OLD TIMERS’ DAY: WHEN BEING A YANKEE ACTUALLY MEANT SOMETHING

There is something about Old-Timers’ Day at Yankee Stadium that gets me every single time. Maybe it’s the uniforms, maybe it’s hearing those familiar names announced again, or maybe it’s watching men who once seemed larger than life walk onto the field a little slower, carrying a few extra pounds and a lot more gray hair, while your brain stubbornly remembers them exactly as they were. Whatever it is, the day has a way of getting inside you. And maybe Old-Timers’ Day hits even harder now because it reminds us of something the current Yankees organization seems to have forgotten: being a Yankee used to mean you earned something.

Old-Timers’ Day has always been baseball’s version of a family reunion, and nobody does baseball history quite like the Yankees. The tradition connects generations, reaching all the way back to the emotional days surrounding Lou Gehrig’s farewell in 1939. Over time, it became something uniquely Yankee. The history of this franchise isn’t locked away in a museum or confined to grainy old film clips. Once a year, some of that history actually walks back onto the field, waves to the crowd and reminds you exactly why you fell in love with baseball in the first place.

There was a time when Mickey Mantle and Joe DiMaggio were the final two Yankees introduced. Think about that for a second. The Mick and Joe D. Eventually, that honor belonged to Whitey Ford and Yogi Berra. There were also those wonderful years when Phil Rizzuto and Bobby Murcer weren’t simply former Yankees returning for a ceremony; they were broadcasters who would put the pinstripes back on, wander onto the field and somehow make you believe that nothing had really changed. Of course, everything had changed. That's the cruel little trick baseball plays on us. It moves slowly when we're watching it and unbelievably fast when we look backward.

And now we're apparently living in a world where Andy Pettitte, Jorge Posada and Mariano Rivera qualify as old-timers. Are you kidding me? I watched these guys play. I remember Pettitte peeking over his glove, Posada grinding through at-bats and the opening notes of “Enter Sandman” telling everybody in Yankee Stadium that Mariano was about to shut the door. Those guys aren't supposed to be old-timers. They're supposed to be the guys we watched while the old-timers were being introduced. Yet here we are. That happened pretty damn fast, didn't it?

My guys will always be the Ron Guidrys of the world because that was my generation. Louisiana Lightning was one of those Yankees who made baseball feel magical to me. But that is also the beauty of Old-Timers’ Day: everybody has their guys. Your father had his, you have yours, and your kids will eventually have theirs. If we're lucky enough, someday the players our children worship today will walk onto that same field with gray hair while our kids sit in the stands wondering where 30 years went.

Chris Chambliss

That's baseball. It gets handed down. Father to son, mother to daughter, grandfather to grandson. Families once gathered around radios, then televisions, and now they're watching games on phones and tablets. The technology changes, but the conversations don't. We still complain about umpires, argue about managers, second-guess pitching changes and somehow convince ourselves every April that this could finally be the year. Baseball will break your heart one night and give you a memory you'll carry for the rest of your life the next afternoon. That's the deal we make with this game, and for some reason we keep coming back.

But Old-Timers’ Day also reminds me of something else, especially when I look at the way the modern Yankees operate. Standards used to matter, and opportunities were earned. Players earned jobs, earned patience and earned the right to stay in the lineup. Accomplishments felt bigger because everybody understood how difficult it was to get there. There wasn't this endless organizational obsession with proving the front office was right about somebody simply because admitting a mistake might make Brian Cashman uncomfortable. If a guy performed, he played. If he didn't, somebody else eventually got his opportunity. It was a remarkably sophisticated baseball philosophy known as playing the guys who deserved to play. Maybe Aaron Boone needs somebody from analytics to build him a PowerPoint presentation explaining it.

That's what makes Old-Timers’ Day such an interesting contrast to the current Yankees. Look at the men walking onto that field and think about what many of them represented. Toughness, accountability, pride and an understanding that wearing pinstripes didn't automatically make you special. Winning in them did. Producing when the pressure was greatest did. Earning the respect of Yankee fans did.

Today, the organization too often seems to want the uniform itself to provide the credibility. We hear about process, underlying numbers and quality at-bats. Somebody goes 0-for-4 and Boone tells us there were some “really good swings” in there. A player struggles for months and we're assured he's “really close.” The Yankees lose a brutal game and we're told there were still “a lot of good things” happening. Great. Put it on a plaque and hang it next to the championship banners: 2026 New York Yankees — A Lot of Good Things Happened.

