IT'S NOT OFTEN THAT I AGREE WITH AROD, BUT IT JUST HAPPENED!

Ten years ago yesterday, August 12th, 2016, Alex Rodriguez played in his last game as a Yankee against the Rays. Oh how I look at that and think about the irony. Now he just sits back and talks about them and the strategy the Yankees should've taken to chase down the Rays in the AL East.

It's funny because he's been doing a lot of talking lately. I don't always agree with him. His idea that the Dodgers are good for baseball this week is one I don't agree with. However, the idea that the Yankees should've gone "all in" at the trade deadline I do agree with. If you missed it, check it out HERE. 

"The issue that you have with the Yankees, it's a tale of two stories," Rodriguez said. "They have the best pitching in baseball. They've collected some of the best pitchers, and by the way they haven't even been healthy all year but this is a championship-caliber pitching staff. I would've loved to see an extra arm or two because the by-product of not having a good offense, especially without Aaron Judge, they're pretty much 30th in every offensive category. What's gonna happen is you’re gonna play in a lot of tight games, you're not gonna blow anyone out. That means you're gonna tax your bullpen. You're gonna be the belly of your bullpen most of the year, and by the time September comes, their arms are gonna fall off. So that's my biggest concern."

We have wasted so many good, productive years in Judge's career. Next year he will be 35 and let's be honest, he's had some gnarly injuries. That's not going to get easier for the Yankees to manage. He's not going to be the young spring chicken anymore. Our starting pitching hasn't been this strong in a long time. Why waste that with an anemic offense that doesn't show up when Judge is out? It's even worse considering Cody Bellinger and Giancarlo Stanton are still out with their own injuries. It's like they are giving up without actually selling off the team.

Why not go "all in" as Rodriguez said and get some impact bats and upgrade your weaknesses that clearly aren't working? If you aren't going to sell, then don't just stand pat and make Band-Aid fixes! Cut the dead weight! Cutting Anthony Volpe wasn't enough. George Lombard Jr. getting his promotion needed to happen (it just wasn't an option not to), but they should've done more than just that. They needed to upgrade Austin Wells too!  That line from Brian Cashman about having "limited options" at catcher was a load of crap! Our rivals did it. That doesn't fix the Yankees but it sure is an addition by subtraction just getting rid of Wells who can't even hit his weight.

The Yankees needed to do more. They needed to be hungrier. The rest of these teams are looking at our starting rotation wishing they had it. They are envious for a moment, and then they realize all their offense has to do is 'keep them in the game' because they are likely to win those close games because our bullpen is not at the same level. A one run lead isn't as hard to protect for our rivals as it should be. You can't just rely on your starting pitching....the offense and bullpen need to also execute.

As Rodriguez said, "It's amazing how the whole fan base knew exactly how this was going to turn out and it did." That shouldn't be okay. That shouldn't be accepted and swept under the rug. Judge deserves more. The team deserves more. The fans deserve more. We deserve a front office with balls. We deserve a change from the top down. 

What a disgrace.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

JURICKSON PROFAR TESTED POSITIVE FOR PEDS....A SECOND TIME!

Here we go....again. The new face of cheating and stupid choices is Jurickson Profar after testing positive for performance enhancing drugs a SECOND time. So much for the "I would never willingly take a banned substance," speech he gave us in March of 2025 after accepting his 80 game suspension.

This is a real problem in Rob Manfred's world. Major League baseball officially announced a 162 game suspension for Profar. The Atlanta Braves now how to figure out how and when they add to their team now that Profar will not be a factor. Losing Profar is a big blow for Atlanta after a disappointing injury riddled 2025 season and then they had a very quiet winter. They were counting on Profar adding some stability to the lineup. In addition to missing the 2026 season, Profar will not be allowed to participate in the World Baseball Classic and represent the Netherlands. Play stupid games....win stupid prizes, Profar.

Testing once is bad, but this is now the second positive test in two years. It's a huge black mark to add to Manfred's already messy record. It's even uglier when Profar claimed he was innocent the first time around. Clearly, he hasn't learned anything or he's just too stupid to think he would never be caught again. It's bad enough we still have guys like Jenrry Mejia and Alex Rodriguez to talk about and remember.....but now we get one more moron to add to the list.

How much more of this do we have to endure in baseball? Seriously, it's frustrating to watch this continue to happen with just a slap on the wrist for Profar and the backing of the Players Association who are reportedly filing a grievance to challenge his suspension which is stupid. Profar doesn't need to be defended. He needs to admit he screwed up again, and take his punishment like a man. He was caught cheating twice. Years ago he was the top prospect in all of baseball, but obviously he couldn't make it on just his talents. This should not be overlooked, but this is Manfred's world so it will. 

I'm sick of this. All I keep hearing is "if he does it again he is banned for life!" and that's not the answer. We shouldn't accept that and make that a normal reaction. Guys like Profar ruin the integrity of the game and then fans like me get mad hearing about it after we see teams through stupid amounts of money to put them on their teams and play....which we also end up paying for in the grand scheme of things.

