TRADE BETWEEN YANKS & CUBS BRINGS HOT RIGHTY ARM

The Yankees made a move to bolster their bullpen and it involved a name that the Yankees are familiar with in their history.  Leiter.

Empire Sports Media writes:

"The New York Yankees have completed a trade with the Chicago Cubs according to Jeff Passan, and it involved right-handed reliever Mark Leiter Jr. While his 4.21 ERA isn’t pretty, the 33-year-old right-hander is under control for two more seasons after this one...

He’s spent most of his Major League career with the Chicago Cubs, where he’s enjoyed plenty of success in late-game situations.

In return, the Yankees are dealing RHP Jack Neely and infielder Benjamin Cowles..."

Mark Leiter Jr. is the son of Mark Leiter who played for the Yankees 1 year... 1990.  And of course, his brother Al was also there.  Both Leiter Bros had solid careers in the MLB.  Now let's see how the next generation will do.  

Welcome to the Yanks, Mark!

TRYING NOT TO LOSE HOPE FOR 2020

As I continue to watch reruns of old baseball games and get hooked new series and movies I would never have considered, I am trying not to lose hope for 2020. No one expected the coronavirus to strip away the rest of spring training.  And all of us, fans and players alike, are looking toward the future.  While we wait for the smells and sounds of the ballpark, here are some nuggets of others who have been impacted by the abrupt halt of the start of the season.

Source: The New York Post

Yankees minor leaguer and last year first round draft pick from New Jersey, Anthony Volpe, "was in the middle of his first professional spring training last month when Yankees minor leaguers were quarantined after a player tested positive for the coronavirus," reported The New York Post. Volpe was hoping to make up for lost time this spring after being sidelined with mononucleosis last year.  Now he's staying safe and healthy and working out in his backyard back at home in Watchung, NJ.

Source: NJ.com

"At this time a year ago, Volpe was a key cog for Delbarton, which won New Jersey’s Non-Public A state title. It was a team that included pitcher Jack Leiter, the son of former big league pitcher Al Leiter. The Yankees drafted Jack in the 20th round last year, but he went to Vanderbilt," reported The New York Post.

Jack Leiter is another young player who has been impacted by the pause of the season.  He and his team, Vanderbilt University Commodores, were set to defend their collegiate world series championship this season when things came to an abrupt end.  Coach Tim Corbin is trying to help his team stay positive and keep perspective.

Source: Vanderbilt News 

“It was a tough turn of events, really, for these kids to grasp,” Corbin said recently on MLB Network’s MLB Tonight show. “Some of them still don’t – they come into the office and they’re in wonderment of what’s happening. So you just try to explain it to them and how these things will reverse themselves in time,” according to Chip Bishop Vanderbilt University Commodore Sports.

We are but six degrees of separation or in this case, as recommended by President's Coronavirus Task Force, six feet wearing a mask. We all facing much more than the loss of a baseball season.  The new normal will change the way we do things and experience life for a while, and Corbin helps to put it all in that context for his players and perhaps all of us as well.

Source: SI.com

“There’s people with greater issues than losing a baseball season. We just have to put good perspective on it and we have to do what we need to do, that being good citizens and just try to follow the order of people who are smarter and more educated about this situation than us.”

So as I finish watching epic film The Ten Commandments, instead of watching the Yankees, I remain hopeful that we will get through this and baseball will return in some capacity this year.  And perhaps we will all appreciate it more, including players and owners, and not get caught up in things that take the joy out of the game.

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

IT'S TIME FOR BASEBALL TO GET MORE CREATIVE

Source: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

On Tuesday, the city of Toronto banned all public events until June 30th as a result of the coronavirus.  This changes the whole trajectory of the 2020 baseball season as we all know that the Blue Jays sit within the Yankees Division and the concern is clearly that if Toronto is doing this, is New York next?  With the pandemic ranging and 80% of Americans already under stay at home orders for at least the next month, it is time for baseball to get creative if they want to have a season.

