COLE'S SUCCESS DEMONSTRATES THE IMPORTANCE OF GOOD CHEMISTRY

Source: Corey Sipkin for the NY Post

Good chemistry promotes positive connection. This Yankee team has exactly that- positivity. From the moment Aaron Judge took the reigns as the Yankee captain, there was a transformation among the players who saw him rise to the leader of the team. This includes Gerrit Cole, who is a completely different player on this Yankee team. He is confident, he is locked in and he is ready to give the Yankees an amazing performance every five days. Cole's success demonstrates the very importance of having good chemistry. Let's dig into the foundation of that formula.

Source: Newsday

According to The Atlantic, "Can a high five or fist bump really create—or even stand in for—camaraderie, in all its complexity? Then again, as Barry Zito told me, “guys that don’t respect each other won’t go out of their way to congratulate each other after a big moment.” And a celebratory touch can demonstrate a deeper level of acceptance and intimacy." There is a particular connection between a pitcher and a catcher that is even deeper than respect or even acceptance. It is about confidence, in both players. For Gerrit Cole, having consistency in Jose Trevino for more than a season now, may be the root of his success this season. Good chemistry in the works.

"Through his first four starts, Cole has given up just three runs across 28 ¹/₃ innings (good for a 0.95 ERA) while striking out 32. He became the first Yankees pitcher in franchise history to record a sub-1.00 ERA and at least 30 strikeouts through his first four appearances of a season since the earned run became an official stat in 1913," reported the New York Post.

He seemed to enter the season with renewed confidence. He is standing taller. He cut off his locks. He looks like a leader, and he is taking on a similar role that Judge has on this team.

"Throughout spring training, the Yankees were encouraged by the spot Cole found himself in both physically and mentally, feeling more settled in his first fully normal camp with the team. The good vibes have translated into the first month of the regular season, and then some, with Cole looking every bit of a $324 million pitcher," reported The Post.

Trevino said that Cole had conviction with all his pitches on Sunday's complete game shutout against the Twins. Cole also has shown that he can have a sense of humor, communicating to his catcher on a pop up in the Phillies game a couple of weeks ago and laughing a bit at the umpire not calling a strike in the first game of the season against the Giants. 

Good chemistry equals good vibes which lays the foundation for success. Between catcher and pitcher, among ace and his team and from captain to leader of the pitching staff, there is good chemistry on this team. The importance of is chemistry is immeasurable. “It’s like walking into a bar and getting a vibe.” But what specifically it’s made of, and how it can be measured, is a harder question," said David Ross, manager of the Chicago Cubs. 

We can certainly see the chemistry in the performance of this team and particularly in the performance of Cole in his first four starts this season. He is exciting to watch, something I would not have said in previous seasons. The Cole Train in on the track, blazing and full of fuel that will hopefully keep this Yankee team in contention while they work out the kinks in other areas that need some of those good vibes. 

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

SLUMPS DON'T LAST

Going in Sunday's game, Alex Rodriguez was 0 for 19. He broke that streak in an 2 run homer.He went on to hit 1 for 4 during that game. To say his season is off to a rough start might be an understatement. So, what are the Yankees going to do with him?

I feel like this sort of conversation, in one form or another, about one player or another always comes up. A player slumps, and fans call for heads to roll. Guys, listen... it's only April, and it's only a slump. Baseball is a marathon, not a sprint. I know we want our team to be performing at their very best, but the season is long, and slumps don't last. Especially with a player that has a work ethic like Alex.

Just take a look at his 2015 season. I don't think anyone believed he would be as productive at the plate as he was. I wouldn't believe you if you said you did, honestly. 39 years old, coming off of an entire season with no baseball activity? The odds were definitely stacked against him. The most we could've hoped for was a few good clutch hits. Instead, he came back to and hit .250 with 33 home runs. He was a crucial part of our line-up.

With him struggling at the plate, a few people have suggested that the Yankees should consider bringing up Nick Swisher to replace him (HERE). I like Swisher but I don't think that bringing him up would solve Alex's problem. The Yankees signing Swish to a minor league deal makes sense for the team. But not to take the place of Alex. The signing makes more sense in the case of Mark Teixeira. It adds depth to first in case of injury or days off. Swish is still a positional player, and delegating him to the DH role seems like a waste of a roster spot.

Look, I get it. Alex is 40. There are two years left on his contract, then he retires. Thinking about the Yankees considering an exit plan is normal, I just don't think it is a real possibility. Maybe he is hitting just over .100 in July and he rides the bench for a few days. It could happen. I just don't see the Yankees releasing him, and paying him $20 million a year to stay home and watch the game on television. It's more likely that he'll get a few more days off, and a lot more work with Alan Cockrell and Marcus Thames to work out the kinks. Joe Girardi already dropped him in the lineup from third to sixth.

