THE YANKEES START HIRING...

Word is the Yankees have just hird Greg Colbrunn. No, not as the hitting coach for the big club, but for the Charleston RiverDogs. 

According to Mark Feinsand, "The Yankees have hired Greg Colbrunn to be the hitting coach at Class A Charleston, according to a source, bringing the well-respected 45-year-old back into the organization.

Colbrunn coached six years at Charleston before joining the Red Sox as their major-league hitting coach in 2013. He suffered a brain hemorrhage last June, missing about six weeks as he recovered. Colbrunn opted not to return to the Red Sox next season, saying he wanted to spend more time with his family in the wake of his health scare.

Boston hired Chili Davis this week to replace Colbrunn as the hitting coach."

So there you have it. Colbrunn's been inked. And now we wait for the Yankees signing of the big clubs hitting coach.  Mad speculation is that it will be Derek Shelton, now that Joe Maddon has left Tampa Bay, read HERE.  We will have to see.

Welcome home Greg, welcome home.


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ONE YANKEE INSIDER HAS A HUNCH ON THE HITTING COACH SITUATION

Great nugget from the great Pete Caldera that you need to check out.

(In Photo: Derek Shelton)
We in Yankeeland have been waiting for some type of hint on which hitting coach the Yankees will sign. This is what we know;  Dave Magadan is out. Chili Davis didn't want the gig and suddenly... nothing.

We've been speculating that Tino Martinez could be in the mix, (read SILENCE ON A HITTING COACH COULD MEAN TINO), and I even joked that Joe Girardi is trying to convince Dante Bichette to take the job, read GIRARDI & BICHETTE EXCHANGE TEXTS.

The truth is, no one knows. But Pete Caldera of the Bergen Record might know though.

Pete writes: "With the sudden news today of manager Joe Maddon triggering his opt-out clause to leave the Tampa Bay Rays, it’s possible there could be a further shakeup at Tampa Bay – and it might impact the Yankees. Rays hitting coach Derek Shelton is reported to have a year remaining on his contract, but he may be of interest to the Yankees as a candidate... Shelton could stay in Tampa, move with Maddon if he lands a new managing gig for 2015, or he could possibly return to the Yankees. Shelton goes back a ways in the Yankees system. He was Robinson Cano’s first big league manager with the Gulf Coast League Yankees."

Amazing nugget and something I didn't think about. Plus, it makes perfect sense now that Maddon left Tampa Bay.  Everything happens for a reason. We'll have to see if this unfolds...

Great job once again Pete!




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GIRARDI & BICHETTE EXCHANGE TEXTS

Girardi: "D. What's up pal" 

Bichette: " Hey Joe. How is everything." 

Girardi: "we're good. hows the family doing?"

Bichette: "we're good. tough break on Chili huh? I didn't him taking the job in Boston"

Girardi: "Yeah. I thought we offered him a nice opportunity in New York."

Bichette: "and what happened to Magadan?"

Girardi: "Funny you should say that. Hey you wanna get dinner? You. me... Brian Cashman?"

Bichette: "Oh no, you're crazy! Mariana is going to kill you!"

Girardi: "What? What did I do?"

Bichette: "I know what you're doing joe. lol.  Im home this season. I wanna work with Dante and Bo alittle before I even think about getting back in the game."

Girardi: "You got the wrong idea. A nice dinner with Cash. A steak, maybe a glass of red. We just want to see what you're thinking!"

Bichette: "Joe, you know me, I love you like a brother. But i'm home for now"

Girardi: "Remember those days in Colorado? We had a pretty great time."

Bichette: "Yup. the best."

Girardi: "we had the best time and we were the leaders of that club. Gotta get the flame back. Gotta get the band back together."

Bichette: "I KNEW IT. you're killing me Joe. KILLING ME

Girardi: "All I'm asking is you sit down at the table with me and Cashman. Mariana is of course invited.  In fact, I'll bring my wife as well. It will be like old times"

Bichette: "Except cashman's there offering me a job! dont get on Marianas bad side, she will literally kick your ass."