Al Leiter, former NY Yankee and Met pitcher and YES Analyst, calls for innovation when it comes to salvaging 2020 baseball.  And for good reason.  This is an opportunity to do something interesting and bring baseball back in some capacity as a light at the end of the COVID-19 tunnel.

"Whether that involves an expanded playoff structure, a regular season that stretches through October and World Series games at neutral sites, the former pitcher — now a MLB Network analyst and special adviser for the Mets — embraces the idea of a potential season serving as a giant laboratory," reported the New York Post.

Source: AP

As the spring training hub for the Yankees and many teams in the eastern part of the country, Florida could be the next epicenter for the coronavirus, getting into the stay home mandate late.  This could affect a spring training continuation but Leiter says many players could ramp up sooner.  As my good colleague, Steve Azul and I discussed on the Dugout Podcast on Monday, they may need to do spring training at their own home facilities once bans are lifted.  And games could be played locally, with teams that could be a train, bus or car ride away.

Source: New York Post

Besides no baseball for the MLB players and fans, Leiter warns that this is impacting the economy of baseball and other layers that go all the way back to college and high school programs. His own son, Jack, is a pitcher with Vanderbilt, set to defend their College World Series championship this spring.

“When you really peel it back with the layers of disappointment it really is almost endless with respect to how one entity affects so many layers of groups of people and industry and economics of it and enjoyment and fulfillment and all of it,” Leiter said, referring to the coronavirus. “It goes multiple, multiple layers.”

On the podcast, we discussed 81 to 100 games leading into the post season which would presumably begin in early November, bringing teams to warmer climates and neutral sites.  There has also been talk of once a week double-headers and expanded rosters to support the influx of games.

It's time for baseball to get creative and think about the various ways they could get the games in for the 2020 season.  For the sake of the game, for the sake of the players, for the sake of the fans, and for the sake of my sanity, let's hope the Commissioner and his team has some good ideas to redeem baseball for 2020.

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

EVEN GOOD JOURNALISTS MAKE MISTAKES

Bleeding Yankee Blue has been in existence since 2010.  If we were "poor" journalists, as David Cone says, we would not be here today. He apologized for overreacting, we appreciate it... but I need to get this off my chest.

Thanks for the correction. Sorry if I overreacted

— David Cone (@dcone36) May 16, 2018

If you read BYB, you know I HATE, hate on Twitter. You know I hate misinformation here at BYB.  As Bleeding Yankee Blue Chief, I am happy to call out mistakes and BS.  Today we wrote a story and one of my top writers made a simple mistake.  In fact, in life, we BYB writers are constantly running around like crazy, work schedules, crazy kid schedules, dinner, homework with the kids, events and who knows what else.  And then... and then if we're lucky, us fans with our FAN site BleedingYankeeBlue.com... try to watch a few innings of a Yankee game, hoping to form some type of opinion, or get a nice idea to write about for the many fans we have. Almost 6 million clicks since our beginning. Not too bad.

Last night, we did made a mistake.  What happened next was unnecessary.

David Cone, we at BYB apologize for the misinformation in a world of fake news and bologna with no fact checking every single day.  But one thing you cannot do is call Bleeding Yankee Blue that poor journalism. It was borderline bullying. My opinion. We made a simple mistake.

I know these people that write on our pages. I know them well. They work hard to give our fans interesting stories, valid opinion and yes... disagreements with even the top dogs at the YES Network. Debate... Conversation IS what makes fan be fans. No hate... just disagreements.

Updated post & humbly apologize for the miscue; my son & I watched game but tuned in late; this was the 3rd time we heard that Austin was in a slump over the last couple of games yet he has had little playing time- honored you read us & caught this.; sorry for attributing to you

— Suzanne (@suzieprof) May 16, 2018

While we misquoted you and apologized, let me remind you that my writers are smart, hardworking and reliable.  They are good journalists. They are also not perfect, but neither are you. 