None of us know for sure how much Alex has left in the tank. But we do know that he is struggling at the plate, and we know he has to work through this as quickly as possible. All players struggle at some point. In 2004, Derek Jeter went 0 for 32 before breaking the slump with a home run against Barry Zito (HERE). He went on to hit .292 that season. And yes, I know that Alex is no Jeter. I get it. But there is no denying his ability at the plate. When Alex is on, he a monster. Sometimes all players need is that one big hit to get their bats swinging. Let's hope that Sunday's homer was exactly that for Alex.

--Erica Morales BYB Senior Writer 
Twitter: @e_morales1804




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BARRY ZITO IS IN DEMAND APPARENTLY

Agents are amazing beings.  They promote their players, sometimes too much, just so their clients, and themselves, can collect the mighty dollar. Many times in sports, it works, and that's what makes sports agents so popular among player. Promote your clients, get them signed, gain power and popularity. Don't, and your client and maybe even you as a sports agent, disappear.

Scott Boras is overly dramatic. I want to share with you a tweet. It's from Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times who is quoting what Boras said about free agent Barry Zito.

Boras says there is "widespread" interest in Barry Zito.
— Bill Shaikin (@BillShaikin) December 10, 2014

OK then.

As Craig Calcaterra of Hardball Talk says:

"...It’s all rather silly, of course. He’s the biggest agent in the game and dozens of reporters crowd around him and hang on his every word. So you’d think that, at some point, he’d just hold an actual press conference where everyone could hear him and people could ask questions in an orderly fashion. That doesn’t happen, of course. Probably because Major League Baseball doesn’t want to give him some sort of official imprimatur..."

Ditto Craig... Ditto.

 No offense to Barry Zito... but here's a tip. Dump your agent.

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HEY YANKS... GO GET LINCECUM!

I know what you're thinking.  I'm just writing nonsense to get you to read Bleeding Yankee Blue.  I wish that was the case. Truth be told, this is an opinion piece and over the past few years, I have actually been known to make smart predictions that have helped the Yankees.  If the timing is right, there is nothing that won't stop a team like the Yankees gather "big name" players.  Over the years, it's done by having the team they are trading with pick up the bulk of the contract of that "big name" player, but that being said, they are trying at least.  Look at how they pulled off getting Ichiro Suzuki last season?  And remember... BYB had our dream about getting Ichiro, just days before it happened.... don't remember?

Read ICHIRO TO THE YANKS IS MY PIPE DREAM from July 22, 2012, only to be followed up with ICHIRO IS A NEW YORK YANKEE on July 23, 2012. I'm not saying we're geniuses... I am saying we're Team Awesome.

I have also written about my love for Tim Lincecum to be a New York Yankee 1 day. While we have written many pieces back in the day suggesting it could be a great thing for both the Yankees and Lincecum, We have recently floated it in  PITCHING FITS writing the following:

"Expect the San Francisco Giants in the mix. They have Matt Cain and Madison Bumgartner locked up, and would be foolish not to pick up the option on Ryan Vogelsong. The Giants will be losing a grip on Chad Gaudin, Barry Zito, and Tim Lincecum. It is hard to believe they will hang on to all of them. Zito should be avoided. Gaudin would be an improvement over Hughes. That leaves The Freak.
It’s hard to believe that the Giants won’t sign him, but if they don’t, the Yankees should take a good look at Lincecum. He will be expensive and there is a risk element to that, always, but Freak seems to be returning to big game form. Relocation to Yankee Stadium might just re-energize him."

Good timing... that's what we do here at BYB and a special thanks to our writer Chad MacDonald for nailing it! It turns out that Andrew Baggarly of CSNBayarea.com that Lincecum will in fact test the free agent market, this is according to sources. He writes:

"Lincecum can become a free agent five days after the conclusion of the World Series. The Giants have presented a two-year structure to Lincecum but talks haven’t progressed; assuming nothing gets done before the end of the World Series, the Giants plans to make him a qualifying offer (one year, almost $14 million) that would set them up to receive draft-pick compensation if he signs elsewhere... The Giants shifted gears to Lincecum after they re-signed outfielder Hunter Pence to a five-year, $90 million extension to prevent him from going to free agency. The Giants also want to re-sign left-hander Javier Lopez, preferably before he hits the open market."

The Yankees need pitching. The Yankees need to rejuvenate their starting rotation.  The Yankees need to pursue Lincecum.  He's not an old man and most likely he'll only need a change of scenery to get himself back to his old Cy Young self again.  And before you tell me that a National League pitcher can't hack it in the American League... I have 2 words for you... Hiroki Kuroda.