Girardi: "Lets have a dialog and then if nothing pans out, we keep it like this and at chritsmas Uncle Joe brings your family some nice gifts. lol"

Bichette: "Just dinner. No promises."

Girardi: "No promises... but we need a hitting coach and I'm the one who asked the Yanks to pass on Magadan.  Dont make me look bad."

Bichette: "Oh your bad dude. I'm going to get heat for this. tell me when and where. TALK ONLY

Girardi: "OK. Ill text you later."

Bichette: "Oh boy."

(NOTE: THESE ARE FAKE TEXT EXCHANGES. THIS IS ME USING HUMOR AND MAKING A GUESS OF HOW THE PEOPLE INVOLVED WOULD SPEAK TO EACH OTHER VIA TEXT. THERE IS NOTHING REAL ABOUT THIS. IT IS DONE STRICTLY FOR LAUGHS. ENJOY)





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SILENCE ON A HITTING COACH COULD MEAN TINO

Yankees Universe is still waiting on the front office’s decision on the hitting coach decision. After the Boston Red Sox grabbed Chili Davis off the market, and second thoughts on Dave Magadan, the pool of candidates has grown wide open. When the Yankees first let Kevin Long go, rumors swirled, and Tino Martinez was near the top of the list. Bob Klapisch reported, days after the Long firing, the Tino was not in consideration. Now that plans A and B have gone up in smoke, who knows?

Having had some experience at the position with the Florida Marlins, and the love fest this past season with the Yankees and his new plaque in Monument Park, Tino seems like a good fit. There is good reason to give him serious consideration. He has a long history of hitting well with the Yankees, and with keeping players accountable.

While we do not condone everything he did that caused his exit from the Marlins organization, it would be good to see some fire in the Yankees clubhouse. His record of accountability is well-known, chewing fellow players out for not running hard down the baseline or not going all out in the field. After the 2014 season, I think we are all a little tired of seeing the hitters lacking drive. Tino's personality may be the perfect fit.

Expect the Yankees to make an announcement in the next few days, and we will see how the new coaches shape up. If the Yankees are smart, Tino should at least get a call back.

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





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YANKEES LOSE CHILI DAVIS TO THE RED SOX

The rivalry continues, I guess...

Breaking now, it appears that the guy that was considered a top candidate for the Yankees next hitting coach is no longer in the running. The Red Sox have reportedly snagged Chili Davis...

Rod Bradford of WEEI.com reports:

"According to multiple major league sources, the Red Sox have agreed to terms with Chili Davis to become their next hitting coach... The Sox chose Davis from a pool that also included Red Sox hitting coordinator Tim Hyers, Red Sox Double-A hitting coach Rich Gedman, Angels hitting coordinator Paul Sorrento and former Cubs hitting coach Bill Mueller."

Wouldn't it be a hoot if we just went out and tried to now hire Bill Mueller? I kid... I kid.

I guess now we will soon know the future Yankee hitting coach. Reports are it's between Dave Magadan, Dante Bichette, Marcus Thames and James Rowson.

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THE YANKS WILL PICK A HITTING COACH BY TUESDAY

According to Brendan Kuty of NJ.com, Dave Magadan seems to think the Yankees will make a decision soon on whether or not he or someone else will be chosen as the Yankees next hitting coach.

Kuty writes: "... Magadan, 52, said he doesn't expect to fly out again and that the next call he gets from the Yankees will likely tell him if he's their pick.

'I don't know,' he said. 'I would imagine since it's not a managing position, I think they would just call. For a coaching staff member, it's one interview most of the time, unless there's something they need to clarify in a phone call. I would doubt I would have to fly back up there again, but you never know.'

Magadan added that he believed the club was wrapping up its interviews Friday."

That would mean yesterday.

I mean, not sure why we're putting all our eggs in Magadan's basket, but hey, maybe he knows something we don't.  We'll just have to see.  I did just hear on 1010 Wins this morning that the Yankees will pick a hitting coach "by Tuesday". So, it's gotta be all connected.