We've been on the fields getting the story over the years. We've interviewed your peers, gave credit where credit is due. Applaud great players, blast bad ones. And you know what else we do? We make mistakes sometimes.  Good Journalists do that sometimes.  Poor Journalists fade away.  Sorry... poor journalists ain't us.

But there's more to it.  The story wasn't ever about David Cone. He made it about David Cone.  It was actually a story about Tyler Austin. And that's where our fandom comes alive here.

Photo: NJ.com

Bleeding Yankee Blue loves Tyler Austin. We have been on his journey since day 1.  We want him there. We don't want to see him get sent down.  That is the crux of the story. That was always the crux. That was what Suzie Pinstripe was trying to portray.  I give a helluva lot of credit to Kim Austin who came out swinging earlier.  She's momma bear.  She didn't do anything wrong.  I'm glad she tweeted what she tweeted.

First of all, I was only tagged in this, secondly, I have no idea who was broadcasting because we can’t get the game on tv here in GA, and third don’t accuse me of being salty when I support every player whether they are hitting or not.

— Kim Austin/ Kimberly N. Dean (@austinmom03) May 16, 2018

My bad, I misunderstood your response. I thought it was directed at me. My deepest apologies.
I agree with Mr. Cone also. I am an author and I will not upload without fact checking.

— Kim Austin/ Kimberly N. Dean (@austinmom03) May 16, 2018

But let's keep it real. While we appreciate honesty, we aren't fans of what appears to be bashing of Tyler Austin in GENERAL.  It could be Cone, Kay, Leiter, random Yankee fans or Tony Gallucci from Fran's Auto Body down the street from me.  We reacted... and yes, we got the voice wrong last night.  But I have to wonder if it would have really escalated if Coney didn't say what he said to us about poor journalism... and sure it wouldn't even have been "a thing" if we got the quote right in the first place.

Furthermore, It's strange to me that some BYB fans that have read us since day one, know us well, know what we're all about suddenly have chosen sides because the "great David Cone" bashed a fan site.  Wrong. You know who you are.  Bottom line, thanks for your loyalty.  Not cool.

We are sorry to Coney. We love YES. We love all those peeps. We listen to them most nights, tweet with them. Enjoy them. We enjoy Bob and Jack and Flash and Love Nancy and Meredith and Paulie and Kay and Kenny.  We've interviewed many of them here.  It's our family. We appreciate you guys.  Love you guys.  BUT... we fans... and good journalists... and we blew this one. We regret that but we seriously need to move on.

Sorry for the misquote. Sorry it escalated. And Coney, thanks for apologizing. 

Let's move forward.  OK?

--Robert Casey
BYB Founder & Chief
Twitter: @BleednYankeeBlu

THE NO-HITTER JINX

 Source: Mike Stobe/Getty Images North America

Yankee young ace pitcher Jordan Montgomery pitched a no-hitter into the 6th inning last night.  His stellar performance help lead the Yankees into victory over the first of two games against the Cincinnati Reds.  And although his pitching has been nothing less than consistent this season, that's not actually the topic of this piece.  It's about a no-hitter jinx that fans believe stem from broadcaster's calls from the booth.

Source: NJ.com

According to Awful Announcing, a site affiliated with NESN, "For as long as announcers have called baseball games, they’ve faced a choice in how to handle a no-no. They can either bluntly declare that there’s history in progress, or they can dance around the subject in homage to the on-field tradition of keeping the words “no-hitter” as far away from the pitcher as possible."

Source: Fox Sports

Now, clearly, I would be the first to say that when Announcer Joe Buck dances around anything with regards to baseball play-by-play, he's a jinx- remember how he ruined the All Star Game this year among other competitive events.  But what happens in the booth while players are on the field is out of their earshot, so commentator banter could not interfere with the a potential no-hitter, right?