Hey... the Freak is someone to think about... I know I am.

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NO "DOOM & GLOOM" WITH OLD AGE... JUST SKILL

I just downloaded Doom and Gloom by the Rolling Stones on my iPod. The Stones are one of the greatest bands on this earth.  I have no idea why, but I was thinking about the Yankees when I read the title and was listening to the lyrics.  The Stones are at the top of their game and they’re old men, let’s keep it real.


Yet, Mick Jagger jumps around like he’s 23 years old and I equate the rejuvenation of Derek Jeter to Mick's subscription to perfecting ones craft the older you get.  There is nothing better to me than watching 38 year old Jeter lead our guys out of the dugout on a home game.  It’s huge to me, because I don’t see age like every Yankee critic does and maybe that’s because I’ve followed these guys forever and appreciate skill.  Sure, players break down, but the focus and the message is clear… they want to win and they will grind it out any way possible to get it done. I guess that's just the Yankee way.

 I’ve been reading a lot about how OLD the Yankees are.  How OLD the players are they re-signed this off season and how they just aren’t the competitors they once were. Mind you, it's the winter...they haven't taken the field yet.  That Sean Hartnett /CBS piece HERE featured buzz words like "Yankees" and "Uncertainty" and "Aging" from a few days ago and it annoyed me.  He clearly was focusing on the Yankees "OLD" guys without looking at the other teams with a ton of "OLD" guys.  His piece is pointed, there is no big picture here with Hartnett.  Hey, that’s fine, it’s his piece.  Critics can criticize the Yankees all they want. But in the end, we’re gamers.  It doesn’t matter how old you are. Don’t believe me? Ask Derek Jeter about that.  His focus has always been the same…You go out and win a game, one game at a time... that’s the goal and it's always been the goal.

The World Championship San Francisco Giants have quite a few old guys sprinkled in with veterans. Barry Zito is 34 and Ryan Vogelsong is 35. They just won a freaking championship. Marco Scutaro is 37. Really.  He looks 28 out there. Really.

Look at the Philadelpiha Phillies, they just signed 36 year old Michael Young.  They have a guy named Chase Utley who isn’t exactly young (34) and while we’re on the subject of young players, there are plenty of young players that may be mildly young, but get hurt. Hey, Chase Utley is one of them and there's also Ryan Howard and his 33 year old frame. I mean, come on? How old is Cliff Lee again? He’s 34 and Roy Halladay is 35, yet, he’s one of the top pitchers in the game.  What does age really mean as long as you play to win and do it well.  Halladay does, Jeter does, Jorge Posada did.

Look at the Boston Red Sox. How old is David Ortiz? 37. Yet, just when you think he’s slowing down, he’s cranking out 20 + home runs.  The Sox just signed 32 year old Shane Victorino who had a crumby 2012. Plus they just signed veteran pitcher, 35 year old Ryan Dempster. So yeah, we’re going to focus on the Yankees and their age? Last time I checked Nick Swisher is 32 and he just signed a 4 year deal with the Cleveland Indians. Sure 32 is fine for Swish and Victorino, trust me, I’m not saying they're 60, but they are on the downside of their careers.  And how about those Texas Rangers and 36 year old Lance Berkman. And I could go on and on... there are a ton of examples.  It's funny though, alot of the guys I listed seem older than they actually are.  And that's my point.

Age don't mean a thing unless you, the player, are thinking about it. Jeter doesn't think about that crap. Neither does Andy Pettitte... if he did, he would have stayed retired. No, the ones who think about it are the haters.  Hey, that's fine, but they don't play the game, so they don't get it.

Yeah, I get protective of my Yankees.  I never understood the critics who decide that every year they need to do an “Yankees are old” piece and I guess they just hope no one actually does the research.  I do.  Why? Because it’s slanted, it’s overly critical and most of all, it’s a non-story.

Age doesn’t matter.  Again, it’s true, player DO slow down, but in the end, you re-invent yourself to lengthen your career… until you can’t any longer. But look at someone like Freddy Garcia. Garcia was a genius when it came to re-invention and he extended his career 2 extra years with the Yankees mixing up pitches. He did great.  

If you’re a Yankee fan like me… the field is split, meaning, some of us like the veterans and some want to see the kids come up.  I have always said the perfect team is a sprinkling of young and veterans.  The kids play and learn, the veterans play and lead by example.  I often look at the teams of the past and I see that formula.  The Yankees are not old, they’re seasoned, or skilled as I like the say and trust me, there’s a very big difference. Age is also something that as a ball player, you can’t let get in your head.  I mean, for me personally, I don’t feel 40… and trust me, Jeter doesn’t feel like he’s 38. 

The Rolling Stones? Hell, they’ll be around forever.

