankees. Watching him walk out of the Bronx felt like a gut punch for me—not because he failed, but because the Yankees failed him in my opinion. From the moment he slipped on those pinstripes, I always felt like he was set up to be the fall guy, the perpetual scapegoat for an organization that couldn’t get out of its own way.

It’s not hard to see it. There was always this nagging sense that the Yankees were waiting for Torres to stumble, like they had the “we told you so” speech locked and loaded. Meanwhile, other players—the ones with clubhouse seniority or the ones who had Boone’s number saved under “BFF”—got endless patience and kid-glove treatment. Boone went to bat for them, but for Gleyber? Crickets.

But you know what? New team, new energy. Sometimes the best thing you can do for a young player with talent and heart is to give him a change of scenery. And Detroit? That’s a blank canvas. The Tigers aren’t bogged down by sky-high expectations or the ghosts of dynasties past. Gleyber can finally breathe.

Since joining the Tigers, Torres has been all business. He’s got that fresh-start energy, and from what I’m seeing, he’s ready to become a top-of-the-lineup force and maybe even a leader in Detroit. A.J. Hinch, unlike Boone, seems to get it. He sees Torres for what he is—a guy with potential, fire, and the drive to prove everyone wrong.

“He’s been really great to talk to and digest a lot of what he’s experienced, both in the regular season and the postseason,” Hinch said before the Tigers' 4-0 win over the Yankees. “He’s been an open book when it’s come to hearing from us on what adjustments he needs to make to be the best version of himself the longest. We’re really happy with his potential and what he can add to our team.”

You can see it in Hinch’s quote—he’s not just paying lip service. He’s invested in Torres. “I’m looking forward to challenging him to be a really big part of this team and being a fixture in the lineup,” Hinch added. “He wants to be good, he likes winning. He wants to continue to get better. He’s asked to be coached and coached hard, and we’re going to do it.”

That’s what Gleyber needed all along—someone who would push him, believe in him, and not just pencil him in as the easiest guy to bench when things got tough. Boone could’ve been that guy, but he wasn’t because he's not a leader. Too bad.

And let’s not kid ourselves—Torres isn’t just looking to “get better.” He wants revenge. He wants to show the Yankees exactly what they let slip away. This isn’t just a fresh start; it’s a redemption tour. And I am here for it.

I’ll go ahead and say it: 2025 will be Gleyber Torres’ year. He’s got a chip on his shoulder the size of Yankee Stadium, and nothing fuels an athlete like the sting of betrayal. When he thrives in Detroit—and I believe he will—the Yankees will only have themselves to blame.

And if he happens to crush a go-ahead homer when the Tigers play the Yankees? Well, karma’s a fastball down the middle, and I hope Torres doesn’t miss.

GLEYBER TORRES WILL MAKE THE YANKEES REGRET MOVING ON

Gleyber Torres is in Detroit these days as everyone knows. And honestly? I hate it. 

I didn’t want him to leave, and I really don’t like the way he was treated in New York. There, I said it. It always felt like the kid had to be perfect out there—one mistake, one mini-slump, and suddenly the fans, and sometimes even the Yankees' front office, were ready to throw him under the bus. Meanwhile, other guys could struggle, take their time adjusting, and get a free pass. Not Gleyber. Even this past postseason, when he was getting on base left and right, did he get the credit he deserved? Nope.

Now, following his departure—one that Brian Cashman made sure to throw a little shade on by saying Torres “refused” to move to third base—Gleyber’s taking the high road. “To be honest, I don’t know what’s going on there,” he told The Athletic. “I believed everything was good, but (now) I think no. So I don’t want to give any comments. … Whatever they have, they have. I’m just focusing on my goals this year, how to get better and help my team.”

You can tell he’s hurt, and I don’t blame him. Early on, he was a huge part of the Yankees' family, but over time, it felt like he fell out of that "circle of trust." Now, he’s in Detroit, betting on himself with the Tigers. “I always bet on myself,” he said. “In this process, I tried to find the right place to play for one year. I got a few opportunities with other teams, but the young team in Detroit, the group looks like a family.”