The Yanks are looking at Dave Magadan, Chili Davis, Marcus Thames and Dante Bichette.

Stay tuned.

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IN SEARCH OF THE PERFECT HITTING COACH

The stakes are high when it comes to hiring the right hitting coach given the fact that this is the first time in twenty years that the Yankees have not made it to the postseason for two consecutive years.   According to the New York Times back in late September, "The main reason for their poor season was a lack of offense, which at times was compounded by substandard defense. The Yankees, who spent lavishly on free agents like Carlos Beltran, Brian McCann and Jacoby Ellsbury, entered Wednesday’s game having scored 606 runs, which ranked 13th in the 15-team A.L. Players including Jeter, Mark Teixeira, Beltran and McCann did not play up to their standards."  And soon after the Yankee season was over, Kevin Long's career as hitting coach for the Bronx Bombers was over.

So, now, we have applications coming in and conversations buzzing in the front office surrounding potential candidates for the open position in the Yankee clubhouse.  First up is Dave Magadan, former Met player, cousin of Lou Piniella and current Texas Ranger hitting coach.  "On Tuesday, Magadan said he had been contacted by the Yankees and that “it was in the preliminary stages," according to the New York Post.  Magadan has also been hitting coach for the San Diego Padres and Boston Red Sox.  Next up is Chili Davis.  According to NBC Hardball Talk, "Davis, who spent the final two seasons of his playing career with the Yankees in 1998 and 1999, has been the A’s hitting coach since 2012. During that time Oakland ranked eighth, third, and third among AL teams in scoring."

From this short list of candidates, I am hearing some good credentials and connections to teams and former players who have made their mark on the game, but is there such a thing as the perfect hitting coach? And honestly, what do hitting coaches do to help major league baseball players hit harder, further and more effectively?  According to the New York Daily News, "Fan bases like to focus their collective ire on the hitting coach when their team’s offense stalls, failing to realize that the big leagues are not for teaching, and that grown men are who they are by the time they arrive." This may be true, but can't anyone improve?  I say yes.  And a good hitting coach brings more than approach and mechanics to the field, they also need to bring a positive attitude, a fresh outlook and coaching techniques that mentally support hitters throughout the continuum of their careers.

According to the book Instructional Coaching- A Partnership Approach to Improving Instruction by Jim Knight, "Modeling, observation, and feedback, then, are important, sometimes essential for learning.  We wouldn't teach someone to drive by giving them a lecture, tossing them a book, and then turning them loose on the freeway."  Hitting coaches have the opportunity to teach and empower hitters to improve their form and swing as they mature from rookies to veterans.  But, unfortunately, not everyone is coachable or wants this style of coaching.  As one current player, a very smart hitter, puts it, “I don’t want to hear a lot about approach from a hitting coach. I just want him to act like a mirror -- look at my swing and tell me if anything is different from what it usually is," according to the New York Daily News.

What about asking the right questions to find this ideal candidate?  Yes, absolutely!  Questions that prompt candidates to dig deep into their experiences and prior knowledge to answer profoundly and transparently are essential.  What is your ideal coach?  What qualities are needed for an effective coach-player relationship?  How would you provide coaching to a veteran player who does not want your help but needs it?  What are your key skills which will add value to our team?  Explain how you will design individual goals for rookie players? for veteran players?  What is your approach to coaching?

So let's break this all down.  The Yankees need a hitting coach.  Two candidates are in close talks with Yankee management, Dave Magadan and Chili Davis.  Coaches need to bring more than approach and mechanics to their players, they need to be mirrors, mentors, models and change agents in the career cycle of hitters. We find this out by asking candidates higher order questions, providing scenarios for coaches to talk through to reveal good outcomes and screening candidates for the right disposition to handle players with differing personality traits, points in their career and instructional needs.  It won't be long now before we replace Long.  Let's hope Yankee management focuses on their mission when they hire a new coach and pray for a good outcome.  I don't want to feel this empty feeling come next October.

