LESSONS FROM THE ZOO

It seems that the argument has been around since humans were able to verbally communicate. Were times tougher then or now? Were people stronger then compared to now? Is that generation tough, while this one is weak?

The questions get posed and the answers come rapid fire…but who is actually right?

Could an overweight, orphan kid from Baltimore who became the SULTAN OF SWAT hit a dead, red heater from a guy known as THE CUBAN MISSILE (who once touched 105mph)?  The truth is we don’t really know…we guess. Short of Doc Brown showing up with McFly and the Delorean, that’s all we can do.

In this awful crisis I continue to put life squarely in the spectrum of baseball. This pandemic feels like slump we can’t shake. I mean sure, we got an “oops excuse me” knock yesterday, and seem to be seeing the ball better, but we want that 4 for 4 game with a dinger and 5 RBIs…it’ll happen.

The back of our baseball card will show up. I was lucky enough to experience a bit of the infamous Bronx Zoo years. Yes, I was a little kid, but I remember those guys so vividly. They embodied New York in the 70s. They were a snapshot of the city decked out in Pinstripes…and they were straight up animals.

When I think about Boonie telling that ump last season, “MY GUYS ARE SAVAGES IN THE BOX!” I chuckle a bit.

Don’t get me wrong, I love Aaron. His guys are tough customers in the box…but they ain’t savages like the Yanks from the Zoo. That's the truth! With all their quirky disfunction and infighting, the Yankees of the late 1970s were a magical team. They just wanted to fight for every single win.

They gutted it out day after day and night after night. Thurman, Reggie, Mick the Quick, Catfish, Goose, Nettles, Lou, Gator…they were just what we need today. Guys that didn’t win pretty. They weren’t manicured like ARod. They didn’t have personalized spikes…hell, even the field at the stadium was in rough shape…but they played through it all with fire.

THEY WERE TOUGHER Than our current generation of players.

Image Tex walking into the clubhouse to tell Billy, “Hey, this hangnail is really messing with my swing from the left side. I’m gonna sit tonight.” Martin would have bitten his finger off…not to mention his head.

We are in a spot now where we need that gritty Bronx Zoo head space. It sucks, but we play to win. We’re hurt, but there’s a game to win. We’re down…but we never stay that way. America IS the Bronx Zoo.

We don’t get along all the time. We believe that we are the individual that “Stirs the coffee”. We look to drill Jimmy Rice between the numbers just so Nettles and Bucky can bust Yaz and Pudge in the mouth when the benches clear.

We ain’t perfect, but damn are we great when we want to be. We can learn from the Zoo and we will win it all again.

Be safe, stay well…and KNOW that the streak is coming…and we will see a scrawny shortstop with caked on eye black send one “DEEP TO LEFT!” soon.

Here’s a little throwback from the Zoo to you!

A HIT FROM 1978! "HIS HAIR WAS PERFECT....DIP!"

--Mike O'Hara
BYB Contributor
Twitter: @mikeyoh21

AROUND THE MAJORS & KATE UPTON

Miguel Cabrera: Holy crap this guy is a monster.  Congratulations to Miggy for winning the Triple Crown, the first time since 1967 when Carl Yastzremski did it when he was with the Red Sox. Incredible and dare I say, give the guy the MVP too. Anyway, you can read about it HERE. On a side note, classy move by the Royals fans who gave Cabrera a standing ovation.  That's class.

Bobby Valentine: Yeah, the Red Sox fired Bobby V today, read about it HERE. He deserves it, he wasn't terribly good.  It's not a good thing when the team you have on the field won't play for you because they don't respect you, plus it wasn't a good team.  Look, I don't believe in kicking a man while he's down, so, let's just say I wish Bobby the best of luck... at ESPN or in Japan or something.  I predicted it, he would be exposed for the non-champion he was. Read HERE and HERE and HERE. Good luck old pal.

RA Dickey: I love this guy's story and I love that he's in the running for the NL Cy Young award with 20 wins this season.  Couple that with a Mets team that couldn't win and he looks even better.  I hope this guy gets it, he deserves it. 20-6 with a 2.73 ERA. Atta boy.

 Adam Greenberg: Speaking of RA Dickey, Adam Greenberg finally got an at bat since the first time he had an at bat in 2005 with the Cubs and got clocked in the head.  I mentioned in THE BLEEDING YANKEE BLUE NEWSSTAND XVII that Greenberg signed a 1 day contract with the Miami Marlins, a 7 year comeback tour and kudos to the Marlins for giving him a shot.  In his first and only at bat, Greenberg struck out on 3 straight pitches from RA Dickey, read HERE. The strike out doesn't matter, Greenberg's courage is all that matters.  Congrats pal!

Kate Upton: Upton is in a new Cosmopolitan Magazine spread and it's all over the Internet.  BYB is a fan of Upton and will promote her any chance we get.  It helps her and she helps us.  And it's kind of silly too if you think about it, she has nothing to do with the Yankees. Anyway, the Cosmo spread is HERE.

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