YANKEE FANS KNOW THAT FEELING OF "BELIEVING" VERY WELL

Pete Alonso of the Mets couldn't hit himself out of a paper bag for weeks.  So you knew it was only a matter of time for him to get a big hit in a big moment last night... and good for him.

For me, I'm not a Mets fan. I don't have any feeling for them good or bad. For me, they are just the Mets.  That's how it's been for a long, long time.  When Derek Jeter made that remark about the team recently, it just made sense for me. They ARE just the Mets. I don't particularly root for them, I don't boo them... I just watch them.  And that's about it.  

Last night, I was leaning Brewers just because of the fact that I long for the 80's, the Robin Yount, Gorman Thomas, Paul Molitor days. It was nostalgic for me. Plus, my kid's a Christian Yelich fan so it just made sense.  But to be honest, I went to bed not really caring who won, but I do have to say, it was a good game.

But the moment that Alonso had made us all bring us to those great moments in baseball. It is what makes baseball truly great. A home run when a team needed it most, the moment, the feeling, the triumph, the defeat on the other side. It was baseball at its best.  Happily, as Yankee fans, we have had many of those and they all made us feel incredible... especially during big games.

CBS News writes:

"At least we didn't get swept."

Jim Leyritz remembers saying that out loud when the Yankees' sixth-inning rally in Game 4 of the 1996 World Series still left them trailing 6-3, only nine outs away from going down three games to one to the Atlanta Braves....Two innings later, Leyritz changed Yankees' fortunes and pinstriped history with one swing, a game-tying, three-run home run off Braves closer Mark Wohlers. The Bombers would go on to win the game in extra innings, tying the series."

And how about the true team effort of Yankees in 2001 when the Yanks needed them most. Cronkite News writes:

"Those three nights included President George W. Bush delivering a perfect strike for the first pitch before Game 3, Tino Martinez and Scott Brosius hitting two-run home runs in the 9th inning off Diamondbacks closer Byung-Hyun Kim in back-to-back games, Derek Jeter walking off Game 4 in the 12th, earning his title Mr. November, and the rookie Alfonso Soriano delivering a walk-off hit in Game 5 for the 3-2 New York series lead over Arizona."

The home runs when we need them most is vital to the fabric of the game of baseball and so great for the true baseball fan.  Last night was fantastic for Mets fans. It was important for Alonso, and we all felt it for a few minutes.  Life for the true Met fan was glorious.   But what happens next...

While the big home run is incredible, it depends on WHEN it takes place.  As all Yankee fans know, losing the 2001 World Series was a heartbreaker. The Yankee homers came at the right time and in bunches... but it wasn't enough.  In fact, a bigger moment came for the Diamondbacks against the greatest closer of all time when Luis Gonzalez hit that blooper to win the game.  Another moment in time that for the true baseball historian is just incredible.  For the Yankee fan, it was gut wrenching.  

For Leyritz, he would have several of those home run moments. The one in 1995 against the Mariners was incredible, but we didn't win that series.  Obviously 1998 Scott Brosius was on fire against the Padres, and in that World Series those moments were significant, we WON that.  But again... it's WHEN these moments happen that allow teams and their fans to truly love and appreciate being a fan.

 

Pete Alonso did something great last night. It should not be dismissed. But the Phillies are no slouch. The big question for the Mets is can the use that momentum to keep going, or was the highlight, as great as it was, only be a highlight that sits on a shelf, like Aaron Boone's homer against the Red Sox.  Something that we recall, but years later doesn't mean much.   It's a question every team clawing toward the World Series needs to think about.

I love big moments in baseball... we've had plenty as Yankee fans.  But it's how a team keeps going that is vital for the makeup of that team and what truly makes them a champion.  Mets fans are happy today. I respect that.  What I don't respect is the trash talk, rudeness, slapping down of Phillies fans before they even show up.   You are only as good as the game you played. When a new day comes, a new game comes.  The Phillies are not about the roll over. Mets fans need to take the homer, praise Pete, applaud the team, but then reset.  

Oh... and stop praising Grimace.  How about you root for your team instead of rooting for a false vibe?  That's the problem with Mets fans... they don't "believe in their team"... they believe in something fabricated to help them through the brutal fandom they've dealt with all these years.  That's no way to be a fan.