When it comes to cheating - it shouldn't be a "three strikes and you are out" ruling. This isn't a plate appearance. This is a bad choice in your job that is a massive character flaw. It's just a bigger mess in Manfred's circus and I am tired of it!

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

THE HALL OF FAME IS DEAD!

The news from yesterday has me sick. As soon as I saw the news I texted Casey because I was practically spitting bullets. I've had a few people tell me to get over it and stop talking about it but....I'm not gonna.

In case you didn't catch up on the baseball headlines yesterday Carlos Beltran was voted into the Hall of Fame. The sign stealing legend and head schemer of the 2017 Astros cheating scandal will become part of baseball's greatest honor.....let that sink in for a minute.

The man with no honor and integrity will forever be enshrined amongst the greatest names in the game. He's a disgrace to those who played the game with honor and passion like Derek Jeter. Jeter IS a hall of famer, Beltran is a horrible mistake with no honor. Will the Hall of Fame will ever be seen as a legitimate institution ever again? It's a fair question.

Beltran disgraced the game and should be shunned from baseball history just like Pete Rose was. Pete Rose, cheated OFF of the field and was banned from the sport and WAS ineligible for Hall of Fame consideration until May of 2025. He was made an example of. Nothing Rose did impacted the game during his playing time. He paid a high price that Beltran will never pay.

And you can't talk about scandals without talking about Shoeless Joe Jackson. He was banned from baseball in 1921 for his involvement in the "Black Sox Scandal," after he and some teammates conspired with gamblers to intentionally lose the 1919 World Series. He was permanently banned by newly appointed MLB Commissioner, Kenesaw Mountain Landis, to preserve the integrity of the game.....imagine that. Jackson cheated as a player and was held accountable. This is not the world we live in anymore.

However here we are a century later and Beltran cheated ON the field and has no consequences. He wasn't banned, weak pansy Rob Manfred protected him! The integrity that previous MLB commissioners fought to preserve has vanished. Two years after the scandal, Beltran was rewarded with a manager job for the Mets and just over two months later is removed from that role....all thanks to his involvement in the cheating scandal. He wasn't honorable enough to manager, but now he is honored by being inducted into the Hall of Fame? It's asinine.

So now that the writers have voted Beltran in, they have set a precedence that integrity doesn't matter. Honor can be lost and you can still be rewarded with a place in baseball history. Now let's just add Manny Ramirez, Jose Canseco and Alex Rodriguez to the inductee list! I don't care WHAT form of cheating it is. I don't care if you think it's not the same....it's still a disgrace to the game. One disgrace is not "less" than another. Greats belong in the Hall of Fame, not just great stats but also great stewards of the game itself and with good character.

So Beltran may be feeling himself right now. He may be standing tall but being in the hall doesn't erase history, and Beltran will always be known as the architect of a massive and blatant cheating scheme. He brought disgrace to the game and that should NOT be rewarded for that by getting a place amongst the true greats of this game. 

That's just my two cents. Agree with it or not, it doesn't matter to me. Integrity over anything else.....period.
The Hall of Fame is now tainted. It is DEAD. I will never look at it the same again.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

ERIK KRATZ TRIES TO DISMANTLE AROD & FALLS FLAT

Not sure if anyone remembers — or maybe the Yankees would prefer you didn’t — but Alex Rodriguez recently did the unthinkable: he told the truth about Anthony Volpe.

During a WFAN Sports Radio interview, A-Rod didn’t just critique Volpe; he used Volpe as Exhibit A in the Yankees’ completely broken hitting philosophy. And no, he didn’t wrap it in corporate cushioning or Bronx-approved talking points.

“The organization has fallen in love with him, but at some point the numbers don’t lie, right?” Rodriguez said.

That line alone probably set off alarms in the front office. But A-Rod wasn’t done. He brought receipts. Laminated ones.

“You have 167 strikeouts [in 2023], 156 [in 2024] and 150 [in 2025], and here’s a young man that the biggest way he can impact winning is with his number one tool: his legs.”

Bingo. That’s the whole argument in one paragraph. Speed. Pressure. Chaos. That’s supposed to be Volpe’s calling card.

Instead?

“Here’s a young man who has over 50 stolen bases in the minor leagues, he stole 18 last year, and it’s hard to impact winning when you’re striking out 150 times and you’re hitting .212.”

That’s not “hate.” That’s arithmetic. And math, inconveniently, does not care about prospect hugs, gold glove narratives, or how many times YES Network tells you he’s “putting in the work.”

Naturally, the backlash followed.

On a recent episode of Foul Territory, MLB analysts Erik Kratz and Kevin Pillar decided the real problem wasn’t Volpe’s production — it was Alex Rodriguez daring to comment on it. Kratz dismissed A-Rod’s criticism as “kinda weak,” mainly because Rodriguez hasn’t been “in the cage” with Volpe.

Which is hilarious, because last time I checked, you don’t need batting practice access to read a stat line or watch a game. I haven’t been in the cage with Volpe either — and yet I can clearly see that whatever the Yankees are teaching him isn’t sticking. Work ethic doesn’t matter if the results never show up.

This is called the eye test, folks. And Volpe fails it nightly.