The Yankees of previous generations didn't build this franchise on encouraging postgame press conferences. They built it on results. Ron Guidry didn't need the organization explaining why you weren't actually seeing what you thought you were seeing. Mariano Rivera didn't require a spreadsheet to convince anybody he was dominant. Derek Jeter didn't need three years of excuses and organizational spin. Bernie Williams didn't need Brian Cashman appearing in front of reporters to explain that some internal metric suggested Bernie was secretly playing terrific baseball. Those guys played, they produced, and they earned their place.

That's why these old Yankees mean something to us. They aren't simply names on Baseball Reference or numbers printed on the back of throwback jerseys. They're memories. They're summers and October nights. They're your father screaming at the television. They're your grandfather telling you for the 900th time that baseball was better when he was young. You rolled your eyes at him then, and eventually you got older and started telling the same damn stories yourself. Funny how that works.

Saturday also brought one of those moments that reminds us Old-Timers’ Day isn't simply about nostalgia and applause. Sometimes it's about saying goodbye. Tommy John couldn't be there. At 83 years old and dealing with serious health problems in recent years, John sent an emotional message to the Yankees thanking the organization, the Steinbrenner family and the fans who followed him throughout his remarkable 26-year career. He also remembered Dr. Frank Jobe, the surgeon forever connected to the operation that saved John's career and eventually changed the sport.

John thanked the Yankees for giving him an opportunity to say goodbye to everyone, and those words are difficult to hear without feeling something. Forget wins, losses and statistics for a moment. Forget Cashman and Boone. This was an 83-year-old man looking back at an extraordinary baseball life and thanking the people who shared some part of the journey with him. We throw around the phrase “Tommy John surgery” so casually now that sometimes we forget Tommy John is actually a person. He was a pitcher, a Yankee and a man whose willingness to attempt something radical with Dr. Jobe more than 50 years ago ultimately helped thousands of pitchers who came after him.

That's the part of Old-Timers’ Day that matters most. For all the championships and famous names, baseball ultimately comes back to people. It comes back to family, memory and the people sitting next to you while you're watching the game. That's why you can remember a random Yankee game from 40 years ago and also remember exactly where you were, who was sitting beside you and what your father said when somebody hit the home run. Baseball somehow attaches itself to our lives that way.

Maybe that's also why Old-Timers’ Day feels even more important today, because the modern Yankees sometimes seem determined to convince everybody that baseball has become impossibly complicated. It really isn't. Play hard. Perform. Earn your opportunity. Win. And understand what the uniform represents. George Steinbrenner certainly had his faults—and there were plenty—but there was never any confusion about the expectation. Winning mattered to him. Losing bothered him. Failure wasn't endlessly repackaged as progress.

That's one of my biggest problems with this current organization. Sometimes I watch the Yankees and wonder whether losing actually bothers anybody in charge anymore. A terrible loss happens and Boone walks into the press conference sounding like the team just completed a successful corporate retreat. Cashman periodically emerges to explain why the roster he constructed isn't really the problem, and fans are expected to accept it because apparently expecting the New York Yankees to behave like the New York Yankees has somehow become unreasonable.

Then Old-Timers’ Day arrives, and for a few hours all that garbage disappears. 

Guidry walks onto the field. Pettitte comes out. Matsui and Posada appear. Mariano waves to the crowd. You hear the applause and suddenly remember what this franchise is supposed to feel like. There was pride attached to those pinstripes. There were standards. There was accountability. There was an understanding that playing for the Yankees wasn't the accomplishment; what you did while wearing the uniform was the accomplishment.

Baseball has changed tremendously. Some of those changes have made the game better, and some absolutely have not. But Old-Timers’ Day cuts through all of it. For a few hours, nobody cares about exit velocity, launch angle or whatever obscure metric the Yankees have decided explains why the guy hitting .210 is actually doing a fantastic job. Nobody needs Brian Cashman to explain the roster, and nobody needs Aaron Boone to tell us somebody put together a few good swings.

Instead, you hear a familiar name announced over the Yankee Stadium speakers and suddenly you're 12 years old again. For me, Guidry is dealing. Reggie is coming up with runners on base. For somebody a little younger, Pettitte is staring over his glove, Posada is digging into the box and Mariano is making that walk from the bullpen. Somebody younger still will have an entirely different group of Yankees that takes them back.

That's the whole point.

Baseball isn't really measured in innings, WAR, exit velocity or championship rings. In the end, it's measured in memories and the people with whom you shared them. Old-Timers’ Day gives us a few wonderful hours when those memories come walking back onto the field. It reminds us where we've been, who we watched with our fathers and who we'll eventually tell our children about.