--Suzie Pinstripe, BYB Senior Staff Writer
Twitter: @suzieprof



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GUESS WHAT HITTING COACH THE SOX ARE INTERESTED IN?

If Kevin Long went to the Red Sox, would you be mad? Would you call him a traitor? Would you care?

There is talk that the Red Sox like Kevin Long and are interested in bringing him to Beantown to be their hitting coach.  Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe has that Tweet:

#RedSox do have an interest in former #Yankees coach Kevin Long.
— Pete Abraham (@PeteAbe) October 13, 2014

Then Abraham tweeted this today, and included Chili Davis in it, a guy the Yankees are looking at as a possible hitting coach candidate.  Notice what Pete wrote about Kevin Long in there as well:

Told #RedSox have received permission to interview Chili Davis for their hitting coach position. Have spoken to K. Long and B. Mueller.
— Pete Abraham (@PeteAbe) October 15, 2014

So, what do you make of that?  Now look, we have all ripped on Long pretty good all season.  I mean, it appeared that the guy did nothing to try and improve the lack of hitting and run scoring for the New York Yankees.  I was taken back by one thing that Brian Cashman said in his recent interview with Michael Kay about Long last week.  He suggested that Long “did all he could do”.  I find that to be a cop out.

If Long actually did his job, you would have seen broken routines and new life.  Sure, it would have taken alittle time, but BYB and other blogs like Greedy Pinstripes had stated pretty damn early that the guy needed to open his eyes and work with the players.  If he actually did, there would have been improvement. You wanna know how I know?

Because when a guy named Chris Young showed up to the Bronx, he was batting .205.  That changed when he was desperate enough to open his ears to Kevin Long.  Long got through to Young, but didn’t with the veterans of the Yankee staff which means only 1 thing to me… his ideas and suggestions either weren’t working, or the veterans on the team did not trust him enough to change.  That’s not good.

Whatever the case… Long’s gone and apparently on the Red Sox radar.  Look, if Long goes there and keeps it in the realm of what he did in New York this season, I’m all for it.  But that won’t happen.  Kevin Long has been exposed, and so it's my theory that if he does go to Beantown, look for a new and improved Kevin Long. A Long hell bent on proving to Yankeeland that the Offense woes of 2014 were all the fault of the hitters and NOT the hitting coach.  Let’s hope we’re right about Long and the guy offers nothing in Boston.

We’ll see what happens…


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I'M NOT SURE POSADA OR BICHETTE WANT TO GIVE UP FAMILY YET

 ...and that's a good thing!

It’s easy for us writers and fans to just name drop to try and fix the hole of the Yankees hitting coach spot.  We have it all figured out, don't we?  Kevin Long’s fired, read KEVIN LONG WILL SPEND MORE TIME AT HOME... HE'S FIRED, and suddenly, we know what to do.  "Tino Martinez" someone would yell.  "Paul O’Neill" says another.  I’m on board with Jorge Posada.  And I even suggested Dante Bichette Sr. on Twitter the other day.

@BleednYankeeBlu No not even a hint I a thought if it.
— Mariana Bichette (@MarianaBichette) October 11, 2014

It’s not a command, it’s an idea, an idea I didn’t invent and Mariana Bichette was sure to remind me she was watching my Tweets on Twitter.  Besides, it was Dante's choice to walk away from the Rockies in 2013 to work more with this sons.  Something I can get on board with. That's a family man at work. I kind of like that! You can read about that HERE. But it's not exactly coming from left field. Anyway...

Truth be told, we all have our favorites, but in the retirement world, being with family, watching kids grow up… it’s easier for us to make the suggestions than for the former stars to do the job.  We as fans need to put that in perspective... much like what Dante was doing with his boys. More on that in a moment.

Break it down… someone mentioned Paul O’Neill for the Yankees hitting coach job, and what a great idea it is, but here’s the reality… and this is me speculating; I think Paulie likes being home in Ohio and I think that he likes broadcasting a handful of games and getting back home to the family.  In short, I don’t think he’s ready to be the Yankees full time hitting coach.