Tigers' manager A.J. Hinch is excited to have him. “Gleyber can be a good defensive player, and he will be,” Hinch said. “I think his work with Joey, partly in this offseason and into this spring, is going to be front and center. We feel like he can tap into his athleticism even more. He obviously needs to improve going to his left, if you look at his defensive evaluations. Playing a premium position up the middle, it’s going to be important.” I am no Hinch fan, but it must be nice to have a manager actually compliment Gleyber. Boone was too busy glazing Cole and Judge. 

You know what? I predict Torres is going to have a monster year in Detroit. I hope he rakes, plays his heart out, and reminds everyone just how good he is. The Yankees may have let him go, but I’ll always appreciate what he brought to the team. Wishing him nothing but the absolute best—he deserves it.

THE VOTERS GOT IT RIGHT. AARON BOONE SUCKS!

The American League Manager of the Year was announced on Tuesday, and to the shock of absolutely no one, Aaron Boone didn’t even come close. Cleveland Guardians rookie manager Stephen Vogt obliterated the competition, earning 27 out of 30 first-place votes. He beat out AJ Hinch of the Tigers and Matt Quatraro of the Royals with ease. And Boone? He finished FIFTH. Fifth! That’s exactly where an amateur belongs.

Let’s be clear: the Yankees won an AL-best 94 games, and Boone still wasn’t a finalist. Why? Because nobody’s fooled anymore. This guy is the managerial equivalent of an intern trying to run a Fortune 500 company. The Yankees won despite Boone, not because of him. Give most halfway competent managers the talent Boone has at his disposal—a lineup dripping with MVP candidates and a pitching staff that practically manages itself—and they’d deliver a season for the ages. Instead, Boone gave us inconsistency, baffling decisions, and a maddening inability to learn from his mistakes.

This man’s managing style is nothing short of amateur hour. Whether it’s his misuse of the bullpen (how many games has he handed away this year?) or his refusal to hold players accountable, Boone is a walking argument against letting “vibes guys” manage elite baseball teams. His over-reliance on analytics is laughable; it’s like watching someone try to drive using only their GPS while ignoring the giant potholes in the road. The result? A team that underachieves and a fanbase that’s ready to riot every time Boone waddles out of the dugout to make another head-scratching decision.

Meanwhile, Stephen Vogt, in his first year, managed to turn a scrappy Guardians team into something special with a fraction of the resources. That’s what real managing looks like. Boone? He’s like a kid playing dress-up in the Yankees’ managerial office, way over his head and out of his depth.

Here’s the best part: the voters just did what Yankees fans have been begging Hal Steinbrenner to do for years. They screamed loud and clear, “This guy is not a good manager!” Boone has finally been exposed on a national stage for what he is—a terrible leader riding on the coattails of immense talent.

The voters got it right. Boone doesn’t belong anywhere near a Manager of the Year conversation.

He belongs in a coaching seminar labeled “What Not to Do.” Yankee fans deserve better than this bafflingly bad amateur act. It’s time to get a professional in the dugout before Boone wastes another season of generational talent. Hal, are you listening yet?

A CHEATER IS A CHEATER AND MLB SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF ITSELF

 Alex Cora is a piece of garbage. Always has been.  

He's a guy that bought into the notion that he's a great manager and great baseball mind.  Now he might be a good baseball mind in some regards, but when you're cheating your way through life, sooner or later you are banished for bad behavior.  You would have thought that MLB would have banned Alex Cora and AJ Hinch for life after the Astros cheating scandal, but clearly a deal was struck between Jim Crane, the Astros owner and MLB commissioner Rob Manfred and for that I will always frown on Manfred.  Integrity didn't matter to him... friendships and back-room deals were more important.

And so, Cora gets to come back after his suspension and tries to redeem himself. And sure, the Red Sox has had some successes, but it's just like any team... if you don't have top talent, your manager isn't going to look good because the team won't win.  It takes a really good manager to understand how to navigate a mediocre team.  And when teams are really good, it's clearly the talent pool and not the manager.  I mean, look at Aaron Boone.  

