KNUCKSIE, PHIL NIEKRO... THE BASEBALL LEGEND HAS DIED

It's another reminder that 2020 sucks A LOT. The baseball world lost another legend over the holiday weekend, Phil Niekro passed away at 81 years old from cancer.

Did you know that the baseball world has lost SEVEN Hall of Fame players this year? Just more proof that it's not just a tough year for you and I but for the sports world as well. We lost a good one this past weekend, Niekro was a unique gamer.

We may never see a story like his again. They don't make them like they used to....and he's proof. He's a unicorn and one hell of a knuckleballer. He had a long career despite debuting in 1964 when he was 25 years old. He pitched for 24 seasons and called it quits in 1987 at 48 years old. 

Niekro was a gamer. He threw 104 complete games and 1,977 innings after turning 40. He was a master of pitching the complete game and is ranked third-most in the modern era. He wasn't just good at raking up innngs pitched though, he has 3,342 career strikeouts in his career with 318 career wins.

These are just a few of the many accomplishments of Niekro's career. He was a unique talent and a great ambassador to the game who will be missed. He spent 20 years with the Braves, and two as a Yankee but he has a legacy that will last forever. Chipper Jones is right, it's a sad day.....everywhere.

It's another sad day in 2020. It's a sad day for baseball and another reminder that cancer sucks. Prayers to his family....rest in Peace, Knucksie.

  --Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

     BYB Managing Editor

    Twitter: @nyprincessj

GREAT PICKS FOR THE HALL OF FAME!

I love this Hall of Fame class!

There will be some great players named to the Hall of Fame this year, and these guys deserve it! Honestly.

The Associated Press simply writes the following:

Photo: Tim Umphrey 

"Chipper Jones, Vladimir Guerrero, Jim Thome and Trevor Hoffman elected to baseball’s Hall of Fame."

Now, I am not lucky enough to vote for the actual Hall of Fame. But myself and the BYB writers are members of the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America, and we do vote every year for who we think should be in the Hall of Fame.  Here is my ballot:

It also should be noted that Vladimir Guerrero and Edgar Martinez had already been honored in previous IBWAA elections, which is why you don’t see their names listed here. 

And if I was thinking clearly at the time, I would have marked Vlad on my ballot.  That's my bad.  It's good to see that I was in line with the baseball writers on the others.

Photo: CBS Sports

And yeah, I voted for guys like Matsui and Huff in my picks.  Those were guys I respected as players, maybe they don't necessarily deserve the honor right now, but still, it's my vote, I can do what I want with it.

Anyway... congrats to the winners this year.  It's pretty damn exciting.

SOMETIMES "IT'S NOT WHAT I WANTED" AIN'T BAD

My last BYB piece bemoaned that Brian Cashman's overly cautious expectations for the Yankees'  upcoming campaign  made me feel like "there's nowhere to go but up -- but only if we're really, really lucky." 

Luckily for me, a few days later  I spied a take from another somewhat well-connected observer who expounded on the subject of luck that took Joe Girardi's shop-worn response to bad luck and turned it inside out.

(John Munson/Star-Ledger)

Yankees VP Gene Michael, who as former GM was credited with developing the bones and sinew of the last Bronx dynasty and still advises Brian on talent, pointed out to the NY Post's Joel Sherman that luck is a two-way street.

“'We got lucky,' he told Sherman.  'I could have traded each of the [Core Four] guys or Bernie [Williams] and didn’t. [Mariano] Rivera was available in the [November 1992] expansion draft [for the Marlins and Rockies] and never got picked. Remember, Rivera wasn’t Rivera until he reached the majors, and it is just lucky that we didn’t trade him before he began throwing well.'

Photo of Ruben Rivera

Brian, who was tending the farm under his former boss at the time, likewise reminisced for Sherman.

 'Ruben Rivera was the most important Rivera in the franchise, not [his cousin] Mariano.'”

Sherman went on to point out that in the 28 years that Baseball America has assembled a Top 100 Prospects list, only four Yankees have ever made the top three: Ruben Rivera (who was ahead of  Derek Jeter and Chipper Jones), Brien Taylor (who got hurt and never saw a day in the Bigs), Joba Chamberlain and Jesus Montero, who in 2011 was ranked third just behind Bryce Harper and Mike Trout.

However, Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada and Robinson Cano  -- all now considered among the best to have ever played their positions  -- never even cracked the Top 100 list.