Jorge Posada would be the ideal choice if I were in charge. He’s a former catcher, he understands the game better than many and has an excellent rapport with the players.  Plus, he’s got clout and stature and many would look up to this guy, young, as well as our veterans.  To me, it makes sense.

To Laura Posada and the kids, I’m not so sure that’s where he’s at yet in their lives right now… and I get it.  I remember speaking to Laura and asking about if Jorge got the call, what would happen.  Here was her answer:

"I have always supported him in his baseball career and I think it would be his decision.  In life, you need to be content with your choices and if he feels ready then let's play ball!"

Love the support and gotta love the Posada family.

If I had to guess though, right now it’s Laura’s time to shine and Jorge is enjoying the home life… so let him enjoy it.

Back to Dante.  Dante Bichette I feel may be in the same boat.  Dante is loved by the baseball community and very close to the Girardi family.  Dante Jr. calls Girardi "Uncle Joe" for crying out loud.  If I had to close my eyes and visualize the 2 of them. Joe and Sr. in the Yankee dugout, it fits.

I see the guy helping this club perform, but in reality, Dante Jr is working his way up the Yankee ladder and Bo is doing his own thing too, striving to improve their skills.  Is the timing just wrong on this for Dante Sr? I say perhaps.  Hey Mariana… don’t yell at me!

There have been reports that the Yankees are interested in Chili Davis who is the Oakland A’s hitting coach.  As you know, Chili was a former Yankee, he’s well liked in the baseball community as well as in New York. Comcast Sportsnet writes: “...Hitting coach Chili Davis’ name is being linked to the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees and Chicago Cubs in media reports from each of those cities. All three teams are looking to fill hitting coach vacancies.

An A’s official said no team has sought permission yet to interview Davis, who just completed his third season with Oakland and is still under contract..."

Whether or not the Yankees will interview David remains to be seen, but it makes a heck of a lot of sense.

I’ll tell you who I do think would be the best choice at this point, and it’s someone that’s been hanging around the Yankees a lot lately in the background… it’s Tino Martinez.  Look, the guy was just honored and he isn’t broadcasting with YES or anything.  Plus, he’s loved in New York.

He also has the experience in Miami, although some of the Marlins seemed alittle soft after allegations of harassment and verbal abuse from Tino.  Look, I just know what was reported and I can’t delve into something I don’t know.  I do know this; If Tino was asked to be the Yankees new hitting coach, I think many in the Yankee community would embrace it.  This is just me thinking out loud.

Look, I think it’s way too early to nail down a hitting coach, but it’s true that the Yankees have to get organized sooner rather than later after a 2nd year of a failed playoff spot.  I gave you the names and my thoughts about each.  In the end, for many of these men, family is a major factor.  Bad timing is the other.  It will all work out in the end, but I do find the name dropping very interesting lately…

Who would you like to see as the Yankees hitting coach? Comment.



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REGARDING JORGE...

It all started with the N64 game system, (Read DEREK JETER'S ALL-STAR BASEBALL FOR N64: A LOVE LETTER.) In the nineties, my buddies and I were helplessly addicted to it. One game that got heavy play was “All-Star Baseball." Not only was it the best of the baseball games (I had them all) but Derek Jeter endorsed it, making it extra sweet.

We would spend hours playing it. We took the Yankees through season after season. We created players to represent ourselves and gave every New York player ridiculous personality traits and would speak in silly voices for all of them.

For whatever reason, we began saying, “Ah-riiiiiiiiiiii!" when Jorge Posada would come up to bat in the game. Nobody knows why, ask the beer. The explanation for singing "I want my baby back baby back baby back ribs" every time Chili Davis was up was elementary at least. Barbeque sauce!

Anyway, Jorge got, “Ah-riiiiiiiiiiiii!"

We would go to classic Yankee stadium a lot in those days, and call it out when Posada came up to bat. “Ah-riiii!" Jorge might have noticed a couple times just because it was weird; only happened with him; had nothing to do with anything; and made absolutely no sense.