The games we lose are usually because he made a horrible decision and then tries to gaslight us in the presser after the game.  The games we win are always guys like Aaron Judge and Juan Soto and have NOTHING to do with Boone.  Same thing could apply to Cora.  While he a decent status among peers in the league, is he really that good of a manager? Nah.

Now look; when it comes to hitting players in the batter's box, it's kind of an unspoken thing.  I mean, we have seen head hunting before with the greats of Bob Gibson, or Gus Weyhing, but it was not something you talked about in the dugout. You as a team collectively knew what had to be done and sometimes you did it and sometimes you didn't.  Well, when it's talks about OUT LOUD, that's just being a dick and when Alex Cora does it, that just goes to show the MLB world that he really hasn't learned his lesson when it comes to giving his team an edge.  

He's a cheater and he'll always be someone trying to get away with whatever is unsavory.  In other words, MLB messed this one up.  MLB should look long and hard in this latest situation about Alex Cora publicly stating that he wanted to hit Aaron Judge.

Pinstripes Nation writes:

Alex Cora basically admitted that Brayan Bello tried plunking Aaron Judge on purpose. He was asked if he considered yesterday's IBB/HBP fiasco closed:

"It was closed yesterday around the sixth inning. We had our chance. It didn't happen." pic.twitter.com/x1z4iA0HfF

— Chris Kirschner (@ChrisKirschner) September 15, 2024

"Major League Baseball is reportedly investigating comments made by Red Sox manager Alex Cora that suggest his team intentionally targeted Aaron Judge with a pitch. As of Monday evening, the league had yet to reach a decision on the matter.

Cora hinted on Sunday that the Red Sox might have retaliated during Saturday’s game after Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole hit Rafael Devers with a pitch in the first inning and later intentionally walked him in the fourth. Cora, visibly upset, believed the walk indicated Cole’s earlier hit-by-pitch was no accident and stemmed from a desire to avoid Devers.

When asked about the situation on Sunday, Cora implied the matter was settled during the sixth inning of Saturday’s game, noting they had an opportunity but failed to take advantage of it."

Not ultimately MLB will protect Alex Cora. Crane was so far up Rob Manfred's butt back in the day there will be calls from fake folks saying "Well hitting guys in baseball, Rob.  Alex was doing what any manager would do."  But if Manfred had any balls he would look long and hard into the kind of person Alex Cora is.  He lacks character, professionalism and he's just a dick.  

While I don't think anything will happen to Alex Cora, I am a man of integrity, and I believe in common sense.  Something should be done, even if it's small.  The Red Sox have no shot this year, the Yankees do, and any baseball guy will tell you that if that ball hits Judge on the knee and he's out for the remainder of the season it would be a free for all among fans.  Thank God it didn't... but think about if it did.  My point is there is also an unspoken rule about tipping your imaginary cap to the teams that have had success and not playing dirty.  Alex Cora knows better, but Alex Cora is about himself.

A cheater is always a cheater.  Alex should be ashamed, but MLB should have nipped this in the bud a long time ago and didn't. Shame.

BLABBERMOUTH PAPELBON IS IRRELEVANT & CORA SHOULD BE BANNED ANYWAY

Alex Cora should have been banned from baseball with AJ Hinch for the 2017 Asstros sign stealing scandal. That is something that these coaches should never be able to get away from.  And Jonathan Papelbon is long retired... so why is he running his stupid mouth?

If you don't know what's going on, it all stems back to new Yankee Alex Verdugo, who, unless he knocks it out of the park every single time he's in pinstripes, I was never jazzed about AV, and I'm still not.  First of all, he's doing this thing where he's kissing the ass of Aaron Boone, the most unqualified manager in baseball... but he's also sparking a lot of unneeded drama.  The other day he was asked about coming over to the Yankees from the "rival" Red Sox and said this:

“I’m very, very excited to work with Aaron, I’ve seen the way he has his players’ backs... That’s something I want to see out of my head coach. I want to see some fire, some fight for the guys, and I think just instead of airing people out, have their backs.”

Alex Verdugo loved Aaron Boone's unforgettable "Savages" rant in 2019 🤣 pic.twitter.com/fKXtUJXL57

— YES Network (@YESNetwork) December 21, 2023

It was clearly taking a shot at Alex Cora, and I back that just because I think Cora is a total piece of shit anyway.  