The gist of Sherman's piece is that all the highly touted prospects in the world don't guarantee anything because  "there will be Ruben Riveras in this group who will disappoint and Mariano Riveras who will come out of nowhere."

And that, to me, is probably the most comforting expectation I've heard yet. Because there will always be more guys from nowhere than there are from the Top 100. 

It may not be what you wanted. But as long as you get what you need, that'll do.



 --Barry Millman
BYB Writer
Follow me on Twitter: @nyyankeefanfore
  

HOW THE MIGHTY HAVE FALLEN

I’m in a bad mood.  I wanted to put that out there before you continue reading this post.  And thank you for reading by the way, I appreciate it. 

Anyway, back to my foul mood.  It has nothing to do with the Yankees per say.  I am upset that the NCAA concluded a 10-year witch-hunt on Coach Jim Boeheim and my beloved Syracuse Orange hoops team. 

I’m a Syracuse University alum and former student athlete and know Coach a bit.  This is an over the top punishment to say the very least…but what can you do.  I hope they reinstate the wins they stole from Jimmy, and then go spend time in Calapari’s Kentucky Blue Grass backyard and see what REAL corruption looks like! But I digress... 

This is a New York Yankees fan site and I will write about the Yanks now.  Maybe it’s my mood, but when did we become Cubs fans?  I was blown away by the way everyone is celebrating over the Bronx Bombers and their landslide victory over the Braves the other night…in Orlando…in a SPRING game…that meant ZERO!   Hey, I’m happy to see that McCann and Drew went yard. That's good.  I am delighted to know Tanaka was able to throw and not have his elbow pop like the last balloon at a 5 year-old’s birthday party.  It is ALWAYS better to win than lose…but come on. It's Spring Training!

Don't forget, the Yankees have a lot of questions.  They are putting it together slow, but surely.  The veterans are starting to wind it up and get ready for Opening Day.  And there are STILL so many questions.  Stephen Drew gets into one and suddenly we're happy he will be the starting second baseman?  Nope.  Sorry folks, but the sun will shine on a dog’s ass every now and again too.  If he is hitting .285 in late May, I’ll retract that statement, but you know I won’t have to. 

I am happy with McCann’s ABs this spring.  I love the way he is taking the ball the other way to beat the shift…DO YA SEE THAT, TEX?  Wake up!

The Yankees need to put their collective heads down and just do the work.  And we can cheer like mad when they do something that matters.  We are YANKEE fans after all!  We're not supposed to get nuts over a spring 'W' against the Braves.  They didn’t throw Maddux, Smoltzie and Glavine at us the other night. 

I’m pretty sure Chipper and the Crime Dog weren’t in the batting order either.  Did Masahiro face Hammerin’ Hank?  Please.

Look, these Yankees are still a team that SHOULD compete for the big prize.  They make insane money!  The response from fans made me think the Bronx Bombers were a young, scrappy Houston Astros club.  They’re not.  Cashman has made it clear the kids aren’t part of the plan…so why get excited by what overpaid vets are SUPPOSED to do in mid-March? You know what I mean?

Again, I’m in a bad, bad mood, but save the “Baby’s first words” cheering for when Aaron Judge comes up and deposits one on the 4 train tracks to win a game against Boston in August…a game that matters…a game we should care about more than a Spring training game in March.

I’m getting a beer.

** HERE IS AN AWFUL SONG, BY AN AWFUL BAND, ON AN AWFUL DAY. A Big Spring win? Get lost. **




 
--Mike O'Hara Senior "Features" Writer
Twitter: @mikeyoh21






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MICHAEL YOUNG: YANKEES OR RETIREMENT?

Well, the 37 year old Michael Young chose retirement over trying to stick around and playing for perhaps the Yankees, or the Dodgers, or anyone for that matter.  There you have it.

Then I got to thinking about all the Yankees that are 37 or more, and still aren't retired;  Hiroki Kuroda. Brian Roberts. Carlos Beltran. Matt Thornton. Even Derek Jeter.

Then I just got deeply depressed, looked at my 42 year old frame in the mirror and immediately went for a 5 mile run while carrying weights.  I currently can't move my arms or legs right now and have shin splints... I won't do that again.