And maybe, just maybe, while all those old Yankees are standing out there, the people currently running this franchise should take a good look at them.

Because those pinstripes didn't become famous because everybody was comfortable. They didn't become famous because the manager protected everybody from criticism or because the general manager refused to admit when his plan wasn't working. They became famous because generations of players understood that getting to Yankee Stadium wasn't the finish line.

You had to earn what came next.

That's what made those players Yankees.

That's what made the achievements worth celebrating.

And that's why, every Old-Timers’ Day, seeing those guys come home still means so damn much.

GOOD THINGS COME IN PETTITTE PACKAGES!

Andy Pettitte was made for pinstripes, and now maybe his youngest son, Luke Pettitte is too! It's another one of those "like father, like son" cliche moments....or is it?

We don't need to talk about how great Andy was. We all know. Luke could be a great pitcher too, but there's some differences. Honestly, much needed differences so he's not living in the shadow of his dad. I keep seeing on  X everyone is talking about how Andy was a one of a kind, and we shouldn't compare Luke to him.

And we shouldn't. That I agree. Andy was a left handed battle tested pitcher with a pick off move that was unmatched. Luke is right handed so he might not have the same pick off move but he's still talented. He's a two-way player that organizations drool over now that some guy named Shohei Ohtani came in and changed baseball as we know it.

But the Ohtani comparison stops there. They both are two-way players but that's it. Luke started playing at Dallas Baptist College as a pitcher, but Tommy John surgery forced him to step away from the mound. Instead of treating his time away recovering as a lost year in his journey he turned his attention to hitting in his junior year where he hit .337, with 16 home runs and 48 RBIs in 42 games. That's nothing to sneeze at. Hell, he would be an instant upgrade to the current lineup right now considering some guys are hitting .150 right now (here's looking at you Austin Wells), sometimes the truth hurts.

It will be interesting to see what happens going forward. Does Luke even sign? There's no guarantee that he will. No matter what does happen, he already has some bragging rights compared to his old man. Andy was picked in the 22nd round of the 1990 draft, but Luke was picked in the eighth round of this years draft. No matter what happens, he gets that for bragging rights. Honestly, Tommy John or not, scouts have a lot to say about his good command, so I like the pick.

The Yankees need to learn how to evolve and honestly, in more ways than one. Their "run it back" philosophy and overly analytical decisions have not helped this team win anything. There isn't a ton of risk with this draft pick, even with a recovery from Tommy John. Luke has something unique to add and we certainly need something.

We've been saying we are tired of "more of the same" and this isn't it. It's about time! Welcome to the Yankees, Luke!

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

HUNTER DOBBINS FORGOT IT'S EASY TO RESEARCH INFO IN A DIGITAL AGE

No folks, Lance Dobbins never played for the New York Yankees. But his son thinks so and that's just stupid.

Hunter Dobbins might be the first pitcher in a while to make headlines not for what he did on the mound, but for the tall tale he spun off it. And in my honest opinion—this guy might be completely unhinged.

Before his first career start against the Yankees, Dobbins—just 25 and barely through his first cup of coffee in the big leagues—fired off a headline-grabbing quote: he’d retire before ever pitching for New York. Okay. Bold. A little dramatic, and let's be honest, no one cares.

But then he went from petty to full-blown fantasy.

In a profile that ran in the Boston Herald just before his outing, Dobbins claimed his father, Lance Dobbins, had been drafted twice by the Yankees and later traded to the Diamondbacks. Oh—and apparently, he was boys with Andy Pettitte, too. Seriously, that part is a joke... or is it? The guy tossed out this story like he was reciting family lore at Thanksgiving dinner after too many bourbons.

Except… literally none of it is true.

The New York Post did the legwork and found zero trace of Lance Dobbins in any MLB draft record, Yankees transaction, or Diamondbacks anything. And Pettitte? No connection whatsoever. But here's the kicker: you didn’t need the Post to tell you that. One click on Baseball-Reference.com shows you exactly who Lance Dobbins was—an independent league pitcher who played for the Meridian Brakemen in 1996 and 1997, and briefly for the Ohio Valley Redcoats in '97. 

That's it. No Yankees. No big-league draft. No “friends with Andy Pettitte” moment. This guy’s MLB résumé is as fictional as Rookie of the Year.

So what’s Hunter’s explanation now that the internet’s lit up with the truth? He basically shrugged it off.