Big baseball weekend coming.  Go Yanks!  Let's get some.  Oh... and to the Mets, the Phillies... good luck.

DEVASTATING!

I'm not about to give you a play by play about how good the Yankees looked tonight.  Bottom line, they looked great, Masahiro Tanaka was great, but I want to explain something that was quite obvious to me tonight as I saw Dellin Betances walk to the mound in the 9th inning at Fenway Park;  He wasn't confident. It was crystal clear to me at his first pitch... and it worried me. 

Betances didn't look confident when he came the mound. He didn't look confident when he walked Dustin Pedrioa and he looked lost when he threw that pitch to the hottest hitter in baseball Hanley Ramirez.  That's the bottom line and in baseball... that's when you know that there's a problem.

I saw the same look in Byung-Hyun Kim's face in the 2001 World Series when he came back the night after he blew the save against the Yankees when Derek Jeter hit a walk off, and I saw it tonight in Dellin Betances when he came to the mound tonight, one night after he blew a save. 

As a fan watching my team in a playoff race... I don't care how you want to be perceived as a pitcher. If I SEE you don't have the courage to perform... I would rather you walk guys like David Ortiz and Hanley Ramirez and take your chances with the less of the Yankee killers.

Joe Girardi did the right thing. I can't believe I said that, but I know what Joe was trying to do after Dellin blew the Save the night before. Joe Girardi tried his best to make sure Dellin was able to perform tonight. Because if Dellin ends this game and he gets the save, Dellin Betances gains confidence and then in turn builds confidence down the stretch when we need him most. 

Now he's lost and that's obvious. He's broken and so what do we do now? The Yankees now drop in the standings and suddenly it becomes a crisis.  The Yankees can't keep losing. Seriously... they can't. The Yankees need to win, not only each series now, but almost every game in September.

Impossible? Probably... but we've seen a hot Yankee team before and there is no reason to not see them again!

No recap here tonight. I'm pissed. Yanks should have won, but instead they lost 2 to the hand of Dellin Betances.

Anyone miss Andrew Miller or Aroldis Chapman right now? I do.

I leave you with this loser who clearly has no life:

@Conigman Relax champ. Clearly this is all you have

— Robert Casey (@BleednYankeeBlu) September 16, 2016

Have fun with that.It's just baseball.  Everybody calm the fuck down.

Final: Red Sox 7 - Yankees 5

PRESSURE PROVES FAMILIA IS NO RIVERA

After finishing his first full season as the closer, Jeurys Familia had to be living the dream. His fans sure were. We saw lots of comments about him being "the next Mariano Rivera". Personally, I don't have it in for him or his fans, but I had to bite my lip when I read that. See, I got to watch him pitch from his rookie year to his retirement, and I know how special his accomplishments were. Comparing a 26-year old who just completed his first complete season to a Hall of Famer seems presumptuous, but I understand the enthusiasm. Still ....

Over the course of 16 seasons, Rivera appeared in 32 postseason series. Fifteen of those 32 resulted in a World Series win. A career postseason ERA of 0.70 and a World Series ERA of 0.99. I could quote a million stats which prove what we all know about Rivera. Even Mets fans who compared Familia to him acknowledge it when they use Rivera as the standard of greatness. Comparing a kid who had one successful regular season and two postseason series to that kind of legacy is just illogical. But again, I understand the irrational exuberance.

In the aftermath of the Mets' World Series collapse, you have to look at how important the role fo the closer is. If Familia had been able to do the job his first two times out, the Mets could have been up 3-1 instead of down 3-1. Let that sink in. This was what Rivera meant to the Yankees. If we had the lead going into the 8th inning, it was over. If he entered a tied game, he held the line. Eighty-five times he came in with a tie or a lead and eighty times the Yankees got the win they earned. It wasn't absolutely perfect, but it was better than almost anyone else.