Anyway... the report from Ken Rosenthal at FOX Sports.com is that Young is retiring:

Sources: Michael Young to retire. Had three good offers, including from #Dodgers, but wanted to be with his family.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) January 30, 2014

Now, there is no indication that Young got an offer from the Yankees officially, but I can tell you he did, because it makes sense that he did... we need a third baseman with veteran experience, we've been connected to him before and we like the old guys. It's what we do... right Brian Roberts?

Don't worry ladies and gentlemen... Young's retiring, but I hear Chipper Jones might be available.

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THE MYSTERIOUS WORLD OF BRIAN CASHMAN

I’m now officially confused. 1 week ago, Brian Cashman made a joke about the Free Agent market and it not looking too good... OR, as he put it “It’s kind of like a baby pool. Kids pee in it.”, read HERE.  I understood what he was saying and what he was doing… he was being provocative as to say to the media, “Look, I don’t see a player that we could use, and so, we’re not going there.” OK… fine.

I’ve stated that life goes on in Yankeeland.  We have what we have and we just need to deal with it.  Try out a few guys at first, Juan Rivera, maybe Dan Johnson, move Kevin Youkilis over there, put Ronnier Mustelier at 3^rd. Basically, we do what we need to do and try to figure it all out.  It happens all the time with injuries with teams.  Then something weird happened.   Brian Cashman became nutty…and I say that in the most affectionate way possible.

These reports about Derrek Lee or Chipper Jones, or Scott Rolen are just mind boggling to me, read DERREK LEE, CHIPPER JONES OR FRED MCGRIFF? for that context.  I mean, it’s like Cashman doesn’t know what he wants to do either. I mean, am I right?  Is it possible that Brian Cashman would actually skip over the Free Agents left over, like Carlos Lee and Aubrey Huff and go straight to retired players and try to convince them to come out of retirement?  Derrek Lee? Chipper Jones? Hey, is Tony Clark available?

(In Photo: Glenallen Hill)
Hey, maybe we sign Glenallen Hill, throw him in the outfield and move Juan Rivera to first.  Jose Canseco is willing to play on the company softball team, maybe he’s available. The whole thing seems ridiculous.

My friend Mike said to me on Twitter this morning “What are the Yankees doing?”  The short answer is… I don’t know. The long answer is they are trying to get their bearings, moving things around, moving money around, saving when they can and most of all, going for the cheap alternative that can hopefully make a big splash quick and then, when their time is up, we send them home.  Sure, none of it makes sense to us, we’re Yankee fans. Many of us grew up with George and we got whatever the hell we wanted.  We’re spoiled, face it.  The hardest thing for us to do is understand this latest stunt by Cashman, and so, we don’t understand it and we become frustrated.

“Off with his head!”, some have screamed or written on Twitter of Brian Cashman.  Some suggest the broken ankle was karma for a crappy off-season.  I say this… let this whole thing play out.  I am pissed just like the rest of you. I don’t get it. But something is actually happening in the process…. The kids are playing and we’re seeing dudes like Zoilo Almonte and Ronnier Mustelier and Melky Mesa make a nice run this spring.  Ultimately, we’re going to see these guys at some point this season, maybe at the start, or later. Ultimately that's what we want anyway right?  So yeah, say we DO sign Derrek Lee temporarily and then Tex comes back.  No doubt we’ll have an injury down the road again from someone else and maybe we'll see Melky Mesa in July.  Then, maybe we make a trade for another veteran, and soon, maybe we bring up Ronnier Mustelier by August.  All I’m saying is, mixing up alittle veteran help with the kids may make for a brilliant formula… a formula for a championship team.

I often think about that 1996 team. A bunch of talent, mixed in with some veterans, some kids, and we won the whole damn thing!  Don’t forget, no one thought we had a chance under “Clueless Joe”, but we did it.  We did it with a guys named Charlie Hayes, and Mariano Duncan.  Old man Cecil Fielder was there and who could forget Luis Sojo.  The point is, we didn’t think those guys could do much either… but we did win it that year!

All I'm saying is, this is the mysterious world of Brian Cashman... but don’t panic yet Yankeeland.  It’s March 12^th, not September 12^th… we’re almost up to Opening Day.  Cash is just getting his team in order.  Let’s wait and see what we have before we get all nutty. Have faith. I know it's hard, but have faith.

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DERREK LEE, CHIPPER JONES OR FRED MCGRIFF?

As you all by now, or maybe you don't, the Yankees have reached out to Derrek Lee and have expressed interest in Chipper Jones as possible "fill-ins" for Mark Teixeira as he recovers from his sprained wrist. 

