BEANTOWN FIRE SALE: LACKEY GETS DUMPED

The Red Sox are dumping their stars.  First it was Jon Lester for Yoenis Cespedes, now the latest is John Lackey has been traded to the Cardinals. Details are still emerging but Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.com tweeted it just a few minutes ago:

Cards getting lackey
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) July 31, 2014

Peter Gammons says the Sox got pitcher Joe Kelly and first baseman Allen Craig:

Sox get Kelly, Craig for Lackey
— Peter Gammons (@pgammo) July 31, 2014

And what have the Yankees done? Well, to be honest, I don't expect much. Truth be told, we have a solid lineup. They just don't know how to play together. Well, they better figure it out.

So there you have it... the chicken and beer crew is finally broken up.

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!

YANKEES REBOUND IN ST. LOUIS FINALE

"You're not always going to have your 'A' game every single night. In this game you sometimes have to be able to forget about it, learn from it and rebound the next game." 

--Jacoby Ellsbury

I like that quote above and I should remember that more when writing about the pros. Truth be told, I preach it to my little leaguers all the time. Yet, yesterday I was pretty harsh toward David Phelps.  The truth is, it's one game at a time and I need to remember that the pros are not going to be 100% great every game.  Even I forget that. Sorry ladies and gentlemen. 

The Yankees won last night in St. Louis and did everything right when the day before, they couldn't score a run.  I'm glad... they needed to rebound.

Jacoby Ellsbury was 3-5 and also robbed a possible Allen Craig hit with a sliding catch.

But there were plenty of other stars. Brian McCann, Brian Roberts, Kelly Johnson and Brendan Ryan all had 2 hits each. John Ryan Murphy had 2 RBIs. Even Brian McCann played first base, a first for him.  Gotta love when guys step up and do whatever it takes to help the team.

Hiroki Kuroda only gave up 3 runs in  5.2 innings.  The pen looked good, the hitting looked good, the defense looked good...and there were no home runs... there was just good, old fashioned small ball baseball and that's what the result was.

The Yankees played this game correctly, team effort all the way... and we won another. Go Yanks.

Final: Yankees 7 - Cardinals 4


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!

HEY RED SOX... YOU MISS ME YET?

I have seen unusual plays in my life, but last night's ending of the World Series Game 3 with the Cardinals winning on an obstruction call takes the cake!  Oddly, or maybe not so much... the first thing that came to my mind was "Babe Ruth."  This morning, I was joined by fellow BYB writer Suzie Pinstripe who tweeted this:

The ghost of Babe Ruth obstructing the play! Hahaha @BleednYankeeBlu http://t.co/UEimzXAYnN #WorldSeries
— Suzanne (@suzieprof) October 27, 2013

We were not alone... Ruth's name came to many people minds! Look, obstruction on the play was clear last night and in my opinion, but really I didn't notice until the throw came home and until the home plate umpire pointed it out. It looked like Allen Craig just tripped. I wasn't paying close enough attention to him because the moment was all too exciting.  But there he was coming home and there was the throw and upon the tag at home, I saw... "Safe!"  Jim Joyce made the obstruction call, and while the man has been off his game for some time now with lousy calls, I think he actually got that one right.



Around this time of year, strange thing happen.  The Red Sox once came back to beat the Yankees 4 straight after being down 3.  There have been dropped "easy" pop ups... and Jeffrey Maier just happened to be in the right place at the right time at one time in Yankee history.

Lord knows momentum changes from game to game. But it's my opinion that this obstruction play is a big blow to the Red Sox, and while 1 moment will hurt them, know this... they won't roll over. I sure helps though.

I love this great game and yes, I'd be brain dead if I didn't think about Babe Ruth on that play last night.  I believe in symbolism.  I believe that certain things, certain plays happen for a reason.  I also believe that Babe Ruth was in St. Louis last night... because it's unbelievable how that play came down.

He wasn't wearing his Yankee uniform...no.  He was wearing his Sox uniform to taunt them. And it was the Ruth ghost, sitting in the stands looking angry. He was looking at the field, and as the Cardinals pulled out there unusual win, he said out loud, but not heard by anyone in the overjoyed crowd... "Hey Red Sox... you should have never traded me. I'm coming to get ya... you miss me yet?"

Again... I believe in great plays, baseball irony and symbolism.  It's happened over the entire history of baseball.  There are records that will never be broken... only to 1 day, be broken.  There are teams that are never expected to make it to the World Series... only to make it, and sometimes win it.  And there is symbolism in baseball. Moments. Flickers... that make you  think back to the ghosts of the past.  The great names, the great stories... and the great spirits that still linger in this great game.  I believe... I mean I TRULY BELIEVE that the Babe was in St. Louis last night.... and I'll hold onto that moment... because I'm a Yankee fan.

Enjoy your Sunday everyone... and Go Cardinals! Ride that Moment... 2 to go. 

Today... the Babe is a Cardinals fan!

The Bleeding Yankee Blue store is opened! CLICK HERE TO START SHOPPING! Also, follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue (Official) on Facebook, just type it in.