Kratz’s argument also ignores a basic truth: baseball analysts are paid to analyze. That’s literally the job. That’s what A-Rod was doing. Kratz is allowed to disagree. I’m allowed to disagree with Kratz. And over here at Bleeding Yankee Blue, I get to have an opinion too — because that’s what opinion writers do.

You, the Yankees, Volpe — none of you have to like it. But it doesn’t make it wrong. Especially when Volpe’s trajectory is heading in the wrong direction.

Even Yanks Go Yard saw right through Kratz’s flimsy defense and dismantled it perfectly:

“There were two further problems with Kratz's take, the first being his notion that Volpe decreasing his strikeouts from 167 (rookie year) to 156, and then to 150 last year, combats A-Rod's point. Rodriguez never denied that Volpe is working on his weaknesses; he's saying that, despite that work, the strikeouts remain a problem. This would be like if Kratz applauded a chemistry student for raising their test score from an F to a D, with A-Rod simply pointing out that the student still lacks a competent understanding of the material.”

Exactly. Celebrating marginal improvement while ignoring continued failure isn’t analysis — it’s spin. And it gets worse:

“Another issue with Kratz's take is that he's flat-out denying that Volpe took a step back last year. Kratz's attempted logic here points to Volpe's shoulder injury, as if that moves the goal post for what is deemed a productive season. Sadly, the cold reality that destroys Kratz's point here is that players and teams in pro sports aren't given any credit for playing injured. The Yankees weren't given any extra wins, and Volpe's numbers weren't inflated to account for his messed up shoulder.”

That’s the kill shot. Injuries don’t earn bonus points. The standings don’t care. The numbers don’t adjust themselves out of sympathy. And honestly? This whole thing makes Kratz look wildly unprepared. Out of his depth. Which leads to an uncomfortable but fair question: was this even organic?

Remember, Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter were both critical of the Yankees this postseason. Brian Cashman fired back. But continuing that fight publicly wouldn’t look very “professional” or “corporate.” So maybe — maybe — this was the Yankees’ quieter way of taking a swing at Alex. Maybe they asked Kratz for a favor.  

By the way, do I have proof? None. Zero. This is purely a gut feeling.

What I do know is this: Kratz looked foolish, A-Rod was dead on, and Volpe’s situation is bleak. The Yankees rushed this kid, mishandled him, and may have permanently broken him. I don’t believe shoulder surgery fixes that. I don’t believe Volpe is the future of this franchise.

George Lombard Jr.? That’s the guy I’m hoping for.

Until then, the reality stands: Kratz swung and missed, A-Rod nailed the analysis, Yanks Go Yard crushed the breakdown — and the Yankees are left staring at yet another player development failure they don’t want to admit exists.

ALEX RODRIGUEZ JUST CALLED OUT THE YANKEES...

And the example he gave? Anthony Volpe.

Yup, here we go again, because you already know how much I can’t stand Anthony Volpe being cemented at shortstop.

First of all, he never should’ve been there to begin with. And yeah, I’m going to say what everyone dances around: it feels like someone in the Yankees’ scouting department knew his dad, made a few friendly phone calls, and suddenly this kid was pushed to the front of the line. Let me be crystal clear before anyone loses their mind — this is just my opinion. I have no proof. No sources. Zero evidence. Just a gut feeling.

Because otherwise, none of this makes sense. How does a guy who didn’t exactly dominate the minor leagues become the Yankees’ unquestioned shortstop? Not compete for it — own it. Like, it was handed to him. He wasn’t some can’t-miss MiLB monster. Yet here we are pretending this was inevitable.

And now? Now Alex Rodriguez is saying it out loud — and for once, he’s dead right.

In a WFAN Sports Radio interview, A-Rod called out Anthony Volpe as a symptom of the Yankees’ completely broken hitting philosophy. And he didn’t sugarcoat it.

“The organization has fallen in love with him, but at some point the numbers don’t lie, right?” Rodriguez said.

Then came the part the Yankees hate most — the receipts.

“You have 167 strikeouts [in 2023], 156 [in 2024] and 150 [in 2025], and here’s a young man that the biggest way he can impact winning is with his number one tool: his legs.”

Exactly. Speed is supposed to be the selling point. Pressure. Chaos. Movement.

Instead?

“Here’s a young man who has over 50 stolen bases in the minor leagues, he stole 18 last year, and it’s hard to impact winning when you’re striking out 150 times and you’re hitting .212.”

That’s not hate — that’s math. And math doesn’t care about prospect rankings or feel-good stories.

Rodriguez didn’t stop there. He widened the lens and dropped the real indictment.

“So I think if you zoom out, it’s an organization hitting philosophy that is absolutely broken, and until they fix it, I don’t think they win big.”

That’s the whole thing, right there. This isn’t just about Volpe. It’s about an organization that falls in love with its own narratives and refuses to adjust when reality punches back.

But here’s where I’ll go even further than A-Rod: they’re not just using Volpe wrong — New York is wrong for Volpe. This city doesn’t have patience for on-the-job development, and the Yankees keep trying to turn shortstop into a training seminar. Boone coddles him nightly, mistakes get explained away, and the standard keeps sliding.