He says the whole story came from his dad, and he never thought to fact-check it. “At the end of the day I don't go and fact-check my dad,” he said. Right. But maybe—just maybe—if you’re going to go public with a story about your dad being drafted by the Yankees twice and traded to another organization, it’s worth spending 30 seconds on Google before you say it out loud. Especially if you’re doing it the day before you pitch against the Yankees. I mean, what are we doing here? I mean, he's basically calling is old man a liar.

The fact that this even became a story isn’t bad luck—it’s bad judgment. Dobbins made it a story with his own mouth.

This isn’t the ‘80s when Sports Illustrated could get away with publishing an April Fools story about Sidd Finch throwing 168 mph. That was clever. That was deliberate. What Dobbins is doing is just a lie.

He said he’s only talked “a little, but not really” with his dad about the whole mess. Because his focus, he claims, is on his next start. As it should be. Because clearly, the less time this guy spends talking, the better off we all are.

In a world where every stat, draft, and trade is archived and accessible with a few clicks, Dobbins still chose to run with a story that crumbled under the weight of the internet’s simplest search bar.

And again, just to be crystal clear—my personal take? This guy needs a reality check and maybe a psych eval. Forget the scouting report—someone in Boston's clubhouse should just hand him a fact-checker and a muzzle.

PETTITTE'S RETURN TO BASEBALL...AGAIN

The World Baseball Classic is coming back in 2026, and Team USA is already stacking the deck. Mark DeRosa is returning as manager—but the real headline here? Andy Pettitte is back in the dugout as pitching coach.

And let me tell you—I couldn’t be more thrilled.

Seeing Pettitte back in a uniform just feels right. Like pine tar on a bat knob or Frank Sinatra blasting at Yankee Stadium—it’s part of baseball’s soul. And let’s be honest: there are few people more qualified to lead a pitching staff than Andy freakin’ Pettitte.

He’s not just a Yankees legend. He’s a baseball ambassador in my opinion. The guy’s a walking masterclass in how to win with poise, grit, and a perfectly placed cutter. He doesn’t need to shout about his legacy—it speaks for itself.

In 2023, when he was Team USA’s pitching coach, the staff he helped guide made it all the way to the championship game. Under his watch, they finished fourth in strikeouts and sixth in ERA. That’s not a coincidence. That’s Pettitte’s quiet brilliance at work.

Now he’s back, and while the official roster isn’t out yet, odds are good he’ll be mentoring a new generation of flame-throwing arms—names like Paul Skenes and Garrett Crochet have all been floated. And honestly, if you're a young pitcher with a live arm and half a brain, you should be sprinting to learn under Andy Pettitte.

But here’s what drives me nuts. How is this man still not in the Hall of Fame?

The numbers are staring us all in the face. 256 regular season wins. Only five pitchers in modern baseball history with that many wins aren’t in Cooperstown. Five. And none of them can touch Pettitte’s postseason resume.

Let’s talk about that postseason record, shall we?

19 playoff wins. 44 playoff starts. Over 276 playoff innings. He holds the all-time records in postseason wins, starts, and innings pitched—and that’s before you even get to the 28 quality starts. The man was a machine. A dependable, unflinching rock in October. He was the pitcher managers trusted when the season was on the line.

Add those 19 playoff victories to his 256 regular-season wins, and you're looking at 275 total W's. That’s elite territory. That’s Hall of Fame territory.

Andy Pettitte didn’t need to throw 100 mph. He didn’t rely on hype or headlines. He just won. Over and over again. 5 World Series titles. 8 pennants. Countless moments where Yankee fans exhaled because Andy’s got it.

So while the Hall of Fame keeps playing hard to get, at least we get Pettitte where we need him—on a field, in a uniform, helping Team USA chase a title.

I love Andy Pettitte. Always have. Always will. He’s class, he’s grit, and he’s the kind of guy who made baseball better just by showing up every fifth day. And now, he's making it better again, coaching up the next generation of arms.

Team USA? Yeah, they're in good hands.

SABATHIA IS A TRUE TEAM GUY!

Andy Pettitte has always been beloved by Yankee fans, and for good reason. To many—including myself—it's baffling that Pettitte isn’t in the Hall of Fame yet. What stands out most about him, beyond his stellar stats, is the respect he commands from his peers. CC Sabathia, a true leader, phenomenal teammate, and competitor who just loves the game and winning above all else, spoke out about Pettitte's worthiness. Reflecting on his time with Pettitte, Sabathia said, “For me, Andy is a Hall of Famer. Getting a chance to pitch alongside him, getting a chance to still talk to him pretty much all the time, I believe he’s a Hall of Famer.”