But saying this kind of garbage just brings the Sox zombies out of the woodwork.  Jonathan Papelbon might be the biggest irrelevant player out there right now.  And of course with Verdugo's comments, Jonnie woke up. He wrote this on social media:

everyone point and laugh at Jonathan Papelbon pic.twitter.com/Sd4Z86qMBV

— ZT (@NY_EvilEmpire) December 22, 2023

"Verdugo I mean Vertigo is a B----... Cora has his players and teammates backs more than anyone in the game. You aired yourself out by being late, lazy and unproductive. If I played for Cora I’m drilling this b----, just saying.”

For the record, Papelbon never played for Alex Cora.  What the hell does he know?  Also, why do we care about any of this?  Clearly Verdugo has an opinion on a manager that benched him once and that's beef between he and Cora.  Why is Papelbon around? And furthermore, why is this idiot Carrabis commenting on social media? He longs to be important, but he should just go continue peddling Draft Kings and shut up.  

Red Sox Nation has always been annoying to me. Everyone's tough up there.  Now let me be clear, I absolutely love the Sox fans. 

The Red Sox fans are the most passionate and even as a Yankee fan, they were nothing but nice to me when I go to Fenway.  But these moron players need to just go away.  And that starts with a guy like Verdugo who looks at Boone on his surface as someone that has his player's backs.  Maybe I'm in the minority here, but every time Boone fights with an umpire, I don't see it as having the players backs at all. I perceive it as a manager fighting for his job. A manager that is desperate because he sucks. 

Sorry.... that's just me.

THE ASTROS OWNER & FRONT OFFICE ARE BAD PEOPLE

You knew it would come out.  We all knew it was bad, but the MLB's slap on the wrist was just not enough.  People should have been fired, banned, removed forever!! But the relationship between Rob Manfred and Jim Crane was too much make the banning a real life thing, and so MLB and Manfred made a fairy tale about how they were wrong, but they will apologize and MLB will move on.  It was all bullshit, and we all knew it. But we the fans have no control over that. We will never stop going to games and never stop loving baseball, and MLB top brass knew that.  

So what happened? We the fans turned on the bad guys when we showed up to games and we will continue to humilate them all until the day they retire. Because that's all we can really do.  Correa. Altuve. Bregman. The others got their jobs back... Hinch, Cora, and even Carlos Beltran became a commentator on YES.  But none of them should have been back.  

Meanwhile, a dope named Jeff Lunhow was the only one who lost a job and still hasn't returned or even works. Why? Well, not because he did the garbage banging and came up with the scam and executed it himself, but because he erased evidence that pointed fingers in his own organization.  

Explain this to me? Explain how Lunhow loses everything and all these other assholes still work in the MLB? It's the wicked web of Jim Crane and Rob Manfred and their friendship... and it's absolute bullshit.

Mark Powell of Fansided writes:

"Jeff Luhnow, the general manager at the time who oversaw this entire mess, has yet to get another job in baseball.

Luhnow, it turns out, tried to warn those within the Astros organization of an impending investigation before the fact. Those close to Luhnow even suggest he deleted data from his own phone, and insinuated others to do the same...Seemingly every reminder and/or update to this cheating scandal makes matters worse. It's another layer and reminder that Houston knew exactly what they were doing, and continued to sweep it under the rug."

Jim Crane is a bad dude. Luhnow? Sure, he is too, but this just proves that even the owner was in on it, and cutting Lunhow loose and creating another narrative is the way to go and that's what Crane is trying to do. Don't know what I mean?

Remember when Cashman came out back in March (CBS Sports) saying:  "The only thing that stopped (us) was something that was so illegal and horrific. So I get offended when I start hearing we haven't been to the World Series since '09. Because I'm like, 'Well, I think we actually did it the right way.' Pulled it down, brought it back up. Drafted well, traded well, developed well, signed well. The only thing that derailed us was a cheating circumstance that threw us off."