It’s sad. It’s embarrassing. And it’s wasting time.

Want a real fix? Trade him. Miami needs bats. The Yankees need stability. Give me Sandy Alcantara and take the experiment with you. We don’t need or want Anthony Volpe. What we need are players who already know how to play the game — not guys learning it under the brightest lights in sports.

And don’t worry, Brian Cashman will emerge in a few days to explain how Alex Rodriguez “doesn’t understand the inner workings of the Yankees’ front office.” He’ll be wrong. Again.

This is no longer a serious franchise. If you don’t believe me, look at what they’ve collected over the past few weeks. Not one immediate impact player. Not one difference-maker. Just more bodies for a roster that desperately needs solutions.

We don’t need a better minor league system.
We need a competitive major league team.

And whether people like it or not, Anthony Volpe has become the perfect example of everything the Yankees are getting wrong.

That's it.  Call me a hater, and you tell me where I am really wrong here. I'm not. Sorry.

MAKE BELLINGER THE PRIORITY, THE REST WILL FOLLOW

Yankees fans aren’t just waiting for Cody Bellinger — they’re practically standing on the Bronx sidewalks holding cardboard signs that say “COME HOME, CODY.” Let me rephrase that with the appropriate urgency:

I want Cody Bellinger back. It’s non-negotiable. Essential. Mandatory. Life-support-level important.

But will we actually get him? Cashman opened his mouth and, in classic Cashman form, somehow managed to talk for a full minute while revealing absolutely nothing.

His quote (courtesy of the New York Post) boiled down to:

“Like anything else, there are certain salary levels that we’ll tag out at... That’s yet to be determined. But we’ve driven hard to get things done at times. We’ve driven hard and still not gotten things done because the markets … they go on and on and on and places you never expected. So you just don’t know how free agency’s going to work. So that’s why it’s so important for me to do what I’m always doing — what all GMs are doing — which is engaging your fellow GMs and the agents.”

Translation: The man said a whole paragraph and not one useful sentence.

Still, there’s no getting around it — Bellinger matters to this team. And no, we do not need Kyle Tucker. We don’t need to overthink this. Bellinger checks every box: pop in the bat, athleticism, defensive versatility, actual vibes, and the uncanny ability to look like he just rolled out of bed and still hit 29 bombs with 98 RBIs in his first season here. He played all three outfield spots, filled in at first base, and made it all look easy.

But of course… the Boras Factor.

According to NJ.com, Yankee ownership is preparing for a marathon negotiation with Scott Boras, which sounds about as fun as a root canal performed by a raccoon. One executive (whose team isn’t even in on Bellinger) put it perfectly:

“When you negotiate with Scott, you’re not in control. You’re just flying in his plane, hoping he doesn’t land you in a cornfield.”

And honestly? Same. I cannot stand Boras. If you watched the A-Rod documentary, you saw how he practically took a baseball icon and ran his career into a wall. The man negotiates like he’s trying to buy Monaco, not get a player a contract.

This is why I keep thinking:

Wouldn’t it be refreshing if Bellinger just pulled Boras aside and said, “Look, I like New York. My dad played here. This all fits. Don’t turn this into a sci-fi saga”?

Sure would.

And it’s not like Bellinger has been shy about liking the Yankees. He called the team fun, praised the clubhouse, and said wearing the uniform was “unbelievable.” He basically waved a neon sign that read I Wouldn’t Mind Staying.

So what happens now? Time — and Boras’s mood swings — will decide. But the Yankees would be foolish not to prioritize this. If Cashman can somehow avoid tripping over his own shoelaces and actually bring Bellinger back on a reasonable deal, the rest of the offseason could click right into place. Including the top-tier starting pitcher they desperately need.

And while we’re at it… if someone could please locate a shortstop who isn’t the human migraine known as Volpe?

Yeah. I’ll take that too.

ALEX RODRIGUEZ IS RIGHT

We just witnessed one of the greatest World Series of all time — baseball at its absolute best. But while I was watching, one thought kept creeping in: the Yankees don’t play like this. They don’t play small ball, they don’t defend well, and they sure don’t look anything like the Blue Jays or Dodgers. Hate to break it to you, folks, but that’s just reality.

The level of play we saw this October was elite — crisp defense, smart baserunning, and lineups that actually execute. Meanwhile, in the Bronx, Brian Cashman is still patching holes with duct tape and wishful thinking. Forget high-end talent or bold spending — his roster construction strategy looks like something you’d find in aisle seven of Home Depot. And poor Aaron Judge, the one constant star, is being wasted while his prime years tick away. The window’s closing, and fast.

Now, I’ll give credit where it’s due — Alex Rodriguez nailed it when he spoke to Greg Joyce of the New York Post.

“They just need some stability,” A-Rod said. “If you see a lot of the teams that do well in October, you see the same guys coming back. We lost in ’04, and it took five years with the same core to get it right. But if you switch everything out every year, it’s hard to get that continuity that you need. Continuity is synonymous with championships.”

And he’s absolutely right. The Yankees don’t build cores anymore — they build excuses. The local press does more analyzing than the front office, and the moment someone questions Cashman’s “vision,” he gets defensive. That’s not leadership — that’s insecurity.