Source: Greg Fiume/Getty Images North America

Cubs play-by-play announcer, Len Kasper heard from hordes of angry fans when he supposedly jinxed a Jake Arrieta no-no in 2014 and then again when he cursed a Jon Lester attempt the following season. “I feel like we’ve lost our way, somewhere along the line, where fans think we have some sort of mystical control over what happens,” Kasper, who has called three MLB no-hitters, told Awful Announcing."

Source: YES Network

But I think I love what former pitcher, no-hitting pitcher that is and now Yankee commentator Al Leiter said the best.  As he bantered with Michael Kay last night, who quietly alluded to the no-hitter by Montgomery through the beginning of the 6th, Leiter said that broadcasters have absolutely no affect on the performance of the pitcher on the field.  “I think it’s ridiculous,” Leiter told Awful Announcing. “Having thrown a no-hitter, I don’t believe in a jinx from somebody who is far away that’s not in earshot of the action. I find it comical, amusing or silly.”

What they do impact, however, is the fans and this impact loudly criticizes the daring broadcasters who have the audacity of saying "no-hitter." As Leiter said, it affects their passion for the game.  I for one get that, loud and clear.  I tend to stand clear of saying "no-hitter" during any game where it becomes apparent that something special could in fact happen.

Passion for the game is a good reason to get all fired up.  No-hitter jinx or not, it is great to hear fans get excited about this game.  And just so Michael Kay knows it, just talking about a no-hitter jinx could be jinx. That is all...

--Suzie Pinstripe

BYB Managing Editor
Follow me on Twitter: @suzieprof

FANS SALIVATE OVER SEVERINO

It was a nice start and an exciting debut for the kid that everyone wanted to see pitch.  For some strange reason, I remember it like I remembered when Al Leiter debuted for the Yankees back in September 1987. 

There was a lot of hype and everyone wanted to see what he had back then.  Leiter would get the win that night against the then American League Milwaukee Brewers.  Tonight, Luis Severino got the loss... but the effort was there.  The Yankee bats just weren't.

Severino went 5 innings, gave up 2 hits and 2 runs.  He struck out 7.  He looked real good, better than I thought and to be honest, I don't even care about the loss.  I'm just glad the game is under his belt.  I think many of the fans were pleased.

The Yankee bats went like this... In the 7th inning, it was Carlos Beltran with a solo shot to the Red Sox 2 runs.  Steven Wright pitched great for the Sox. You need to tip your cap.  The Yankees just couldn't help out Severino or themselves.  In the end, we come up short.

But the Severino debut was a great success... and to be honest, I can't wait to see more.

Final: Red Sox 2 - Yankees 1

You've made BYB the fastest growing Yankees fan site in history. Now shop at the Bleeding Yankee Blue store!  Follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and LIKE Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook!  Also, don't forget to check out the BYB Hub!

WHAT'S IN A NAME?

Names are our first identifiers. Before you are in born, your parents choose a name for you as a way to give you a solid identity. You go from "the baby" to "John" or "Emily" or whatever your name may be. They agonize over what to call you. No one wants a name that is too common. They want their little ones to be their own person. Sitting in a classroom at five with 6 other people that share your first name is a nightmare for parents. Don't ask me why, but it is. On the other hand, we don't want to give you a name that is too unique, if that makes sense.

I digress. Names are how we identify a person, or a group of people. Could you think of how different our fandom would be if instead of the Yankees they were named the Minions? Okay, maybe that is a far fetched thought. But what if they never changed their name from the Highlanders to the Yankees? It would have completely changed the face of the organization. Our beloved interlocking NY logo that has become so iconic, wouldn't work as well. You know what I mean.

Recently the Yankees announced that they are retiring Bernie Williams' number. Something that most of us can agree is long over due. I grew up in the Bernie and Core Four Era. My fandom was built around him, Derek Jeter, Andy Pettitte, Mariano Rivera, and Jorge Posada. I couldn't have asked for a better time to grow up in baseball. Legends like those come once in a lifetime, and I am grateful it was my lifetime.