Sabathia and Pettitte were teammates for four seasons, including the Yankees' 2009 World Series win. While Sabathia earned an overwhelming 86% of the vote in his first Hall of Fame ballot, Pettitte received just 27.9% this year—an improvement from the 13.5% he garnered in 2024, but still far from the threshold. Unfortunately, time is running out for Pettitte’s case.

For years, I’ve been highly critical of players linked to PEDs, but my stance has evolved. Yes, mistakes were made, and Andy Pettitte admitted to his, but those moments were minor compared to his otherwise remarkable career. His achievements are undeniable:

• Pettitte compiled a 256–153 win-loss record, a 3.85 ERA, and 2,448 strikeouts across 3,316 innings.
• He’s the only pitcher since 1930 to win at least 12 games in each of his first nine seasons.
• He recorded the second-most career pickoffs (98), trailing only Steve Carlton (144).
• Pettitte holds the record for the most postseason wins in MLB history, with 19.
• He had 24 complete games, four shutouts, and never experienced a losing season in his career. In 16 of his 18 seasons, he won 11 or more games.
• He was a five-time World Series champion with the Yankees.

Beyond the numbers, Pettitte’s pickoff move was legendary, and his consistency and poise in big games were unmatched. Yet, some writers seem to place him in the same moral category as others like Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, and Rafael Palmeiro, despite Pettitte’s transparency and the relatively minor nature of his admitted misstep. The reason for the change in my stance is simple. When you start letting in lesser players with less impressive numbers just because you don't want to let monster players like Bonds or Pettitte in that's when things are unbalanced and wrong.

CC Sabathia’s support for Pettitte is a testament to the type of player and person Andy is. Sabathia has always been the kind of teammate to lift others up, and his endorsement should hold weight. Pettitte deserves his place in Cooperstown, and it’s about time the writers recognize it.

COLE "GOT A LITTLE HOT TOO QUICK", BUT WHAT ABOUT JUDGE?

Source: FOX News

The injury bug is alive and well in the Yankees camp in Tampa. And the problem, besides the injuries themselves, is the way the Yankees talk about these injuries. They are vague, non-committing and almost defiant in hopes, likely, to sell more tickets. Honestly, I don't really understand the injury thing with these major leaguers given they have been off since October and should have been following an exercise regimen. I think they are just too distracted with other things. But we can talk about that later. 

Source: New York Post

To start with, Gerrit Cole was just enlightening when he told reporters this week, "I think we've determined that we just got a little too hot a little too quick," Cole said before Saturday's game against Toronto. "I just got to a certain point where we just didn't hit baseline and recovery. That's important at this time of the year." Let's dig deeper into that fascinating statement.

In case you didn't hear, the Yankees disclosed on Monday that their ace was suffering from elbow soreness. Actually, first they said, he had trouble "bouncing back between starts" but later revealed it was more serious. Elbow soreness is code for Tommy John Surgery in my mind, but the Yankees are smarter than that. They made the whole incident seem routine but not Cole.

Source: USA Today

"It's not a common experience for me," Cole said. "I haven't really dealt with anything like this before. So anytime you're going through something for the first time, there's a little bit of uncertainty, but I had a lot of faith. I felt good leaving the doctor, yeah," reported ESPN. Cole will take three to four weeks recovery and then go from there.

Aaron Judge is a different scenario. He underwent an MRI early this week to address some pain he has been experiencing in his abdomen. Recall Judge had made trips to the IL for oblique, hip and ab injuries over his eight-year career. This MRI was precautionary in the Yankees' brass words but again, who knows really.

Source: New York Post

"The doctors tell me and they're like, he's good," Cashman said. "Just give it some time and get it going again. So, as far as I'm concerned, that's in the rearview mirror even though he hasn't played yet. That's more of a timing issue rather than a concern issue. And he's a pro, he knows how to get ready and knock the rust off. I'm not worried about it," reported ESPN.

Source: NBC News

Judge has not played in a week but has been on the field taking practice and Saturday he will take batting practice with former Yankee pitcher and now coach Andy Pettitte. Am I concerned? Yes. This continues to be a recurring injury for Judge and having this show up this early, when the season has not even started is just ridiculous. I really never remember these kinds of injuries with the championship Yankee teams in the late 90s and early 2000s. I guess that was a different time and this is different baseball.

My take on all of this? I think these superstars do too much in the off season with their "other jobs" and don't take care of themselves the way they should in the off season. Recall it was player Aaron Boone himself who played basketball in the offseason and blew out his knee, rendering him out of commission for good. 