At some point, Cashman and Aaron Boone have to own their mistakes. It’s not always about the players — it’s about the cards they’re dealt, and this front office keeps dealing jokers. Chemistry matters. The mix matters. The 2025 Yankees didn’t have it — but you know who did? The Blue Jays. They had balance, heart, and actual teamwork.

The Yankees? A home-run-or-bust lineup, a rotation that unraveled after Gerrit Cole went down, and a season defined by inconsistency and frustration. Can it change? Maybe — but not under the same regime. As long as this organization keeps scapegoating guys like bullpen coach Mike Harkey instead of holding Cashman and Boone accountable, nothing will change.

The rest of baseball is evolving. The Yankees are just… waiting.

ENOUGH! LET'S BOYCOTT THE YANKEES TO CHANGE THIS TEAM'S FUTURE

Let’s stop pretending the Yankees are “a tweak away.” This isn’t a tweak situation. This is a teardown-from-the-top situation. The front office, the GM, the manager—all of it. The entire operation has gone stale, soft, and shockingly satisfied with mediocrity. And while the team keeps trying to convince us that “stability” is a strength, it’s really just a euphemism for “we’ve given up.”

Brian Cashman has been the general manager since 1998. Aaron Boone has been the manager since 2018. The Yankees haven’t won a World Series since 2009. That’s sixteen years without a championship in the Bronx—longer than most Yankee fans’ kids have been alive. Yet every October, we get the same smug postmortem: “The players didn’t perform.”

No, Brian. You didn’t lead. You didn’t build. You didn’t adapt. You’ve become the guy who keeps slapping duct tape on a leaking ship and calling it a “rebuild.”

Boone? He’s not a manager; he’s a dugout buddy with a laminated analytics chart. Players might like him because he’s “chill,” but they sure as hell don’t respect him. This team plays like it knows the teacher won’t fail them no matter what. Boone’s not commanding a locker room—he’s hosting a summer camp. He’s a nice guy, sure. But nice guys don’t win in New York. They get run over.

If Boone wants to keep smiling and shrugging off accountability, let him do it in Miami. Go manage the Marlins, Aaron. You’re not cut out for the Bronx.

And then there’s the invisible man, Hal Steinbrenner. The son of the Boss has somehow mastered the art of being rich and irrelevant at the same time. George Steinbrenner built empires out of outrage. He spent recklessly, yelled publicly, and cared deeply. Hal? He’s MIA—vanishing after another wasted October while fans stew in silence. Not a press conference, not a statement, not even a token apology for the mess he bankrolls. The man is allergic to accountability.

Randy Levine? Another ghost. The Yankees' front office has turned into a bunker of bureaucrats who think spreadsheets win titles. They’ve replaced instinct with iPads, guts with graphs. Baseball has always been a blend of numbers and feel—but this “analytics army” has tipped it so far toward the data that the soul of the game’s gone missing.

Every decision feels preprogrammed. Every bullpen move feels like a computer simulation. Every lineup card feels like it was spit out by a Roomba. And yet, year after year, they act stunned when the “process” fails.

Newsflash: analytics don’t lead. People do... the game has a heartbeat. And right now, the people in charge of the Yankees are cowards.

So, what should fans do? Stop feeding the beast. Don’t buy the tickets. Don’t buy the jerseys. Don’t give them a dime until they give us a reason to believe again. I stopped going two years ago, and I don’t miss dropping $1,000 for a game at a ballpark run by people who couldn’t care less about winning.

You can still love the Yankees. You can still cheer for Judge, Cole, and the pinstripes. But stop financially rewarding the clowns running the circus. Because as long as the seats stay full, Hal Steinbrenner will keep thinking everything’s fine.

Money is the only language ownership understands. If they feel the financial pinch, they’ll finally panic. And maybe—just maybe—that panic will spark the fire that George once lit under this franchise.

Until then, it’s all smoke and mirrors. Boone will be back in 2026 because he’s under contract. Cashman will still be around because Hal values his “institutional knowledge” (translation: he’s too lazy to fire him). Randy Levine will pop up for one photo op, then disappear again. And we’ll all sit through another season of analytics-driven nothingness.

ARod called it out—Cashman’s roster construction is one of the worst in the sport. And he’s right. It’s unbalanced, predictable, and dependent on the long ball. There’s no small ball, no strategy, no adaptability. Boone can’t manage a bullpen, can’t construct a lineup, and can’t think on his feet without his analytics binder telling him what to do.

It’s robotic baseball run by men who’ve forgotten that emotion and instinct still win in October.

So what’s next? Simple:
Boycott. Boycott. Boycott.

Cancel your ticket plans. Stop going. Stop pretending it’s going to fix itself. Because it won’t—not until Hal, Randy, Cashman, Boone, and their overpaid analytics department feel what fans have been feeling for years: fear.

Let them panic. Let them squirm. Let them finally realize that Yankee fans aren’t loyal to mediocrity—we’re loyal to greatness.

And greatness doesn’t live here anymore.

By the way, I'm right.

A YANKEE SEE-SAW, BUT WE GOT THE WIN!