With the announcement of the retirement of his number, the question came up again. You know the one... why is it Core Four? Why is Bernie forgotten? It's a legitimate question from fans that adore and respect what Bernie brought to the team. There is no denying his role in our Dynasty era. Without his contributions, there is no doubt that having reached that many Championships would not have seemed so effortless for the team. But here's the thing, and the following is a wildly unpopular opinion... he's not part of the Core Four. If you continued reading past that last line, and aren't angry at me, let me explain...

Names... they have meaning, right? They are given for a reason. I mean, we wouldn't call Jorge "The Warrior," would we? That is the name given exclusively to Paul O'Neill. And could you imagine the response if anyone else got called The Sandman? What if we start calling our line-up "Murderers Row"? I'm sure a few older fans would have a hard time with that.  A few years ago Michael Kay and Al Leiter called Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau the "M&M Boys." How could they? That's sacred! It was strange and even made BYB writer Jeana Bellezza cringe. You can read that HERE.

While in this case, adding Bernie to the equation would make the legacy better, it still doesn't fit. The "Core Four" is a name given to Mo, Jorge, Jeter, and Andy because they came up in the farm system together. They were key changes made to the team that helped pushed them into the team that dominated in the late 90's. And while, again, Bernie played a huge role in those championships, he didn't come up with them. Plain and simple.

We don't get up in arms about Paulie not being thrown in there. He's our Warrior, and we're okay with that. But did he not contribute to the championship teams? What about Tino Martinez? Or is it different because Bernie was home grown, and played his entire career here? Because then we could argue that Andy's three season in Houston should ban him from being part of the Core Four. You wounded us, Andy. Deeply. Okay, maybe just me... anyway, I've forgiven him.

Here's my thought; Bernie is his own separate entity. He hasn't been forgotten, obviously! If we are still asking why he isn't part of the "Core Four," the memory of his contributions are still alive and well to us all.  There is so much respect and love for Bernie from Yankee fans. It's incredible to see the organization finally do the right thing by him. His retirement ceremony brings a sense of happiness to fans. It's the right thing to do. We've known it for years, we've just been waiting for the Yankees to acknowledge it as well.  But, why can't he be a stand alone player? Why the push to recreate the Core Four? The Fab Five?  I ask you... why?

I absolutely adore Bernie Williams. There will never be another like him. He deserves the honor of being in Monument Park. He gave everything to the organization, and instead of heading off to another team to play, decided he'd rather not play if not in the Bronx. I have a huge amount of respect for him as a player and as a man. And I think he led a career that he is strong enough to stand as his own memorable entity.

Lou Gehrig once remarked that because he hit after Babe Ruth, he was forgettable, and still he is one of the most celebrated Yankees of all time. Why then do we feel the need to shove Bernie into a box in order to preserve his memory?

It was the Core Four, and the incredible Bernie Williams! That's how I see it. 

Congrats, Bernie! It's long overdue.

--Erica Morales BYB Senior Writer 
Twitter: @e_morales1804

You've made BYB the fastest growing Yankees fan site in history. Now shop at the Bleeding Yankee Blue store!  Follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and LIKE Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook!  Also, don't forget to check out the BYB Hub!

IT'S NOT PINEDA-GATE, IT'S PINE TAR. GET OVER YOURSELF

The rulebook states that a foreign substance being used by pitchers to doctor the ball is illegal.  If you use it and get caught, you’re ejected and most likely suspended.  That happened to Michael Pineda. He was dumb, real dumb… almost like he wanted to get caught.  I mean for crying out loud, it wasn’t like the dude was late to the game, jumped off his motorcycle and accidentally wiped bike grease on his neck as he was getting his uniform on. He put it there on purpose.