Rivera built a kind of trust you just don't see all that often. Goose Gossage said it best - "This guy walks into the game, and they are done." That was the thinking of Joe Torre, who was accused of overusing him. Could you blame him? Rivera was the ninth inning guy. Unless, of course, the tying run got on base or came to the plate in the eighth. Since becoming the closer, he was brought in in the eighth inning of a postseason game 45 times out of 83 appearances. That speaks to a level of trust that you don't often see. Look at what happened in Game 5 of the Series. Going into the top of the 9th, Matt Harvey had already tallied 102 pitches. Yes, he was throwing a scoreless ballgame and maybe pitch counts are overrated. Nevertheless, that's the exact situation where you bring in your closer. Yet Familia was in the bullpen. I cannot read minds, but that doesn't scream confidence from Terry Collins.  By the time Familia came in, the tying run was on second with no one out. Even then, he should have been the perfect man for the job. The closer who had a 9.9 K/9 during the regular season, whose team desperately needed a strikeout, couldn't get a single swinging strike. Two soft grounders and the tying run crossed the plate.

Honestly, I feel bad for the kid. Maybe the "Rivera" talk got in his head, and he started to feel the pressure. Maybe the 26-yeaar old in his first World Series, feeling monumental expectations and pressure, cracked. I really hope he puts this in the past and he doesn't turn into Byung-Hyun Kim. At least he'll have a chance to redeem himself. The Mets open next season in Kansas City. You can't make this up.

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






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

SOMETIMES IT'S ABOUT THE MOMENT!

Who knows what will happen tonight.  Baseball is a fickle game because no matter the talent that stands on the field, be it the favorite or underdog... anything can happen on any given day. That's what makes it amazing.

I often think about "moments"... moments you never saw coming that can literally change the turnout of a game or series.  I wanted to share 3 of my favorite Yankee homers at the perfect time in a playoff game.  Maybe it can linger over to Yankee Stadium tonight and help them out.

Who remembers where you were when Jimmy Leyritz cranked one out when we least expected it. It was the 1996 World Series off Mark Wohlers. Remember? Wohlers was the favorite in that match up, but he had an off night.


Remember Ricky Ledee? He didn't do much in New York, but damn he was fun to watch.

 I remember that Grand Slam from Ricky Ledee against Rod Beck in the 1999 ALCS. It was huge. The Yankees went on to win the World Series.



How about when Scott Brosius went big against Byung-Hyun Kim in the 2001 World Series.

It was Game 5, in the 12th and it kept New York's hopes alive in a very dark time in our nation's history.


All I'm saying is... there are champions in all of us and these moments with lesser players have proven great things. Amazing moments from many players you wouldn't ever expect big things from. But in that split second, when adrenaline is flowing... big things can happen.

Tonight... the Yankees can do this.  The Yanks are not expected to beat the Astros.  Something tells me they don't believe it though.

Go Yanks!

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

THE BLEEDING YANKEE BLUE VIDEO PATROL: PART 2

Here's another installment of the BYB Video Patrol.  It's back by popular demand.  If you haven't done it yet, be sure to check out THE BLEEDING YANKEE BLUE VIDEO PATROL: PART 1.

OK... here we go!

Ichiro bunted a home run?



I know, it's edited really well and is right now one of my favorite videos out there. I showed by kid and he crapped himself. I had to explain that it was fake, but it's AWESOME!



This is a classic. George Steinbrenner and Billy Martin in a 1978 Miller Light commercial.  Obviously we know that Billy died in a car accident for drunk driving on Christmas day in 1989, according to reports. That is the eeire part of it of course, but the banter between the 2 is classic to this day.



This is the 1962 Movie Trailer Safe at Home featuring Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris.  This is a true classic.  It's amazing just how slow the trailer is.  I mean, it's a movie spot that's over 2:30 minutes. These days, it's 30 seconds.  How times have changed.  Enjoy this.




This is Derek Jeter's home run when he was officially named Mr. November after his home run in the 2001 World Series off Byung-Hyun Kim.  I remember it like it was yesterday and it still gives me chills. My God!




Finally, George Brett telling him teammates about when he once crapped his pants.  I always found this to be hilarious.  It's sad that I find this so funny, but I do. Boy humor I guess. He's got a mouth on him, so make sure the kids aren't around.

I hope you guys enjoyed part 2. Part 3 is coming soon.

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! 