He was ripping the Astros and it was amazing. Jim Crane shot back, from Bleacher Report): “I found his comments to be extremely strange,’’ Crane told USA Today's Bob Nightengale. “There’s the letter, and you were doing it, too. You were there dude. What are you talking about? If I was one of the teams, and I knew our team was doing it [cheating], I’d keep my mouth shut and just go about our business."

Crane sounds like a 5 year old. "I pulled his hair because he pulled mine!" Guilty. Guilty. Guilty. Go in the corner, you dunce.

By the way, the letter?  CBS Sports writes:  "In that letter, it notes that the Yankees were fined for sign-stealing behavior from 2015-16, but also clears them from wrongdoing"

Whatever Crane.

What we know these days is damaging and guys like Crane should be punished. Mandfred and the MLB should reopen this investigation on the Luhnow phone stuff. It's bad. But they won't.

As long as we are in a MLB world of stupid rule changes and relationships to make more money for the commissioner and the baseball owners, us fans will continue to shout but not be heard.  It's terrible what's happened to the MLB, but what's worse is that this Astros front office found one guy to truly punish and destroy, while the rest of these assholes can continue to live their life. The punishment did not fit the crime.  It's shameful.

RUMOR: RED SOX TO REUNITE WITH CORA THE CLOWN? UNACCEPTABLE!

I'm really having a hard time with all of the shenanigans happening this past week. Baseball has lost its mind and it is sad. First came the return of AJ Hinch which I was expecting but still disgusted by....but that may just be the beginning. 

Hinch and Alex Cora are both cheaters. Hinch was in charge when the ASSTROS cheated while Cora was a bench coach. Cora then went on to manage the Red Sox who got caught in yet another cheating scandal that he did not participate him according to MLB's investigation. The Red Sox and Cora supposedly "mutually agreed to part ways" but I had a feeling this wasn't the last time we would see Cora.

Back in April I wrote THE BLACK MARKS OF BASEBALL AND 2ND CHANCES and I said I thought the Red Sox gave Cora a sign of public support. They were in his corner, even though they had parted ways. Red Sox President left the door for a reunion wide open when he said, "I do [believe Cora will get a second chance]. That's my personal feeling. He does need to go through a rehabilitation process. What he did was wrong. He acknowledged it to us and apologized to us for that. But I'm a big believer in second chances and we all wish him well."

So the Red Sox must think that a shortened 60-game season is enough of a rehab stint for Cora because they have already interviewed him and six other candidates for the Red Sox managerial spot. The Red Sox didn't want to let Cora go the first time, but did so reluctantly. He was well liked by ownership before, why wouldn't they bring him back?

This is all just a formality. Heyman's tweet names other candidates, but those are just to fill the requirement of a "fair" interview process. The Red Sox already know who their new manager is...they aren't fooling anyone.

It sickens me to think that Cora's cheating has long lasting or permanent effects on some players careers, but he can manage again after a shortened 60-game season. If the Red Sox cared about integrity, or what is best for the sport, they wouldn't have talked to Cora at all.

It disgusts me, but it looks like baseball villains are back. Nice work, Manfred the Clown.

  --Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

     BYB Managing Editor

    Twitter: @nyprincessj

AJ HINCH DOESN'T DESERVE A SECOND CHANCE

I'm not quite sure how you can be the manager of a new baseball team. Don't forget, his old team was not only caught cheating under his leadership, but they had an elaborate scheme to cheat using technology and garbage cans, and then when they got caught, they got slapped with a one season suspension, and the season was only 60 games. 

Then, after that, Hinch gets hired by the Tigers to manage once again. I'm sorry... AJ Hinch is trash and doesn't deserve a second chance.  He was in charge when the cheating went down for the Astros. He should be banned from the game, not for a season, but forever.

The New York Times writes:

"It may take years for the stigma of one of the most infamous cheating scandals in sports to fade from Hinch, the manager of the 2017 Astros team that was found to have cheated on its way to a championship. But less than 30 minutes after Hinch’s season-long suspension from Major League Baseball officially expired with the end of the World Series on Tuesday night, he had been contacted by Detroit.

And less than 72 hours after that, Ilitch introduced Hinch as the Tigers’ 39th manager during a news conference at Comerica Park on Friday.