I am reading the book Be the Unicorn by William Vanderbloemen. In this book, the author provides 12 habits to becoming invaluable and unique to others. The first of the twelve is Fast. And that trait calls for individuals to know the difference between distractors and priorities. So, my advice? Be Fast with your priorities players and stop focusing on things that take you away from your full-time job. You only have limited number of years to do this- so do it right!

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

ARE THE YANKEES THE BLOCKBUSTER OF BASEBALL?

Now I realize I am dating myself. But it's okay. My kids know what Blockbuster Video is or rather was. I think maybe a good portion of you do too. And you know the Yankees of today and in the days of Blockbuster. They were, good. Blockbuster provided access to VHS and then DVDs to customers across the country. They were the only video rental chain, and they owned the market. But they drank the invincible punch and therefore, never thought they could be ousted. They even declined the purchase of their first true competitor, Netflix, which could have kept the giant in business. Interestingly enough, Blockbuster closed in 2014. You know who also hung up his cleats in 2014. Yep, the Captain, Derek Jeter. The Yankees are the Blockbuster of Baseball and here's why.

"Blockbuster was known for charging customers a fee for every day they were late returning a movie rental. In fact, Blockbuster said it made $800 million in late fees, or 16% of its revenue, Quartz reported. This frustrated many customers, including Netflix founder Reed Hastings," reported Business Insider. The Yankees, well they play by their own rules. They don't listen to fans, or their baseball gut; they only listen to analytics. They don't reward good leadership; they'd prefer puppets who execute orders from above. They are old. They got cocky. And guess what, they are as defunct as Blockbuster.

The new baseball, the modern baseball, takes into consideration wisdom of the past coupled with today's analytics. Great teams of today favor strategic hitting, lower pitch counts, and low tolerance for mediocrity. If you don't have it today, you are out of the game. 

But Aaron Boone does not subscribe to that kind of mantra. He likes to give days off to players who are making a difference in the lineup, he prefers home runs over base hits and he misuses his pitchers. Yet, "One thing Steinbrenner has decided on is to retain Boone as manager for ‘24. Steinbrenner spoke to a lot of the current players, former Yankees like Andy Pettitte and Nick Swisher, and front office people like Omar Minaya and Brian Sabean, and the conclusion was unanimous. "Without giving my opinion on the call, they all came to the same conclusion which is, Aaron is a good manager. He should be our manager in 2024. That was the first big decision I needed to make,” said Steinbrenner as reported MLB.com. 

Now the Yankees have decided to bring in an outside consultancy to evaluate their analytics department. "Steinbrenner wants to make sure that the team is making the right decisions on the field. Zelus will work with the Yankees throughout the season.  "We are going to take all that from what we learned and compare it to what we do,” Steinbrenner said. “There could be some areas that we feel that we need to do better and change,” reported MLB.com. 

How about using a combination of baseball knowledge and analytics? You don't need an outside consultant to prescribe that. How about take a page from Texas Rangers Manager Bruce Bochy, Arizona Diamondback Manager Torey Lovullo or even Philadelphia Phillies and former Yankee coach Rob Thomson's playbook. They know their players; they don't tolerate crap and they use that combo of wisdom and numbers - the secret sauce for leading winners.

When you are aging, you look for ways to stay young. You challenge yourself. You keep current. If you don't, you simply will be outplayed, and therefore become outdated. The Yankees are just that. They assume they are the Yankees and therefore everyone would want to play here and as a fan, come to the stadium and drop hundreds of dollars to see a legendary franchise play. But guess what? The fans want more and expect more. 

In 2023, "New York finished with a .227 batting average, 29th among the 30 teams, and was 25th in runs with 673," reported ESPN. Steinbrenner says there will be big changes that to the naked eye, you can't see. Well, with the manager and general manager still in place, I am not sure the Yankees will look that much different in 2024. What are they actually waiting for? Another "streaming service" to overtake them in the market? They know what the stakes are. They can see how other teams are winning. Can't they see the writing on the wall? The Yankees are the Blockbuster of Baseball and unless things change, they will remain out of business for the foreseeable future. 

--Suzie Pinstripe

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @suzieprof

REGGIE GOES OFF & HE'S RIGHT

Just a few short days before the Rangers beat the Astros in the ALCS, it was Yankee legend Reggie Jackson blasting the Yankees on how they treat fan base and their legends who wore their pinstripes.  On MLB on FOX and talking with Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter, Reggie went ham and by that he expressed something that we fans think about all the time... the fact that unqualified managers like Aaron Boone are there, but veterans who actually have knowledge of baseball aren't brought in to help the team whenever possible.  I'm assuming he means the front office, because as we all know, Reggie is now with the Houston Astros working as an advisor for Jim Crane, the biggest cheater of them all.  