WE'RE YANKEE FANS! THERE'S NO CRYING IN BASEBALL

When the walls are falling down around you, typically we as human beings just don't go along with it. We fight through it and rise up.

I love my fellow Yankee fans. We understand championships and defeats together and we have for many, many years. Now, suddenly, with Mark Teixeira and Curtis Granderson out 10 weeks each, many of you have written off the 2013 season as a failure, before an Opening Days pitch has even been thrown. You know what I think? I think it's crap.

Mark Teixeira is officially out 8 to 10 weeks. Read HERE. My message to you is this... Who cares? Don't get me? Get this... 1 guy, or 2, doesn't make a team and doesn't determine a season. 25 men do, and with us fans behind them, we rally, we push, we claw and we grind it out as 1. That's what we've always have done and I have news for you, this idea of pushing toward victory has been historic in America, as well as life and always in sports.

Where were you when we were clawing our way through the 2001 World Series and Scott Brosius crushed one against Byung-Hyun Kim.? I know, you were rooting for your team!  Where were you when Derek Jeter was declared Mr. November? I know...You were rooting for our Yankees!  You didn't just pack up your ball and go home... you rooted, we rallied and the impossible happened. Have we forgotten?

What's my point? Injuries happen in sports. And it's happening now.  But like I stated in TEIXEIRA K.O.-ed BY BAT TEE, the best case scenario is that injuries are happening now and not in September.  Sure, by the end of last season, when Derek Jeter went down, we were exhausted because we all fought so hard to get there.  That was almost symbolic of the end of our season.

But let's not forget that 2012 was a climb from the beginning too and we still managed to make the playoffs. Sure, Jeter collapsing was devastating and at that point we put our swords down, but we fought a good fight and we took a long winter's nap and now we're back.  Injury in the Spring is OK.  Calm the hell down! It makes Girardi's job harder, but that's his job and they'll find the right guys to fill in. But if this same scenario were happening in the final weeks of the season, it would be much, much worse... just know that.

So what's my point? This... stop the complaining! Start rallying because we need to forget about the injuries and start getting ready for the season!  I'm sick of the complaining and I'm sick of the crying. We are the New York Yankees, aren't we?

Let's do this.... we have a mission... #28. Suck it up and as Jorge Posada would say... "Let's grind it out!"

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.

LIFE LESSONS FROM A TOUGH LOSS IN BASEBALL

My son’s team lost a heartbreak in their playoff game last night. It’s never easy when you have a bunch of kids that play their hearts out all season and then, in a playoff game they keep the opposing team scoreless until the end. That’s right, they lost on a walk-off.  That not only stinks, it stings like hell.  I didn’t look at the team celebrating. I looked at our boys immediately and yes they looked crushed. It was truly a heartbreak.

I remember seeing this quote from Jered Weaver in the paper once and I’ll put it here for you to read because it fits in this instance:

"Just losing a game is bitter, but a one-run game is a little more bitter."

That says it all.  Anytime you lose by 1 run, whether it be Luis Gonzalez vs. Mariano Rivera or Derek Jeter vs. Byung-Hyun Kim or Aaron Boone vs. Tim Wakefield, there is a feeling  so enormous on both sides, it consumes you.

It’s literally the thrill of victory or the agony of defeat at that moment.  It doesn’t matter if you’re 30 or 9 years old, the feeling is the same.  You know you need to tip your hat to the other team but it’s the last thing you want to do.  But I have to say, that’s exactly what our team did.  At the end of that playoff loss last night they lined up, did their routine “good game” hand slap with the winning team and stood taller at that moment then before the game started. 

These kids impressed me so much this season.  I think the coaches felt it more than the kids last night, because they don’t realize it, but these kids grew so much this season.  So many of these kids contributed throughout  the season, some unexpected at times, but those moments just became greater and the team molded into 1 right before our eyes.

It was a good run for a bunch of kids that started out as a group of individuals and ended last night losing, but they lost as champions.  That’s right, win or lose last night, that final score of 1-0 taught us all a valuable lesson… these kids may have lost that game, but they learned from it…and in my eyes, they’re winners.

Congrats to our kids this season. You showed more guts than us coaches ever could have imagined.  Stand tall… You are all champions never forget that.

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.