According to the New York Times (HERE), "Cashman confirmed to three reporters that he asked Derrek Lee to come out of retirement, and then said he would be just as happy to sign Chipper Jones, who retired last year after 19 years with the Braves.

But Cashman said he did not have a working telephone number for Jones’s agent, B.B. Abbott, so he told the reporters they could report his interest through Twitter as a way of letting Jones know, even though Cashman was almost 100 percent certain that Jones would turn him down.

'Get it out there,' Cashman said. 'I would sign him in a heartbeat. He can play third base, first base, D.H. He would be perfect.'"

All that is fine and good and I'd welcome them for a temporary replacement. I like seeing new guys in pinstripes, but there is just a few things wrong.  For 1, Chipper Jones retired because he just didn't think he could do it anymore. 2...  Derrek Lee didn't even play last season.  Cashman's really rolling the dice on this one, don't you think?  Hey, I'm not going to rip Cash, he obviously has a plan. I'll wait and see how it plays out.

But this all reminds me alot about when the Yankees were eyeing Fred McGriff back in 2004.  As reported in the Associated Press (HERE) from back then: "'It would be awesome,' McGriff said about the possibility of joining the Yankees. 'You couldn't ask for anything better.'

McGriff took batting practice and grounders in front of team officials at the Yankees' minor league complex. New York, the AL East leader, could be in the market for an extra first baseman depending on test results regarding ailing starter Jason Giambi."

McGriff never came to New York.  To be honest, I'm not sure Lee or Jones will either.  I do find it interesting though.  There are a ton of options the Yanks could go for, younger, quicker... but they always seem to go back to the veterans.  Whatever the case... we need to wait and see.

Stay tuned.

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CALLING IT QUITS: WHEN IS ENOUGH ENOUGH?

Earlier in the week BYB updated the status of Nick Johnson from active to retired. Read NICK JOHNSON GETS INJURED RETIRING.

This got me thinking, when is enough, enough?  When is it time to hang up the cleats and pick up a pair of Nikes to run to the next chapter?   Since there is no mandatory retirement age for Major League Baseball players, the answer is simply, "it depends."  Some guys, like our buddy Nick, listened to their bodies and knew when to say when. Yet others wait a little too long.

June 2, 1935.  A somewhat insignificant date at first glance to most, but if you ponder it for a bit, you may have a few guesses.  Interestingly enough, it is the date that Babe Ruth retired.  That’s right, in the middle of the season, ironically in Boston- not with the Red Sox, but with the Braves, Babe said good-bye.  He played 28 games that season with his last being May 30th.  He retired because he was done (read HERE), he was slowing down and his health was getting the best of him, so he left Nickerson Field (now on the campus of Boston University) and moved on to his next chapter in his short life- a coach for the Brooklyn Dodgers.  Babe said enough is enough and moved on, but others linger too long.

Again, it does not have to do anything with age necessarily.  Nick Johnson is only 34-years-old, the Bambino 40.  Even though Jamie Moyer was released by the Colorado Rockies and waived by Toronto last season, he says, even at 50, he is not retired.  But will he throw a pitch in 2013 at age 50?  Can he throw a pitch?  “I’m not retired, I’m not retired. I’m just kind of laying in the weeds and just trying to figure out what’s going on,” Moyer said. “I’m just going to step back after the season and assess what’s going on, and see how I feel and go from there,” said Moyer in an interview last season with NBC Sports’ Off the Bench, HERE.

If Jamie has the velocity to pitch, even at 50, someone should pick him up.  You can never have enough leaders, let alone pitchers.  And Jamie may have it but if he doesn’t, that’s okay, he will make a great coach, analyst, or some other kind of contribution to sports- maybe he will even make a second career in golf?

The movie “For the Love of the Game” stars an aging Detroit pitcher, Billy Chapel, who despite an injury to his pitching hand, battles back and pitches a no-hitter in yes, the greatest ballpark in the world, Yankee Stadium.  Although fiction, the story is not uncommon.  I think Mo has the possibility of having a great season.  Even at age 42, Mo is an athlete who listens to his body.  And after being “red shirted” or “sidelined” last season with a torn ACL, he wants one more shot, one more year.  He should get it and if all goes as planned, he will perform the way he is visualizing.