“This is a man who had learned and grown from the experience,” Ilitch said, “and that resonated with me."

Detroit Tigers Chairman, Chris Ilitch has been fooled. Talk about desperation.

The Tigers need help, this is true, but Hinch is the wrong guy to do it. Meanwhile Bob Nightengale, probably the biggest apologist for all the cheaters in the Astros organization tries to spin it his way... probably to get more interviews with these losers down the road:

#Tigers GM Al Avila on A.J. Hinch: "There were some important conversations to have about A.J.’s time in Houston. Throughout that dialogue he was clearly remorseful and used that time to reflect on the situation, and we believe he will emerge as a better leader because of it.''

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) October 30, 2020

Give me a break Bob. You were once a well respected journalist. You picked the wrong side and lost alot of integrity. Speaking of integrity.

Larry Brown Sports writes:

"Hinch also spoke about the sign-stealing scheme and being suspended for the entire 2020 season. He said his focus going forward is on “integrity and honesty.”

But isn't that always the strategy as like... a human being? This guy is full of shit.

I'm sorry... Hinch? Cora? The Houston Astros team? They're all a bunch of pompous, arrogant pricks. And the worst part? Rob Manfred tried to make it go away because it didn't want the scandal to be the highlight of his reign as commissioner. But me, a true baseball fan DOES NOT FORGET.

Hinch doesn't deserve a second chance. He's a piece of crap and the worst part for the innocent Tigers is now they're tainted just by association.

Whatever... baseball's gone downhill and it's time for a new commissioner with some balls.

IS THIS THE END OF MARCUS THAMES?

I have been pretty critical of Marcus Thames this season, up until the Yankees started to look like the Yankees again and got back to their winning ways.  I appreciate the history the Yankees have with him both when he was a player and since he transitioned to coaching within the organization. He's had a long run, but maybe the end is in sight.

A couple weeks ago I really started to question DO THE YANKEES HAVE THE RIGHT COACHING STAFF? and I talked a lot about pitching coach Matt Blake, but especially....Marcus Thames. I said it might be time to move on and get some new leadership, especially with the hitting coach. Maybe it still happens, but not for the same reason....

If you haven't heard, on Saturday veteran manager Ron Gardenhire abruptly announced his retirement, effective immediately. I say abruptly because he was likely going to announcement retirement at the end of the season but he did it with less than a week of the regular season left. There's been a lot of speculation in the media that his decision is due to health, read more HERE. I'm sure there is more to the story that we don't know, I just hope the rumors aren't true. He's been through a lot, including beating cancer.

So with Gardenhire's retirement announcement, there is already a "short list" of names out to replace him and there are a few obvious candidates....and also Marcus Thames, read more HERE.

Could Thames be the next manager of the Detroit Tigers? I don't know, maybe. He was a fan favorite when he played in Detroit from 2004-2009. But again, I said he's on a short list....

There are also a few other recognizable names out in the rumor mill that we will all recognize like A.J. Hinch and Alex Cora. You remember the BLACK MARKS OF BASEBALL & 2ND CHANCES? Well it's a short season so that means a much shorter punishment for these guys.

Those are names I'd rather not talk about right now because we did it enough but....they will be topical again. The Tigers will probably wait awhile to start their search because several names they are interested in will likely be stuck in postseason bubbles for the playoffs and....A.J Hinch won't be eligible to return from his suspension until AFTER the World Series.

I think of all of the managers that were "reprimanded" for their cheating Hinch is still the most likely to get a second chance. He has a winning track record (even with the cheating scandal) and the Tigers have a good core of players coming up and a tenured coach will be even more valuable to Detroit.

I've always believed that there is a team out there that is going to give Hinch another chance at managing....and maybe it is Detroit. Maybe it isn't and maybe Thames will get his shot. I'm not sure how this is all about to go down, but the next few months will be interesting for both Thames and the cheating managers.

I don't know if this is the beginning of the end of Thames or not. All I know is I am still skeptical of Thames but if one of the guys mentioned is going to a new managing gig, I hope it's him. And I also really hope that Gardenhire is okay, and can enjoy his retirement with his friends and family. He's a good man.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj