STRANGE REPORT: YANKS COULD BE IN ON CLAY BUCHHOLZ

Strange report coming out of CBS News and who knows how much weight it truly has.  Treat it as a "rumor" and draw your own conclusions from it... that's what BYB does.

CBS News Local writes that this report came from the Boston Globe first.  No doubt it's from Nick Cafardo who likes to throw names at the wall just to see what sticks and you know what? That's the rumor season... that's how it works. But to be honest with you, I canot find the Boston Globe article they say it came from.  They don't even link to it. Strange.

Again, be skeptical, but it's interesting at least:  "...Then on Sunday, there was a Boston Globe report mentioning New York’s apparent fondness for both Clay Buchholz of the Red Sox and White Sox right-hander Jeff Samardzija.   While the idea of Buchholz seems far-fetched considering the rivalry between the Red Sox and Yankees, Samardzija, a free agent to be, makes a lot of sense. The Bombers liked him last year before he was traded by the Cubs to the A’s prior to the deadline only to eventually sign with the White Sox over the winter."

That the last time they mention Buchholz in their article.  That's why I really don't think this is a serious rumor, and just bluster to get clicks.  That being said, I wanted you all to see it.   The fact is, we've talked about Shark a lot here and the idea of Samardzija in pinstripes makes a helluva lot more sense to me than Buchholz, but I guess we have to see what this CBS News/Boston Globe rumor is all about and if there will be traction.

Read everything... the rumors out there are nutty.  But there's the truth in some of them.  Enjoy this one... it's prime rumor material.
  
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BYB HOT STOVE: VOLUME XV

We are in the final stretch of the spring training waiting period and I have cabin fever!  Saturday is the first official workout day for Yankees pitchers and catchers and I am hopeful that we see more than ARod drama when the rest of the team reports.

On to some Hot Stove news...The Los Angeles Dodgers could be a market for a steady, hard throwing relief pitcher.  According to the Los Angeles Dodger Public Relations Department, "This morning at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles, Dodger pitcher Kenley Jansen underwent surgery to remove a growth from a bone in his left foot." He is expected to be out 8-12 weeks and is certain to miss the first month of baseball.  "There are still a couple of relievers on the free agent market with ninth-inning experience — like Francisco Rodriguez and Rafael Soriano — so look for the Dodgers to seriously explore those options," states NBC Sports.  Jansen had 44 saves in 49 attempts last season with the Dodgers with a 2.76 ERA. This is a tough blow for Don Mattingly and his team.

WEEI's Rob Bradford reports that "According to one source, at no point during the offseason did Boras hint that he was concerned Scherzer wouldn’t get his money, potentially leading to a more palatable reduced rate. In the end, the former Tigers hurler inked a seven-year, $210 million deal with the Nationals."  Bradford goes on to say that "Cole Hamels rumors or not, this potentially ace-less collection has already dug in on believing they are all the Red Sox need."  The collection he is referring to is  Clay Buchholz, Justin Masterson, Rick Porcello, Wade Miley and Joe Kelly.

According to MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko, after signing a minor league contract with the Baltimore Orioles yesterday, the team has invited 32-year-old utility infield Jayson Nix to spring training workouts.  Good for Jayson.  I always thought he added something to the injury-ridden Yankees.  I hope he does well but not against us.

Finally, a word of tribute to the late great player and mentor Tony Gwynn.  In an interview on the MLB Network with Ted Leitner, the voice of the San Diego Padres and the San Diego State Aztecs, Gwynn brought a sense of honor and presence to the young people of the sport of baseball.  Earlier this week, the Aztecs retired Gwynn's number in the opening game of the season.  "Leitner introduced the unveiling of a No. 19 out in right field to a standing ovation. There’s also a new mural above the right-field wall that depicts Gwynn alongside murals of Golden Spikes Award winners and former SDSU baseball players Stephen Strasburg and Travis Lee," reported a senior staff writer at The Daily Aztec.

Guys like Gwynn need to be remembered for what they brought to the game- hard work, determination and leadership.  These are three cornerstones to a successful team, both on and off the field.  So, let's remain hopeful for the Yankees this season as we enter in the final days before pitcher and catchers report.  That's Hot Stove...see you next week!

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



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DON'T BE SAD. BE GLAD WE WERE THERE

There is never an easy way to say goodbye, but it happened today in Fenway Park.  And, I'm happy to say, that as a Yankee fan, there was nothing that made me more proud as a Yankee fan, than to share it with Red Sox Nation.  I know, it sounds corny and ridiculous and yet, it was the perfect place for the send off of Derek Jeter.

I don't know. Maybe it was the 9-5 win.  Maybe it was just the fact that the Red Sox fans respected Derek Jeter the past 3 days.  Who knows what it was. The reality is, while the rivalry is still there... that didn't matter this weekend.  Instead, the happiness surrounding Jeter resonated with everyone.  It was absolutely amazing. As a Yankee fan, you can't thank the Red Sox fans enough.  You are fans like us and it was never more clearer than today.

I don't want to do a full blown recap today, other than to let you know that the Yankees won.  Here's the reality; The win doesn't matter. The day as a whole DOES.

Boston's best gave Jeter his final send-off and plenty in the crowd that were Yankee fans too.  It was great to see.

Seeing Mrs. Jeter for a moment at Fenway brought it full circle. Someone tweeted this photo today and wrote "A mother's love is priceless." Nailed it.  It was right then that I lost it.  We have expressed at BYB just how wonderful family is and can be, and when it's a family like Derek's, with the teaching of determination, hard work, pride, professionalism, well it's no wonder our guy Derek succeeded as much as he has his entire career.

BYB writer Suzie Pinstripes was there today, and tweeted this:

That's a wrap! #FarewellCaptain @dRunner26_2 @BleednYankeeBlu pic.twitter.com/ia3IZyLzXH
— Suzanne (@suzieprof) September 28, 2014

She'll have an in depth piece about her experience at Fenway, as well as the reaction to the Captain. I can't wait to see it.

As Bryan Hoch had it today: "Jeter's season-long goodbye ended in fitting fashion on Sunday afternoon, running hard down the first-base line to notch the 3,465th hit of his career. He signaled for a pinch-runner and waved his batting helmet as he left the field, exiting a game that the Yankees went on to win, 9-5.

'I felt like the time was right,' Jeter said. 'My emotions were so all over the place on Thursday in New York. When I got here, I was ready. I was ready for my career to be over with. I'm happy I had an opportunity to come and play here in a couple games, but I'm ready for this to be the end.'"

That quote is very significant.  We've seen big time players hang it up only to come back soon after and fade out worse than they did the first time. Brett Favre comes to mind.  Others just need another year or 2 just to be sure. Andy Pettitte comes to mind. Jeter, always strategic with how he presents himself knew it was time. For the critics that ask why he announced at the beginning of the season. Well, I loved the idea. For him, it was a way to organize his priorities for the season.

Could you imagine if we didn't know Jeter was going to retire until today? Yankeeland would be devastated.  The more I think about the way Jeter handled it, announcing the beginning of the season... he did it right.

And there was a moment today, after Brian McCann came in to pinch run for Derek, Derek was crossing the infield and walked up to the mound. 

He stopped and shook Clay Buchholz hand.  Again, according to Hoch, Derek said to Clay, 'I know this is kind of odd but I just wanted to say I've enjoyed competing against you over the years and good luck.' He's a class act.

BYB has been reflecting on Jeter for the past week.  Many of our writers have put together some pretty incredible pieces.  We needed to do this, because despite the haters, it's evident, Derek Jeter is king.  Derek Jeter is the greatest. It was never for evident than his final night in the Bronx... and his final day ever, in Fenway Park in Boston today.  To see baseball celebrate this man as much as we have...well,  it's emotional.  I was touched by a tweet from my friend Danny today:

@BleednYankeeBlu Somehow I cannot comprehend that I am watching Derek Jeter's last game in the major leagues.... #Yankees #Re2pect #HOF2020
— Danny O Brion (@DannyOBrion) September 28, 2014

That's about explains it.  It's gonna be hard to not see Jeter out there at shortstop next year for the New York Yankees.  He's been a fixture for 20 years.  He's our leader. He's our guy; Homegrown, pinstripe pride and always clutch from the start to the end of this career.

But through all of this, and we've talked about this alot here, it's his family structure that brought him to greatness.  Sure, applaud Jeter as a man and all that he did with the New York Yankees.  After all, he's a terrific ballplayer and an amazing role model.  But here's a fact... leaders are created by incredible parents. 

Dot and the Doc are extraordinary people, always there to guide Derek.  They were clearly in his head throughout his life, allowing him to lead, helping him to make smart choices and most of all, they offered values that allowed the man to blossom into a determined young man, with goals, with ambition and with heart in whatever he wanted to accomplish in life.  Sure, tip your cap to the Cap... but applaud the Jeter parents on this one.  Without them... we may not see this great man before us. You know what I mean?

Finally, let me say this.  Today was hard.  Many cried and millions were sad seeing this man hang in up.  But it's not goodbye.  The greatest part about Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, Andy Pettitte, Mariano Rivera and Bernie Williams is they're Yankees for life.  They'll always be there. Old Timers Day. Any Yankee celebrations we have at the Stadium. Hell, maybe one day Derek Jeter will own the Yankees.  The point is, while it's "So Long", it's not "Goodbye".  Luckily for us... Jeter and the boys will always be there.

And remember something ladies and gentlemen.  You're sad... and you can't help it... but don't be sad because it's over. Be glad that you witnessed greatness.  It's a privilege, a thrill and I'm emotional, but overjoyed to have seen Jeter play all these years.

Thank you Cap. You did it right... and we'll always remember the good times.  Shortstop in Yankee Stadium will never be the same #2, but you did us proud, and we'll always love you Cap.

5 Championships. 3465 hits.  Atta boy kid.

Final: Yankees 9 - Red Sox 5

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HISTORY OF THE FUNNY BALL

If you Google ‘history of doctoring the ball in baseball’ you get incredible results.  The top five specifically are Whatever Happened to the Spitball; Biggest Cheaters in Baseball; Red Sox pitcher Clay Buchholz accused of doctoring ball; Gaylord Perry; and Spitball.

Even if we didn’t go any further into the controversy behind the funny ball, you can deduce that doctoring the ball involves spitting, cheating and pitchers.  But it is much more than that.  It’s something that has always been a part of the game and it is never going away unless it is successfully proven to hurt the game of baseball and its integrity much in the way PEDs has.

According to BaseballReference.com, “Doctoring the baseball is altering the baseball in some way so the pitchers are able to create unusual amounts and types of movement on pitches.” Not really a big fan of that definition frankly because one could say that Mariano Rivera “created unusual amounts and types of movements on pitches.”  He virtually patented the infamous cutter and he did so without doctoring.

Then there are the knuckle ballers like RA Dickey and retired Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield.  These guys get lots of movement on the ball but they are not doctoring the ball, they are gripping it in an intentional way. 

But whatever happened to the spitball, greaseball, shineball, slimeball?  Why is it so bad?  Who are the worst offenders?

The shineball made famous by pitcher Eddie Cicotte of the notorious Black Sox, was created by lathering “special oil used to treat infields onto the ball, creating a shine on one side and making the ball move in ways that confounded even the best hitters. Depending on what they smeared on the ball and how good they got at manipulating oozy substances, pitchers could make pitches drop, fade away, or ride in on hitters, all while using their same old throwing motions,” stated Jonah Keri in his 2012 Grantland blog post picked up by ESPN.com.  There were a number of pitchers over the years who were accused or even suspended for doctoring the ball. 

Guys like Gaylord Perry, Joe Niekro, Whitey Ford, Don Sutton and Don Drysdale all spit, greased and applied a foreign substance on the ball.  Four out of the five pitchers listed are in Baseball’s Hall of Fame.

In more recent years, we saw Kenny Rogers, Clay Buchholz and now Michael Pineda get caught with their hands in the mysterious substance goo jar.  But why do it if it is considered illegal?  It helps pitchers grip the ball in cold spring and fall games.  It gives pitchers more movement on the ball.  According to Keri’s post, doctoring the ball has helped “extend the careers of countless fading arms throughout baseball history.”  Can it hurt the batter?  Sure it can, much like an inside pitch that gets away from a hurler.  A spitball even killed a batter (before helmets were mandatory) in 1920.  Incidentally, it was Yankee pitcher Carl Mays. 

Why did the spitball go away for a while?  "Pitchers got reluctant to do it simply because they didn't know how to do it," said Jim Hickey, pitching coach for the Tampa Bay Rays and a former minor league pitcher. That knowledge base eroded so badly that today, "it's like a hitter trying to change the way he positions his hands. He's afraid to do it, even for one at-bat, because he doesn't want to go 0-for-1. Pitchers now are afraid of using an experimental pitch, getting whacked, and losing the game because of it,” stated Hickey in an interview with ESPN.com.

The spitball also is said to have disappeared for a while when Bruce Sutter developed the now famous splitter or split finger fastball, which gave the ball the magical movement that the spitball can give.  The spitball may have gone away for a while but guys like Gaylord Perry brought the demon back in the 70s and early 80s.  You never knew if or when he would throw it and Perry liked having that reputation.  I have to be honest, it was kind of cool to watch him pitch because there was always some sort of controversy and I guess some anticipation in wondering when the funny ball would come.

The difference between what happened with Pineda recently and what happened with Rogers and even Buchholz is that Pineda was blatant and about as subtle as a bull in a china shop.  Sure, we didn’t have HDTV when Niekro and Perry were pitching but use a little discretion.   Accusing Buchholz of throwing a spitball in the a game last season, Blue Jay analyst Jack Morris stated that he “found out because the guys on the video camera showed it to me right after the game," Morris said. "I didn't see it during the game. They showed it to me and said, 'What do you think of this?' and I said, 'Well, he's throwing a spitter. Cause that's what it is,” according to MLB.com. 

Umpires are trained to watch a pitcher very closely.  A pitcher has to step off the rubber when he puts his hand to his mouth or grabs the rosin bag.  And if managers or coaches draw attention to something suspicious with their pitcher or the opposing team’s pitcher, it can throw of the pitcher’s game and rhythm, which is never a good idea.

I am not advocating spitting, ever.  Not on the ground, not at someone and not on a baseball.  But, if guys are going to doctor the ball to get a good grip or feel more confident about their performance, then okay, but don’t flaunt it and don’t be stupid about it.  Two words- Be Discrete! Throw hard but don’t get so wrapped up in wanting perfection that you forget to keep your eye on the ball.

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



 
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AN OPEN LETTER TO MICHAEL PINEDA

It's been quite a few days and the dust has settled.  We wanted to bring you something unique since the Pineda pine tar incident from our pal, BYB writer Steve Skinner.  Enjoy this... I certainly did. -Casey

 Michael, Michael,

I’m not going to scold you; God knows you’ve already been more publicly blasted than anyone since Sammy Sosa broke his bat and super balls spilled out.

No, I’m just going to ask you to be a little smarter and trust the gifts you possess.  You made the starting rotation without (I presume) needing to rub your body down with pine tar.  The coaches and team believe in you; so believe in yourself!

You are a competitive ball player, we get it.  As such, you are going to look for any edge you can get over your opponent – just as any hitter would do (stealing signs, using corked bats, etc.).  But, come on Michael, you have to be smart about it.

Did you really think that putting it out in the open for the world (and its cameras) to see was the thing to do?

In any case, you admitted you were in the wrong and we’ll move forward from it.  For what it’s worth, the first time cameras caught you using the substance (when you beat the Red Sox), the Sox players were really unaffected by the information.  As Rob Bradford of WEEI.COM wrote:

"Some other Red Sox players echoed Ortiz’s sentiments, suggesting getting a better grip might not be such a bad thing.

'I’m kind of on the fence with that where I would rather the guy know where the ball is going and have a good grip, for me, personally,' said backup catcher David Ross. 'As long as I’ve played there’s guys always trying to make sure they’ve got a grip when there is cold weather, early on. Maybe it’s cheating, but I don’t really look at it that way. Some guys might, but not me, personally.'

It was an opinion shared by Red Sox starting pitcher Clay Buchholz, who came under fire last season for allegedly using a foreign substance for better grips on the baseball.

'Especially cold, windy nights, it’s tough to get a grip on a baseball,' Buchholz said. 'I had that instance last year in Toronto about having stuff all over my body. You can use resin, water, the whole sunscreen stuff, whatever. It’s either have a grip on a baseball and semi-know where it’s going or don’t have a grip at all and get somebody hurt. How hard he was throwing early in the game, nobody wants to get hit by that, especially up around the head, so I don’t think there’d be any organization that would want to do anything about it.'

He added, 'If you’re scuffing the ball, that’s one thing, but if you’re actually creating more control by throwing it where you want to, that’s the game of baseball. A pitcher is supposed to throw it where they want to, and hitters react and hit it. If it’s giving you any kind of edge, as long as I’ve been around, I’ve never seen any kind of sticky substance give anybody an edge. If it gives him an edge, that’s one thing, but if not…'"

So, because of your “openness” with the foreign substance, you’ll forever be part of the weird Yankees’ lore tied to pine tar.

In the meantime, you’ll need a thick skin (not covered in pine tar) for those in the media who will ride in on their high horses and look down upon you.  They’ll describe you as a stain on the game and a liar and cheat.  Those who so quickly have forgiven Ryan Braun and Barry Bonds will be less anxious to do so with you because you are a New York Yankee.

Just grin and bear it.  Know that if you can go through the rest of the season successfully, and without further incident, this will soon be forgotten, and in all likelihood, another villain will appear for those whose “shit doesn’t stink”.

In the future, we’ll put together a little fund to purchase hand warmers that will fit in your pockets and help you get through the tough Aprils to come.

If they don’t work, for the love of God during your 10 game suspension find a better hiding place, because in spite of what you might think, people do notice when it’s flashed in front of their eyes.


    

--Steve Skinner, BYB Writer
Twitter: @oswegos1




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HEY YANKEE HATERS... I GET IT!

I live in a world full of Yankee haters. It's true. Transplant New Yorker here through and through so let me tell you, it is not easy handling the fall-out of Michael Pineda and his use of pine tar not once....but twice.

So remember the first time Pineda was caught with an "unknown substance" that was on his wrist? Well, the good old ex just couldn't resist digging into that one. The next morning I got the standard "HAHA Pineda is a cheater. He's a real Yankee now" text. He's a Red Sox fan so that is to be expected I guess. Now why I ever dated a Red Sox fan is a whole other story for a different time.

That was bad enough. I mean, any other comments made I just issued the standard "come on, everyone does it. Most just don't get caught." Or I also used the "Where were you last year when Clay Buchholz was also accused of the same thing? John Farrell didn't seem to disapprove!" That seemed to diffuse any rebuttals but man.....fool me once, shame on you Pineda! Fool me twice well....shame on me and I don't have a good defense to offer you.

I thought on Thursday I was going to be safe. No one said a word to me. NO ONE! It was like sports fans everywhere just didn't watch the game or pick up a newspaper or.....read this blog! I thought I dodged a bullet....boy was I wrong.

My alarm clock did not wake me up this morning. Nooooo, that was my Mets loving father. He is awake and at work before vampires and zombies disappear. So of course, when it is dark out my text notification goes off and I read this.

Dad: "NICE win last night! Bad job getting caught cheating. What's up with the Pine tar?!"
Me: -____-
Dad: "Someone should've shown him how to be less obvious."
Me: "Yes dad, he made a bad decision."
Dad: "Bad decision? HA! Cheater, cheater, cheater."

Well, I can't really be surprised by that. So after a few hours I finally get into the office. I'm still half dead thanks to my un-godly wake up call. So while I am trying to find an IV to pump coffee through me I get this:

Orioles fan: "Hey Jeana! You have a little something on your collar-bone area there."
Me:*foolishly brushing away* "Is it gone? What is it?"
Orioles fan: "Well now we know who Pineda's supplier is"
Me: "You are lucky I haven't had my coffee yet..."

So after I finally got a cup of coffee in me....

Diamondbacks fan: "Hey Jeana! Is that a hickey on your neck?"
Me: *gives him the "REALLY?! not clever" death stare*
Diamondbacks fan: "Must not be, it isn't brown."
Me: "Very cute. Did you come up with that by yourself?"
Diamondbacks fan: *pulls out his phone and shows it to me* "No, I stole it off of a Meme I found online."
Me: "Yeah, yeah....he did something stupid. Not like he is the first one to do it."
Diamondbacks fan: "None of our pitchers do that, definitely not Wade Miley."
Me: "Your pitchers also can't seem to pitch effectively, either. Maybe THEY need some."
Diamondbacks fan: "Ouch. I will give you that though, since you are down Ivan Nova and now Michael Pineda's reputation is shot."

And it continued later at lunch.....there is a little Arizona version of what is supposed to be a deli down the street. The guy who owns it is a big San Francisco Giants fan. He got his digs in too.

Deli owner: *shakes head* "Your boy Pineda got off easy."
Me: "I know."
Deli owner: "What's up with the 10 game suspension? The crime doesn't fit the punishment. With the way your schedule is he will only miss 1 start. $20 says he does it again."
Me: "I think he learned his lesson."
Deli owner: "What about your management? They should've doe a better job stopping that after he did it the first time. They didn't manage him. Matt Cain would never do something like that."
Me: -____-

So look Pineda, I get it. This isn't a crucifixion or anything. I will say this though, I feel like Matlock or something because I felt like I was in the court of sports law today! Just go out there and kick some butt please! That will shut up all of the haters.