See, Mo, is a true competitor, and after this season, he will move on.  He will retire as a Yankee, the team that gave him his start.  There is no better way to say goodbye than to do it graciously.  I expect the same from Derek Jeter and I know that if he is not at his best this season, he will move to DH like many aging players do thankful for the American League position, graciously and eventually, retire, quietly because overstaying your welcome is no good for anyone.


As Cowboy Toby Keith so eloquently says in his ballad As Good As I Once Was:

"I ain't as good as I once was
My how the years have flown
But there was a time back in my prime
When I could really hold my own…"

So for all of the fans of  Jim Thome, Jason Giambi, Ichiro Suzuki, Derek Lowe and Omar Vizquel, I wish you and your players well this season and next, if it is realistic, but for some, just like Chipper Jones and our Great Bambino, let’s hope they bow out with dignity, and swallow their pride when their bodies say, enough is enough.

Like what you read? Comment.

--Suzie Pinstripe, BYB Opinion Columnist
Twitter: @suzieprof




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TEAM CHEMISTRY: IT'S IN THE GENES

Chemistry- the hard-wired genes of a team, the talent pool, the potential for growth- the camaraderie between players and the glue that holds the team together at its seams.  As ESPN Boston’s Jack MacMullan explained in his article Unlikeable Red Sox Flunked Chemistry, following the Boston Red Sox demise in 2011, “… People say we make too much of the value of good chemistry and camaraderie. They are wrong; it matters. When things get tough, teams with unified players step up. They rely on guys who believe in leadership and accountability — and each other — to turn things around.”

Many analysts are saying that teams like the Braves, Padres and Diamondbacks, who are being touted as this year’s youngsters, need chemistry to glue together the raw young talent.  Kirk Gibson, a young manager, may be the guy to lead the newbies in Arizona.  The Braves are looking for a player who can step in like Chipper Jones has for so many years.  The core of good chemistry is good leadership and clear expectations.

Setting expectations for a team is essential.  Otherwise, if expectations are unvoiced, unrealistic or unmet, you run into problems- many of these unearthed themselves in Boston and could be brewing in New York if egos aren’t managed properly.  Who is going to step up this year for the Yankees?  We have our veterans like Mariano Rivera and Derek Jeter back, but I think it’s time for Robinson Cano to show his leadership skills and take on a deeper role in the Yankee clubhouse. 

Oakland was never expected to win last year, but the gritty team came a long way.  No big stars, no big deal.  “The 51-year-old (Bob) Melvin, a former big league catcher who grew up in Menlo Park and played at Cal, took over from the fired Bob Geren in June 2011. Melvin led the Diamondbacks to the NL West title in 2007 and also won 93 games in his rookie season with Seattle in 2003.”  (Read HERE.)

Melvin just got a contract to extension to 2016 and Oakland may have the right mix this season between frugally careful general manager Billy Beane, “modern day” manager Bob Melvin, and a young raw team that fits way under the salary cap at $59.5 million. 

But does good chemistry stem from good management and a thrifty payroll? Not exactly.  Of course we need the guys in the jerseys to mesh.  And that means, like I said before, we need people to step up, player to player and empower, motivate, and excite not just the team, but the fans too.  We want to see happy players, who are enthusiastic, who run with passion, who laugh and smile, who are edgy and fired up and who never give up.  Good character is at the route of good chemistry.  “Although the assembled talent was at first glance glittering, when the late-season malaise kicked in and it was time to roll up their Brooks Brothers sleeves and wade into the muck of an everyday slump, far too many of the big-name players turned up their noses and balked,” said MacMullen about the 2011 Sox.  He could have been saying the same thing about the 2012 Yankees at the end of last season.

So, how do we know we have the right formula this Spring to win this Fall? Will newly signed Dan Johnson mesh with Kevin Youkilis?  Will Youkilis mesh with Jeter?  Is there really beef between Joba and Youk?  Our guys need time to build new relationships and renew old ones.  And we need to give them their time and so does the media!

This is our team, like it or not, so let’s hope that they ace chemistry and not flunk it.

--Suzie Pinstripe, BYB Opinion Columnist
Twitter: @suzieprof




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GOODBYE CHIPPER JONES, AND GOOD LUCK!

I have always admired Chipper Jones.  As a Yankee fan, we played them a few times in the Post Season and to tell you the truth, I was always afraid of the Atlanta Braves.  Andruw Jones and Chipper Jones were 2 big reasons why.