It was out in the opened.  He admits that and you know what? He was disciplined and to be honest... now it’s over.  That’s unless you read the blogs and media all over the world today, who are reviewing the incident as severely as rape or PEDs use. Yup, what I wrote is extreme, but it’s to make a point; He cheated ,he blew it and it’s the 24th of April. I don't feel like reviewing every other doctoring incident caught on camera because I'll be here all day. Plus, it's a silly exercise. I'm talking about the hammering of dumb Michael Pineda.  I am stating it here... this incident is now behind us.

I tweeted this last night and I meant it:

I know Pineda was dumb in this whole scenario, but the reporters are crucifying him like he injected PEDs on the mound or something #itsover
— Bleeding Yankee Blue (@BleednYankeeBlu) April 24, 2014

The line of questioning from reporters last night was too similar to a Congressional hearing. There were even slick beat writers almost trying to trip the guy up because of the language barrier, almost to get him to say something scandalous  Sure, Michael Pineda messed up, but he could have hid behind the Yankee machine and never talked to the media last night.  What he did was the right thing to do.  He took his lumps like a man, and now he needs to deal with the punishment. Case close. I'm not so sure investigators need to go to him home and look for more pine tar evidence, you know what I mean?

Ironically, through most of this, I was coaching Little League when my phone blew up as I stood in our dugout. “Pineda got pinched”. “Did you see the pine tar on Pineda’s neck?” I got a quick update and continued on my way with our own game. The funniest parallel I can tell you is that it was damn cold last night and our pitchers were freezing.  They couldn’t grip the ball. One of the kids said,"I wish we could use something to get a good grip.”  I said, “You can’t do that, it’s illegal”, knowing good and well that pitchers have been using some sort of grip on the ball for decades.

Look, my position on this is simple; If you need it, use it. But if you get caught, don’t deny it and take your lumps.  John Farrell did the right thing last night, but he was also a pitcher who most likely used, or knew someone who used pine tar in his clubhouse in his career.  Joe Girardi was a catcher who knows all about it too I’m sure.  These 2 did their best tap dance to the media.  The media let them slide, because it’s not supposed to be talked about. "Those to managers are old school, but Pineda, he's new in this HD world where everything is amplified! Let's get him!"

Meanwhile, Al Leiter, was as giddy as ever and talking to the audience in the post-game, openly admitting to using pine tar on his belt to get a grip.  In other words, it’s no big deal… or is it if it’s literally on your face?

What Michael Pineda did was stupid.  But it’s over.  Overkill in the New York media over an incident like this will erupt into something more. It will fester.  Look for a ton of managers to examine Pineda, or others every game now.  Is it fair? Sure. Go for it. My point is this is nothing new. Life should go on like it did before Pineda.

In the end, this isn’t PEDs being shot up in his ass on the mound during a live game ladies and gentlemen.  This isn’t murder. This is pine tar on a 30 degree, windy night. It’s not a scandal, it’s a dumb mistake.

Pineda’s suspended… let’s move on, OK?

You've made BYB the fastest growing Yankees fan site in history. Now shop at the Bleeding Yankee Blue store!  Follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and LIKE Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook!

BUONA PASQUA!

Okay, it's a few weeks early for that. But when Yankee fans hear "Pasqua", of course they think of Dan Pasqua. There was a special feel for the Yankees of the 1980’s – where the hits and home runs were more valuable than the fastball and strikeout. I feel a personal attachment to some of the names of that time, and Pasqua was no exception. He came out of the Yankee farm system as a young power-hitting phenom, and he made strong early impressions.

In his first major league game, manager Billy Martin put him in the lineup in the sixth spot. Clearly, he had confidence that this 23-year-old could hit for power. He rounded out the heart of the lineup that read Don Mattingly, Dave Winfield, Don Baylor, and Dan Pasqua. He did not betray his manager’s confidence. In the 5th inning of the game, he drove a ball deep into the right field seats for his first major league hit and home run. He ended up playing 60 games that season, with 166 plate appearances and 9 home runs.