--Jeana Bellezza, BYB Senior Writer and Editor
Twitter: @NyPrincessJ



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YOU DIDN'T HEAR? DOCTORING THE BALL IS OK AGAIN.

I was annoyed when Clay Buchholz was clearly using some type of foreign substance on his shiny forearm a year ago. But nothing ever came of it.  Not a thing. I figured at that point, if no one wants to make a big stink about it, I guess doctoring the ball is OK again. I mean, after all, Gaylord Perry did it better than anyone, but remember, that was in the 1970's when the umps would bust these players every once in a while, but it was happening a lot. Gaylord was the best at doctoring the ball, and Gaylord is a Hall of Famer.

Then, it almost seemed like it stopped.  Now, I'm not stupid. I know that throughout the 80's and 90's it was happening, but it was not as obvious as a say Clay Buchholz shiny arm.  Maybe even the Jose Valverde, spitter.


You remember that one right? It was the Ol' "I'm gonna to gob on this baseball right now" pitch.

Well,  tonight, Michael Pineda clearly had pine tar on his pitching hand while throwing against the Red Sox, for at least part of the game. And you know what? No one cares, so good for him.

That's right, I'm officially tired of being the goodie-goodie. It's clear, this is happening more and more out in the open. You know what? Go for it... Gaylord Perry would be proud.

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YEAH, YEAH... I SAW BUCHHOLZ PITCH...

It's good to know what' the enemy is up to, right?

Let me first state I've been a Yankees fan for 34 years. I've had a professional baseball team in my back yard for 20 years. There are 2 things that I've never experienced while in attendance of a baseball game. The first is catch a ball (neither foul or home run). The closest was 2 years ago when I almost had a ricochet, but my brother in law, who was sitting behind me and is 4 inches taller, snatched it well above my head. The other was seeing anybody of importance at my local, short-season Class A game. Players like Delmon Young, Josh Hamilton, and Evan Longoria have all played for my local Hudson Valley Renegades. However, back then nobody knew who those guys were.

The Renegades are the NY-Penn League affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays. They are the defending league champions and last year they were lights out! Some of these players will probably make the majors in the next few years. Tampa seems to be really good at developing players and this team has been good for the last few years!! I always find it hard to root for them knowing these guys will probably be playing against my Yanks sometime in the near future.

Anyway, last night, the 'Gades took on the Lowell Spinners, the NY-Penn League representatives of the Boston Red Sox. The starting pitcher for the Spinners was none other than Mr Clay Buchholz. Buchholz was making his first rehab start since a neck strain sidelined him back in June. I really can't stand Buchholz, but it was still very cool to see a guy of his stature in my neighborhood and playing in my hometown stadium.

I knew going in Buchholz was supposed to throw 45-50 pitches in this rehab start, so I knew he wouldn't be long for the game. In the top of the first the Spinners quickly jumped out to a 3 run lead. In the bottom of the first the Renegades Julian Ridings hit a fly ball deep to left center. The ball bounced off the left fielders glove who picked it up and while trying to throw Ridings out at third, let it fly into the stands along the third base line allowing Ridings to score. That's 2 errors on 1 play. The next batter walks. The third batter, Ariel Soriano, triples to right center and scores on the another throwing error - Game tied at 3. Buchholz is able to get the next batter to strike out and the fifth batter to pop weakly out to short. He then proceeds to walk the next two batters. This brought out the Spinners manager. 38 pitches into the game and Buchholz's night is over. 2/3 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 1 K, 3 BB. Although he did hit the mid 80s on the radar gun.

For me, I could sit and watch a ballgame on any given night. There is nothing like it. (By the way, the 'Gades won 11-9). I'm not going to lie, I did get a little bit of pleasure watching the mighty Clay Buchholz struggle against a bunch of 19 and 20 year olds. Ok, so this post isn't really Yankee related, but it was a great night out at the ballpark with my wife and 2 daughters.

And after the game they got to run the bases. I'm still trying to wipe the smile off their faces and the dirt off their feet!!

--Lem Allen, BYB Contributor

Email me at: bybcurmudgeon@gmail.com

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