Chipper played harder than many players and you knew he loved and respected this game, plus, players respected him.  But last night, Chipper's farewell tour ended, and on a sour note unfortunately. A terrible call by the umpires, once again, and Turner Field went nuts! I don't blame the Braves fans at all. The umps should be handled the play gracefully and professionally, after all, that's why they're there, but it was an utter disaster. Quite simply, Umpires are on the field to keep order, to make good calls and to move the game along.  None of that happen last night in the NL Wild Card game. The Braves may have lost because of it.



 But it's not that play that I want to harp on today. No. It's the heart and true professionalism in Chipper Jones that I'd like to address.  Jones was disappointed in the bad call, this is true, but he blamed himself for a throwing error in the 4th inning that opened the door for the Cardinals to score 3. I was reading Cincinnati.com (HERE) this morning, the best article of the day about last night's game and I'm taking alittle from it so you can see just how much of a gamer Chipper Jones is:

"'Made a good play on the pick got a two seam grip, and it just sailed on me no other way to explain it,' Jones said. 'Looking back I realized later on that Beltran had to stop because of the hold on the line drive, and if I had to do it all over again, I probably would have double clutched and made sure I got a four seam grip, and give Uggla a little more time to get to second base, and give myself a better opportunity to make a truer throw... But we gave up six runs on six hits, and I don't know how many of them were unearned. But as far as I'm concerned the only one they should have scored was the homer.'

Jones did not feel the infield fly call by Holbrook hurt the Braves as much as his throwing error. 'I'm not willing to say that that particular call cost us the ballgame. Ultimately, three errors cost us the ballgame, mine probably being the biggest. Did it cost us one out? Did it cost us one run, possibly more? Yes. But I'm not willing to sit here and say that that call cost us the ballgame.'"

You have to feel for Jones.  There should have been a celebration at Turner field even if the Braves lost.  Last night was an embarrassment because of a horrible call by the umpires.  Anyone in their right mind knows that call was wrong. 

My post today is simple. Chipper, I watched you play your whole career and I admire you. You're a champion and a future Hall of Famer and the best of luck to you, from Bleeding Yankee Blue!

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THE MELKY "CROTCH-CHOP" SEEN 'ROUND THE WORLD

Melky Cabrera needs to slow down.  It’s funny, I have been on the record saying that Cabrera had matured, he finally found his team, his rhythm in San Francisco with the Giants and leaving New York may have been the best thing that’s ever happened to him.  But let’s be honest, you go back to an old team to play them in their house, like the Braves two nights ago and you act a fool, and the Godfather of the Braves, Chipper Jones calls you out…well , you best realize you’re moving too fast.  

Melky Cabrera Crotch-chopped Atlanta Braves fans, not once, but more than once.  I mean, why don’t you just moon them Melky? That’s pretty disrespectful and it’s terrible sportsmanship.  Now look, if you watch the isolated video, HERE (Thanks to Larry Brown Sports) and below, you can tell he’s doing something and you may not think anything of it, it was subtle, but it was enough for me to be alittle ticked off.

It made me realize something… Melky knows he talented now.  Melky hit a home run and made a catch in Altanta and Crotch-chopped. Maybe he wants to make it his "thing", but I'll tell you what... it's a stupid "thing". Let’s be honest, if I’m Bruce Bochy, I’m telling Melky to tone it down.

Chipper Jones is a guy I have grown to respect. Truth be told, I was not fond of him during those World Series games back in 1996 and 1999, but he’s a veteran of this game and he understands respect.  He said of the incident: “That’s Melky and that’s why he’s not here anymore.” Sure, it doesn’t sound like much, but it’s really a big “F U” to Melky, meaning “You rip the Braves and Braves fans, you’re going to get yours. “   Chipper also said this…”It won’t be forgotten.” Where have I heard that before?

Now, you know my feeling about respecting the fans, good sportsmanship on the field and guys like Derek Jeter follow the rules.  There is a huge difference between pounding your chest like Nick Swisher did in that Yankees/Red Sox game and being in the moment and Crotch-chopping in front of a former team.  Not only will those fans not forget it, they’ll vow to boo him the rest of his career, especially if they take it the way I took it.  

Message to Melky, you’re a good ball player, but your talent doesn’t mean a thing if you aren’t humbled. Arrogance gets you nowhere.  Bad sportsmanship will put a bulls eye on your back and cockiness will give you a bad reputation. Take a second, realize you're wrong and shape up. Bottom line, I love ya, but what you did was stupid.

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