It was wasn’t a bad thing as any time he would do something positive, offensively or defensively, we would call out “Ah-riiiii!" We were sitting close to first base one time, and when he singled I could swear he seemed to turn and grin at us when we did it.

Then, I moved to Toronto and started going to games with another Yankee fan who lived abroad, told him of the Jorge tradition, and we continued to call out “Ah-riiiiii!" whenever Posada would come up to bat.
The first time he heard us do it in Toronto, he seemed to be looking into our section for where it came from with a smirk on his face. Almost like, “Oh, THAT’s where they went."

Truth be told, Jorge probably has never registered any of our shout-outs to him. As years go by, my stories of calling out to him will become more filled with hyperbole. Jorge bought us all beers, and we happily cried out ‘Ah-riiiiiii" together. For instance.

I guess that’s just another nice thing about being a fan of baseball. You can make yourself happy just by talking about players, and even the memories of this get tinted with golden sunlight, like on a cornfield.

 
Chad R. MacDonald
BYB Writer
Facebook: New York Yankees the Home of Champions
My Blog: ChadRants



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WHY THERE'S A FORMULA FOR A PERFECT YANKEE TEAM

I’ve always believed that the perfect combination of a true championship team is a mixture of gritty veterans with young guys that come together as 1. the old timers play the way they've always known being around the game for so long, and the young guys are anxious and willing to learn like a sponge and do pick up everything they can from the older guys. Yes, it sounds pretty obvious but let me explain.

I remember 1996 with the Yankees and specifically thought about guys like Mariano Duncan and Cecil Fielder. For those you who don’t remember, Mariano Duncan was our second baseman and Cecil Fielder was playing a hell of a lot more than a younger, Tino Martinez.

Mix in guys like Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettitte and Derek Jeter and you saw a team forming. We reached the playoffs and I remember no one in the media believed in Joe Torre and his past losing managerial record. We were all but written off when we finally made it to the World Series. At that point, the mighty Atlanta Braves were king of the mountain... they were Goliath and we were David. But, with the mixture of our guys like Jimmy Key and David Cone and Cecil Fielder, Jeter, Rivera and even guys like Luis Sojo… a championship happened.

(In photo: Tino Martinez, left, Chili Davis)

I think back to 1998 and Chili Davis. Another veteran on the downside but he rode the bench and hit when we needed him, all the while being a mentor to younger kids coming up in the Yankees organization like Ricky Ledee and Shane Spencer. There were guys that had been around the block like Darryl Strawberry who were given a second chance... well, the Yankees rallied and we won again, and again, and again in 2000.

You can talk about the Pittsburgh Pirates of the 1970’s and Willie Stargell bringing a true Pirates championship together and all that is true, he brought a whole group of young and old together and won big, but the Yankees won too... 4 championships in 5 years was no fluke. George Steinbrenner helped by putting the best guys on the field and a lot of what Cashman did worked. Bringing in older guys that could contribute here and there and teach the young guys a thing or 2 helped a lot.

Which brings me to 2012, another year of Yankee baseball and the team is different, but the formula and tools are always the same. Eric Chavez may be on the down side of his career but there is no doubt his toughness is needed to prove to kids that you just have to love the game and work hard and you can succeed. Andruw Jones was a kid when he homered against the Yankees back in 1996 and now he is a Yankee and happy to be there. Eduardo Nunez knows he’s sitting with greatness and no doubt will ask questions and learn from these guys, like the king of New York himself, Derek Jeter and leaders like Robinson Cano. There is no doubt in my mind that the Yankees can win it all this season. The formula works and has always has worked in baseball history, brains and experience of the veterans mixed in with athleticism and hunger of the kids and just a true grittiness to get their team there every single time. You have to understand it, know it and feel it… I like what I see this season in my New York Yankees... it reminds me a lot like the teams of years' past, the teams that made it all the way....a perfect formula.

Please comment, we have DISQUS, it's easier than ever. Let me know what you think and follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and look for the hashtag #BYB. Also, join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook, just type it in.