We win, we lose, we win. That's our Yankees.

The Yankees are down to their final seven regular-season games, and the finish line comes on Sunday, September 28. Six of those games will be in the Bronx—a closing homestand that screams “season finale” vibes against the White Sox (Sept. 23–25) and Orioles (Sept. 26–28).

As for tonight? Giancarlo Stanton went full Marvel superhero, belting career homer No. 450 in a 6-1 win over Baltimore. Only four legends—Mark McGwire, Babe Ruth, Alex Rodriguez, and Harmon Killebrew—ever had more homers through their first 1,719 games. Stanton also leads all active players in career blasts, which feels like a polite way of saying: “he’s still terrifying.”

The playoff picture? The Yankees’ magic number is down to five, and thanks to the Blue Jays losing to the Royals, Toronto’s division lead shrunk to two games. That crown is still up for grabs.

On the mound, Carlos Rodón looked the part of an ace, breezing into the seventh on 87 pitches and nudging his ERA down to 3.04. He’s heating up at exactly the right time. And yes, even Anthony Volpe chipped in tonight. Sure, he’s still hitting .207, but hey, baby steps.

With Stanton flexing, Rodón cruising, and a six-game Bronx sendoff on deck, the Yankees suddenly look like a team that could snatch the AL East title. 

Shocking, I know—but don’t blink.

OF COURSE THE PUPPETEER LOVES HIS PUPPET...

I am thrilled that the Yankees won last night.  These days it's no easy task and if you look back at that game, you understand that the Yankees had 4 runs early and the Cardinals just kept chipping away. But thank god we held them off.

Meanwhile in the world of Yankeeland, the new narrative is that the Yankees have their best team on the field and there is urgency to win. I mean, no shit.  It's your job to play good baseball.  Plus, we're the Yankees, the fans get restless when you don't.  And so, like we've been screaming since June... do better... all of you... including Boone. Including Brian Cashman.  

We can all act like the Yankees are a better ball club after the trade deadline, but the truth is they really are not.  What has happened is that the Yankees were given a handful of stray parts and the Yankees have to learn to adapt with what we were given.  This trade deadline did not make it seamless. This isn't a genius tactic by Cashman, it's merely a "this is what the market allowed, I didn't do very good... make it work please." And that's where we are at. Mission Accomplished? Nah.

And now Cashman is coming out and praising Aaron Boone, which may be the dumbest story of the week. I am so tired of the gaslighting... I'm tired of the fact that no one in the Yankee front office will reveal that they are just really bad at their jobs. 

Brian Cashman wants you to believe Aaron Boone is some Zen master holding it all together while the Yankees wobble their way through another season of mediocrity. According to Cashman, Boone has handled the “pressure of an intense media market” with poise, balance, and—get this—being “even-keeled.”

Even-keeled? Please. Boone throws more tantrums at umpires than a toddler denied candy in aisle three of Target. A borderline strike call sets him off like a firecracker, and suddenly we’re supposed to buy the idea that he’s a calm, collected leader? That’s rich.

Meanwhile, Anthony Volpe is still nailed to shortstop despite hitting like a pitcher at the plate, but sure, Boone insists, “It’s right in front of us.” Right. What’s in front of us is a .218 batting average.

Cashman went further into his comedy routine, explaining how Boone has supposedly done “an amazing job” guiding the team through rough patches, brushing off mistakes and slumps while keeping his cool. Cool? The guy paces the dugout like he’s about to audition for Law & Order: Dugout Crimes Unit.

He even tried to drop some WWE metaphors: “I’m not an advocate of becoming Randy ‘Macho Man’ Savage or John Cena …” Oh good, because the Yankees’ real problem isn’t a lack of body slams—it’s a lack of accountability. Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez have already called out this organization for coddling its players, but Cashman’s still acting like tough love is a banned substance.

Here’s where the Yankees stand: 6.5 games behind Toronto in the division, clinging to the last wild card spot by a paperclip and a prayer. Cashman tried to spin it like the Yankees are “defending American League champs,” but the only thing they’re defending right now is their reputation as baseball’s most expensive soap opera. They have a ton of work to do.

And here’s the truth: Boone is Cashman’s puppet. Always has been, always will be. The front office pulls the strings, Boone nods along, and the product on the field suffers. It's obvious and tired at this point. That’s why Hal Steinbrenner stays conveniently out of sight, dodging questions like a teenager hiding a bad report card. He's MIA counting his money somewhere, cause none of this matters to him.... he is still making a fortune.

Sure, the Yankees won last night, and yes, it gives fans a temporary sugar high. But the fact that every game feels like a nail-biting ordeal just to survive says everything about where this team really stands.

And you know it.

THANK GOD FOR JACK CURRY

Aaron Boone’s continued presence in the Yankees dugout is beginning to feel less like managerial stability and more like a practical joke gone on way too long. At this point, we’re not even calling for his job anymore—we're just confused how he still has one. 