It’s all in how you want to feel.  If you want to feel old, you’re old. But critics who like to analyze on the surface without looking at the work that’s put into the daily grind, well, dare I say, it’s lazy journalism and easy.  Especially if we haven’t even seen the 2013 Yankees play yet.

Trust me... it's time to consider these "old" players as, not old, but "skilled"...  yet all I hear is doom and gloom. That's too bad.

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JUSTIN VERLANDER'S WEAKNESS... KATE UPTON

I just have to jump in and make a silly, obnoxious statement. It was the 4th inning of Game 1 of the World Series and Justin Verlander looked like Sergio Mitre in the game. 5-0 Giants after 4 and Verlander was knocked out.

I have one thing to say... thank God for Kate Upton.  I always think back to the All-Star game this season when Verlander had a terrible All-Star start.  Read IS KATE UPTON THE REASON VERLANDER BLEW HIS ALL-STAR START?  If Kate Upton is Verlander's girlfriend, she must have kryptonite in her pocket... maybe she has something to do with tonight... who knows...

Go Giants and great pitching by Barry Zito!

 

TIM HUDSON IN YANKEELAND? SORT OF...

I found this interesting and it was sent over by the Charleston River Dogs, so I must, I MUST let you in on it. It appears Tim Hudson will start Saturday, April 7th for the Rome Braves in a rehab start against the Charleston River Dogs. Read HERE.

We've all seen Hudson pitch a pretty impressive career. You couple that with a rehab start against Charleston and watching some of the River Dogs, a Yankees affiliate, play alittle ball and we have something now don't we? After all Gary Sanchez plays for the River Dogs and before him, guys like Phil Hughes and Jesus Montero. It's great stuff.(In photo: Jesus Montero)
Back in the day, I was a huge fan of Tim Hudson, Barry Zito and Mark Mulder. Those three guys did damage for the Oakland Athletics. Now, years later seeing Hudson trying to get back on track and watching him could be kind of fun, especially in a minor league Yankee ballpark. Don't forget, in 2010, Hudson received Major League Baseball’s Comeback Player of the Year Award. It would be kind of cool to go check him out to see if he still has it, plus you get to see some of the Yankees minor leaguers...check out the River Dogs site HERE.

So, if your in the Charleston area and want to check it out, you should. First pitch is 7:05pm.
Tickets are now on sale by calling (843) 577-DOGS (3647) and online at www.riverdogs.com.

ORDER A BYB SHIRT NOW, DROB WEARS ONE! Also, Please comment, we have DISQUS, it's easier than ever. Let me know what you think and follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook, just type it in.

WHY I'M THINKING TOO MUCH...SORRY

So, Hardball Talk had a piece about the San Francisco Giants considering releasing Barry Zito and eating the remaining $65 million dollar contract. The piece was written by Bruce Jenkins of the San Francisco Chronicle. Now, this is the first time I heard about this story, and Bruce Bochy, the Giants skipper said the same thing, according to Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News. Bochy allegedly said to Barry: “This is the first we’ve heard of this.” Genius Bruce. You always say that when you're approached by one of your starters who are about to get the axe.

So, it got me thinking. Would you sign Barry Zito to be a starter for the Yankees if all this crap is actually true? Fine, yell at me, but I'm just asking the question.

Look, there is no question the National League has not been a good place for Barry Zito. Since he signed his monster contract back in 2007, he's been a mess, there's been injury, and he was even taken out of the rotation temporarily last year. Nothing good came from the Zito-Giants marriage, except of course his 2010 championship ring. Now, I would suggest, This may be a good time to part company. And IF, this story is true, it's an interesting name thrown into the mix. Now, in fairness, there is a report now that states Bruce Bochy has denied the release report, read that HERE. That being said, I think a lot, so stay on my track here for a second. I wonder if Zito, who's much older than his days than with the A's, could regain his American League form again? Again, it's just a question, you're still yelling at me.

Look, years later we saw the all of the Oakland A's kids of Zito, Hudson and Mulder move on the National League teams and fall apart. Maybe it was the National League itself, maybe it was just bad luck or bad pitching, bad training, who knows, but those three once terrific AL pitchers have all had little issues since. Although, Tim Hudson finally made it back with a great 2010.

All I'm saying is, Barry Zito could regain his Oakland form, but yes, I know, you keep yelling about it, the chance and cost of this happening would be slim. Yes, If Zito is released and the Yanks were to pick him up cheap, it MIGHT be a good idea, but so is throwing Freddy Garcia every 4th day. You know what I mean? While the names big and his stats WERE big, a great pitcher in 2011, Zito would not make. But, what do you think?

Please comment and let me know what you think and follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook, just type it in.