What Reggie said hit me between the eyes. And I stood up and applauded at my laptop.  He said the Yanks are unwilling to listen to the experienced guys, Jackson included, but he and others were never asked.

“I’d say the biggest difference between us, and really most other teams and especially with the Yankees… your voice isn’t heard,” Jackson said. “You didn’t participate. You know, I walked away because I wanted to be involved and leave my knowledge in the game. I certainly think that I know that Derek Jeter still loves the Yankees. Andy Pettitte still loves the Yankees. (Rodriguez) is still a Yankee and I’m still a Yankee, but we didn’t get a chance to be involved in some of the say-so in our opinions really didn’t get valued.”

This speaks volumes.  This my friends is exactly what fans are angry about.  You can look at a guy like Boone and defend him and suggest he's a scapegoat, but once again, it comes back to experience.  Sure, the Yanks brought in guys like Pettitte near the end of the season, but for me looking at that, they weren't bringing him in to "advise".  They brought him to be the Yankee fans "shiny thing".  Remember, the Yankees suck so anything to distract us fans was good enough for them. They just wanted us to shut up.

Experience matters.  Reggie is right. You know who else is? Me.  Bruce Bochy gut managed his Rangers to the World Series last night.  Analytics as his guide... gut and feel was his go-to.  That's how you win ball games. That's how you win championships.  

Will Bochy bring the Rangers to win the World Series? I would bet on it.  I can't say that if Boone was and that's the honest truth.

Make changes Hal! You have a failed franchise!

ANDY PETTITTE WILL HELP MAKE A BRONX STUD OUT OF RODON

I'm a big Carlos Rodon fan because I know what this guy is capable of.  He's got a ton of upside and will no doubt be worth his contract when he concludes his time in the Bronx. But not to get ahead of ourselves.  The beginning of his time in New York was tough.  But for me, that stuff doesn't matter. You're only as good as your last game.  But for Rodon, he is improving every game.  We're seeing things that prove he has the ability to conquer the jeers and eventually fall into favor with the fan base.  That's all I could ask for.

Now comes word that Andy Pettitte is working with Carlos to teach him the Yankee way, and let him understand the mentality you need to have when playing in New York. And you know what? It's only gonna help.

The New York Post writes:

" Pettitte said there are reasons for optimism — including in the bullpen session Rodon threw Thursday, as well as his previous two outings.

“He’s in a tough situation with the season he’s had and the injuries he’s had,’’ Pettitte said of Rodon. “Before the last road trip, I saw one of his pens that wasn’t quality,’’ Pettitte said. “He was all over the place. Then he went out in Boston and Pittsburgh and pitched well. That’s a step forward. I appreciate the work he’s put in.”...

“He was so good [Thursday], you just want to see that and let him settle in,’’ Pettitte said of the bullpen session. “My message to him has been, ‘Let’s stay healthy, get out there and get some reps.’ ”

When you have someone in your corner on a new team there is nothing you cannot accomplish. Support is the greatest gift for an athlete, because sports are hard.  Andy knows the Yankee way better than anyone. The key is to help get Carlos comfortable and in the right mindset... the rest is his talent and trust me... it's coming!

OLD TIMERS MAGIC CAN'T HELP THIS TEAM

Source: AP

Embarrassing. That's what the 9-2 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers is. You have the greatest Yankees of the modern baseball era in the house, and the 2023 Yankees just looked like a bunch of losers, because clearly they are. I tried to feel optimistic. I felt an ounce of life with the performance of the new Baby Bombers. But Saturday took the wind out of my sails. Thank God Coco Gauff won the US Open otherwise the day would have been a total loss. So despite having Old Timers in the house, their magic won't help this team.

Source: AP

"Gathered in their pinstripes, bathed in glories of yesteryear, the retired players spent some time in the home clubhouse. There was little advice that Jeter & Co. could offer the current group; for the most part, they knew nothing but winning during their time in the Bronx. The Yanks dropped their third straight game, falling to the Brewers, 9-2," reported MLB.com.

The 75th Anniversary of Old Timers Day drew a big crowd but rain delays, and just poor baseball sent them away. The bats were silent in front of the legends of the 90s and early 2000s.  This is unfamiliar territory for the 1998 Yankees. Hard to empathise when all you did was win championships. 