He ended up playing two more seasons with the Yankees. In his time here, he played in 275 games and hit 42 homers in 860 plate appearances – about one home run per 20 plate appearances. He had a batting average of .251 and OPS of .805, which is impressive even by today’s standards. His play in the corner outfields and first base yielded only four errors in his three seasons on the Yankees’ roster.

It was a sad day on November 12, 1987, when I picked up the paper and read that the Yankees traded him, along with pitcher Steve Rosenberg and catcher Mark Salas, to the White Sox for Scott Nielsen and Richard Dotson. By that point, the Yankees realized that poor pitching did not yield much success over 162 games, so they traded some power for some pitching. It is too bad that they did not get much pitching. Dotson, who was past his prime, had a combined 5.13 ERA over 2 seasons with the Yankees. Nielsen’s career 5.49 ERA tells you what you need to know about him.

Pasqua went on to play seven seasons with the Chicago White Sox, before calling it quits early in the 1994 season. He went on to start his own construction company, and later reconnected with the White Sox for various projects (read HERE).  To those of us who remember him in pinstripes, he is a beloved member of the Hall of Bad 80’s Yankees Trades, where he keeps company with Doug Drabek, Jose Rijo, Al Leiter, and many others.

He was a great player, with good power and a good glove, and a guy we all missed as a Yankee.

Also, you can read a very OLD BYB post about Pasqua here... check out: WHY I ROOT FOR THE ITALIANS from June of 2011.

--Ike Dimitriadis, BYB Writer
Twitter: @KingAgamemnon
My blog is: Shots from Murderer's Row

You've made BYB the fastest growing Yankees fan site in history. Now shop at the Bleeding Yankee Blue store!  Follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and LIKE Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook!

THERE'S STILL INNOCENCE IN BASEBALL, DESPITE THE PEDs MESS

The ARod story is a mess.  For months and years it’s been a mess.  It's disappointing to have my kid’s heroes turn out to be disasters in front of their eyes and it’s hard to steer your children through this minefield because it’s a real sensitive subject.

We got smile in my house though. It happened the other day and it had nothing to do with a Yankee at all.  In fact, it was one of the most innocent, most gratifying parts of being a baseball fan for me and my kids.  It’s something that I did as a kid, and to this day, I do it for mine.  I've mailed baseball cards to players for as long as I can remember, be it current and former, in the hopes that we get them back signed to put in our collection.   

Tuesday’s package came from Kirt Manwaring… and it made all the talk of ARod and PED use go away.

Now, you’re wondering... Why Kirt Manwaring? Why? Because we’re a baseball family and many, many guys have played on the major league level and did it clean.  In essence, there’s an innocence about receiving a signed card in the mail from a player.  It immediately brings me back to my childhood, when the news didn’t harp on drugs and baseball.  Sure, there was the cocaine mess in the 80’s, but there was no Internet, there wasn’t cable news. It was reported, the players got fined and the story went away.  As we opened our envelope, Kirt Manwaring’s signed card fell out and it was a nice moment for all of us.

We put the card in the binder that we’ve been collecting for years, next to the Al Leiter and Kurt Bevacqua cards and put it back in the closet.  Life was good in my house… baseball was pure again.

Oh and as far as Kirt Manwaring is concerned;  He played from 1987 to 1999.  He was a catcher that played mostly for the San Francisco Giants, but also for the Astros and Colorado Rockies.  He has a career .246 average, 21 home runs, 278 RBIs. He was listed as a 5’ 11”, 187 pound catcher all those years… and most importantly… he did it clean.

Thanks for the autograph Kirt… perfect timing… perfect timing…

Thank you to all the Bleeding Yankee Blue readers for continued success.  You've made BYB the fastest growing Yankees fan site in the history of Yankees fandom.  Thanks for reading, sharing and enjoying. Follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue (Official) on Facebook, just type it in.