If baseball is a game of instincts, then Boone is playing blindfolded, dizzy, and using a Wiffle ball bat. Let’s start with the latest eye-roll-inducing blunder. Last night’s game. You probably watched it. Or threw something at your television during it. Devin Williams was clearly cooked, marinating in his own blown-save juices with the bases loaded, and Boone—true to form—stood frozen like a deer in a dugout. Two fresh, capable arms were hot and ready in the bullpen like Domino’s pizza and still… nothing. 

Boone just stared into the abyss and hoped for a miracle. Spoiler: the miracle didn’t come. Williams imploded, and the Yankees lost. Again. Because of Boone. Again.

I screamed. You screamed. And, gloriously, Jack Curry screamed in his true professional fashion on YES in the post-game. If Boone’s seat wasn’t already melting from the heat, Curry tossed another log on the fire. Bravo, Jack.

Curry questioned Boone’s decision to ride with Williams in a pressure-packed moment that anyone with a functional baseball brain could see was about to go sideways. Especially damning? Boone’s pregame comments, which sounded like he had zero intention of being aggressive with the bullpen. It was all very zen. Very “vibes-only.” Meanwhile, David Bednar—who was warm, ready, and actually effective—stood there like a fire extinguisher Boone refused to pick up as the kitchen burned down.

Curry, no longer content with nodding along like a YES Network hostage, said he "would’ve loved to hear an explanation.” Yeah, Jack. We all would. Unfortunately, Boone explanations usually include phrases like “gut feeling” and “he was throwing the ball good,” which translate to: “I didn’t know what else to do.”

The pressure is mounting. Boone’s tone in pressers is shifting from smug optimism to carefully rehearsed panic. He is being exposed. He knows it. We know it. The players probably know it. And guess what? It’s not just Curry anymore. When Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez—two guys who know a thing or two about winning—publicly voice their displeasure with the direction of the franchise, that’s not background noise. That’s Yankee royalty calling out the court jester.

Let’s be very clear: this team is not serious as long as Aaron Boone is running the show. You can’t expect playoff-caliber results when the man at the wheel insists on steering the car into traffic with a grin on his face. We’re past the point of “this is unacceptable.” We’re in full-blown embarrassment territory. This is egregious. This is shameful. This is Yankee baseball wearing a clown nose and trying to juggle flaming knives.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll scream it until I’m blue in the pinstripes: Good teams have great leadership. Full stop. Aaron Boone is not a leader. He’s an unliked mascot with a lineup card.

The Yankees are a rudderless ship. And until the captain walks the plank, we’re just going to keep circling the drain.

Thank you, Jack Curry, for questioning such a stupid manager and bringing it to light on a broadcast that pays you to talk about the Yankees. You did it professionally and yet, are very brave. I hope more start to follow your lead. Something needs to change.

BOONE, CASHMAN & THE YANKEE FRONT OFFICE ON NOTICE BY US FANS!

The greatest day in Yankee history will be the day that the Yankees fire Aaron Boone. 

This is an absolute fact. Engrave it in Monument Park. Get it tattooed across the Bronx. That’ll be the parade we actually want to attend—one where the floats are just Boone’s cardboard boxes being wheeled out of Yankee Stadium. Hal Steinbrenner needs to do something now!

Let’s talk about what just happened, shall we? The Yankees didn’t just lose to the Marlins—they got swept by the Marlins. The same Marlins that operate on a shoestring budget and still somehow managed to outplay, outhustle, and outmanage the mighty Yankees. Why? Because they were hungrier. And the Yankees? They were full on entitlement and stale vibes. That kind of complacency doesn’t come out of nowhere. It drips down from the top like bad glue in a busted air conditioner. Weak leadership breeds lazy baseball. And baby, we’re knee-deep in it.

Aaron Boone isn't a leader—he's a yoga mat for his players to emotionally stretch on after another blown lead. Nobody at Bleeding Yankee Blue ever believed this team could hold a first-place spot for the long haul, not with Boone at the helm, armed with his big notebook of empty motivational quotes and postgame cliches. We’ve been calling this collapse since Opening Day. Just take a stroll through the archives—we practically wrote the script.

Let me remind you what I said right here on BYB just the other day:

“Bleeding Yankee Blue stressed — no, begged — for good starting pitching. Having a legit starter go deep into a game gives the bullpen a chance to breathe, reset, and come at hitters with fresh arms throughout the week. But why would the Yankees ever want to do something logical like that? Why would they ever target a starter when they can just load up on relievers and hand them to Aaron Boone like he’s some bullpen whisperer? 

These new bullpen additions came with hype, tweets, and highlight clips. They also came with zero chemistry and zero margin for error — and they imploded in unison like a synchronized swimming team trained by clowns. Boone had no idea what to do with them. He tried to mix and match, but all he did was mix gasoline and fire."

 Spoiler: Aaron Boone isn’t a bullpen whisperer. He’s not even a bullpen mumbler. He sucks. These shiny new bullpen toys came with hype videos, fancy analytics, and tweets galore. What they didn’t come with? Chemistry. And when Boone got his hands on them, he turned them into a fire drill—minus the plan. Friday night was a disaster. The kind of disaster that deserves its own ESPN "30 for 30" narrated by Keith Hernandez shaking his head.