Source: NY Daily News

“I run into New Yorkers every day,” Jeter continued, “and they’ll say thank you for the championships that we won. So it is a special feeling to be here at Yankee Stadium, introduced at the game formerly known as Old-Timers’ Day,” reported The New York Daily News. Thank you for all of the championships. Since he left, we have not seen any. The team hobbles into every season, without dramatic change thinking there will be change. It's ridiculous.

One shining star of the evening was Michael King, who is making a real case to becoming a member of the starting rotation next season. He struck out nine in five innings on Saturday and has an ERA of 1.08 in four starts since Aug. 24. Recall he volunteered to be stretched out and step into the starting role from his services in the bull pen. Now our pen let him down after he only gave up one earned run. 

The magic was back in the Bronx but it did not penetrate the 2023 dugout. Despite the pomp and circumstance and the thrill of seeing Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, Andy Pettitte and Mariano Rivera back in pinstripes, it changes nothing about the 2023 Yankees. They still just stink. 

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

THE RANKINGS DON'T LIE. THE YANKEES FARM SYSTEM THESE DAYS DOES NOT EXIST

The Yankees have clearly decided to build a team around Aaron Judge.  Gone are the days of breeding a winning mentality down on the farm with guys that would play together for a bit before being brought up to try and win on the big team.  Jeter, Pettitte, Mariano, Jorge and yes, even Bernie Williams.  It's that thing that was pushed by Stick Michael, and even if George Steinbrenner wanted to trade a guy like Mo, Stick would jump in and say, "No, No George. You need to trust me on this one."  And George... would listen.  Now yes, George would go rogue and pick up big time free agents that many times didn't do much.  But for the most part, the farm was Gene's and life was good.  Hence, 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2000.

During Cashman's tenure with the Yankees, he was GM and Senior Vice President since 1998 don't forget, . the Yankees have won six American League pennants and four World Series championships.  But if you really think about it, only 1 championship was manufactured by Cashman.  The others were created by the great Gene Michael.

Not to go on a tangent, but it's become clear to me that the Yankees 2nd biggest problem, the first being bad leaders in top management, is the diminished farm system.  The Yankees don't teach baseball and they sure as hell don't mold team comradery like they did when Michael was alive.  Look at this chart... I mean really look at it:

It's pathetic.  

Since 2015 we are barely ranked in the top ten. Do you know how bad that is?  and look at 2021 and 2022.  The teams that have molded and formed a solid farm are the teams that are pretty unstoppable this season.  The Orioles. The Pirates.  The Dodgers.  Texas.  The Reds. Team with futures... teams that will make the playoffs while the Yankees will not.

And it makes sense. Former Yankee farmhand, Ben Ruta blasted the team for lack of effort down on the farm. Sports Illustrated writes:

Former prospect @benJAMINruta tells a story about Chris Gittens and others getting "reamed" by minor league analytics coaches.

▶️ https://t.co/41ZpraoE45 pic.twitter.com/pACY4zNH7M

— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) August 17, 2023

"Former outfielder Ben Ruta, who played in the Yankees’ minor league system from 2016 to ’20, criticized the franchise for leaning too heavily on analytics and lacking in proper baseball instruction while on the Foul Territory podcast on Wednesday.

“Fully expect them to clear house in the minor leagues … they will change developmental culture back to old Yankees days,” Ruta wrote in the episode’s comments section, per host Scott Braun. “Keep in mind, I played in the Yanks org. before analytics in ’16 to ’18, and then after in ’18 to ’20. Stark difference in development.”

And CBS Sports has another quote from him:

"Here's all you need to know: In 2020, before COVID, we played a game called pitchers vs. hitters," Ruta wrote. "The only way to win was to walk or hit a ball 95-mph-plus. There is no baseball being taught there anymore. No baserunning, moving runners, fundamentals, etc."

Sure, it's Ben Ruta, and I'm positive when the Yankees got wind of him speaking out they thought "It's Ben Ruta, no one cares about Ben Ruta", but the truth is, the Yankee fans care. The Yankee fans want answers. All of this is bullshit.

The Yankees are on a losing streak and sinking deeper and deeper into the basement. They aren't going to the playoffs, folks.  But imagine having a farm system that could go through the wins and losses and development together.  Would there be a difference? I think there would be, I really do.

You want to build a team around a superstar like Judge? Go watch the Angels. Trout and Ohtani are surrounded by that team... and they've done nothing.  Have we become the Angels?

#FireBoone