You don’t have to take my word for it. Alex Rodriguez called it out on national television. According to The New York Post, A-Rod didn’t mince words:

“You can’t make this up,” Rodriguez said. “I mean, look, you can bring in nine relievers, it’s not going to make a difference. I don’t care if you bring back their ’98 bullpen with Mariano [Rivera], Mike Stanton, and Jeff Nelson, if your pitchers are going 3⅓, 4⅓, it’s not going to work.”

Practically a direct lift. Direct echo. Direct vindication. No beef here. We need the legends to start piling on, because this franchise is spiraling and no one inside the walls seems to care.

This is not the team that Jeter and A-Rod bled for. This isn’t even the team Nick Swisher would high-five. This version of the Yankees? Soft. Emotionally allergic to accountability. Directionless. And all of it—every bit of it—traces back to leadership, or more accurately, the absence of it.

Aaron Boone? A puppet with a Sharpie. Brian Cashman? The architect of this chaos, proudly swinging a deadline hammer and hitting his own thumb. His refusal to target real starting pitching and his obsession with overloading the bullpen like it’s a relief pitcher swap meet is now fully biting him in the ass—and Yankee fans are biting back. 

And thinking ahead you know what the worst part is for me? The future. You realize that Michael Fishman is the assistant general manager of the Yankees, right? He is also the bozo putting projection analytic sheets together for this terrible team, right? Well, if Cashman goes, I fear that this loser takes the reigns. Jesus let's hope not.

This team is now in third place. THIRD. Why? Because we run out starters like they’re made of eggshells and paper mâché, and we finish games with a conga line of confused relievers who look like they just met five minutes before the game. You think that’s a recipe for postseason glory? Or even a recipe for beating the Marlins? Please.

Here’s the ugly truth: this team can’t hit in the clutch, can’t run the bases with any intelligence, and can’t seem to string together situational baseball without looking like they’re trying to solve a Rubik’s Cube blindfolded. The bullpen ERA is 4.28—22nd in the league. We’ve got a shortstop hitting .221, a catcher batting .209, and Aaron Boone throwing tantrums at his coaches instead of holding his players accountable. He is not a leader. He is not respected. If this were the wild, Boone would be eaten first—and no one would miss him.

And now we sit here, watching a team that once inspired fear reduced to a punchline. The Yankees are not a serious franchise. They are cosplay contenders. The front office is delusional, the manager is toothless, and the players are untouchable and underperforming.

We’ve been sounding the alarm for months. You’re just waking up to it. But here's the good news: there is a way forward. It starts with this simple truth:

The greatest day in Yankee history will be the day that the Yankees fire Aaron Boone. Repeat it until it happens. Then maybe—maybe—we can start acting like the New York Yankees again.

EVEN YANKEE LEGENDS BURY BOONE IN CRITICISM!

When former Yankees turn on Aaron Boone, you know it's bad. Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez no longer wear pinstripes, but their opinions about the state of the team still matter. Beyond that.... they are also true. It's one thing when we as fans share our opinions, but when they share the same sentiments, it can't be overlooked.

Two pivotal Yankee players are just as unsatisfied with the state of this team as we are. ARod and Jeter did not mince words; you can check out what they had to say on Saturday night’s Speedway Classic HERE. It's about time that players who know the expectations finally echo the same sentiments we have. 

"They make way too many mistakes," Jeter said. "And you can't get away with making that number of mistakes against great teams. It just doesn't happen. They had baserunning mistakes today – you saw [Trent Grisham] getting thrown out at home plate. You can't continue to do it. You have to clean it up."

Fundamentals are non-existent with this team. We saw it with Jazz Chisholm Jr and Austin Wells again in embarrassing fashion. Obviously, the coaches don't reinforce fundamentals during Spring Training and the players can't retain them or don't seem to care. Honestly, by this point these guys should have fundamentals, they shouldn't have to be taught from scratch. At the same time, the coaches should recognize their weaknesses and be able to help coach players through these moments and get them back to standard.... but they can't. The players can't execute, and the coaches can't teach. It's an epic failure no matter how you look at it.

And when there's a pattern, the manager needs to step in and fix it. He needs to hold his players accountable and that's what ARod was saying, "If any one of us made a mistake, we would be sitting our butt right on the bench," Rodriguez said. "I see mistake after mistake, and there's no consequences."

And we all know he's not wrong. Baboonie coddles his players, and we just have Deja vu moments constantly. We've had them for EIGHT years now. His so-called management style doesn't work, but he is of course ready to try and run defense after hearing what ARod and Jeter had to say.

"I would disagree a little bit with the accountability factor, but the reality is, we're focused every day on being the best we can be," Boone said. "That's how we have to do it. But I understand when it doesn't happen, or we don't have the record that I think we should have, or certainly people think we should have – that comes with the territory."

There's something else that USED to come with the territory too....and that was getting canned when a manager failed. Billy Martin was fired and rehired FIVE times by George Steinbrenner. Baboonie has been here for too long, and the writing is on the wall that his leadership is not bringing a championship back to the Bronx. 

ARod and Jeter can see it. WE see it, but as long as Hal Steinbrenner makes a profit, he's not gonna care. He's still making money. So, what's it going to take to get rid of this clown?

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj