JUDGE IS THE BIG LEAGUE CHEW POSTER CHILD, BUT THERE WERE OTHERS

If you were a baseball-loving kid growing up, chances are you stuffed your cheek with a wad of Big League Chew and strutted around like you just got called up to the majors. It was sticky, it was stringy, and it was awesome. No tobacco, just pure sugar-fueled swagger—and maybe a little drool if you really committed to the bit.

These days, though? Rumor has it gum’s getting banned in some youth leagues. Why? Choking hazards. Yes, we’ve apparently reached a point in society where bubblegum is too dangerous for baseball. America: home of the brave, unless that bravery involves chewing grape gum in the outfield. We’ve gone soft, folks.

But thank the baseball gods, Aaron Judge is here to bring back a little edge—and a whole lot of nostalgia.

In a move that hits harder than one of his moonshots to center field, Judge will be featured on a pouch of Big League Chew. Starting this month, you’ll see his face on the Grand Slam Grape flavor at places like Dick’s Sporting Goods and Costco. It’s a full-circle moment for the Yankees captain—and for every one of us who thought we were hot stuff with gum in our cheeks and dirt on our uniforms.

Judge called it “surreal” in the press release. “Big League Chew has always been more than gum — it’s a part of the game,” he said. “I chewed it as a kid, and now being on the pouch is surreal.” Surreal, yes—but also incredibly well-deserved.

And because Judge doesn’t just hit homers—he gives back—a portion of the proceeds will go to his All Rise Foundation, which helps empower young people to become leaders on and off the field. Gum with a mission? We’re in.

But I found an interesting piece of info that isn't accurate (I don't think at least.) It was reported by Delilah Bourque on New York Yankees on SI that Judge is the first MLB player ever. But that's simply not true.  Back in 2013, Matt Kemp and Cole Hamels were on pouches of Big League Chew. Maybe because it's an actual partnership with MLB, rather than PLB Sports, who knows.  While my memory is sometimes foggy, I do remember the pouch, and so while it's not a big deal, it is a big deal for Judge and the Yankees. It's cool.

Now let’s rewind to how this glorious gum came to be. Picture it: 1977. A quirky left-handed pitcher named Rob Nelson, playing for the Portland Mavericks (aka baseball’s most chaotic underdog team), has an idea. What if players had a fun, chewable alternative to tobacco that still looked the part?

Rob Nelson

With help from future film director Todd Field (then a batboy) and Yankees pitcher Jim Bouton, they cooked up Big League Chew—literally in the bullpen. By 1980, it hit stores with its signature foil pouch and cartoon ballplayer, and the rest is bubble-blowing history.

Since then, Big League Chew has sold over a billion pouches, earned a spot in the National Baseball Hall of Fame, and remained the go-to gum for anyone who wants to feel like a slugger—without the nicotine habit.

Now, with Aaron Judge leading the charge, the gum is getting a second wind. Maybe kids will start chewing again (safely, of course). Maybe grape will become the flavor of champions. Maybe—just maybe—we’ll all remember that baseball is supposed to be fun.

So go ahead, grab a pouch. Blow a bubble. Feel like a kid again. And give a nod to Judge, the face of a new era in gum-chewing greatness.

--Alvin Izzo
BYB Yankee History Contributor

YANKS WILL BE FRONT & CENTER AT COLE HAMELS FRIDAY SHOWCASE

 And just like that, the Yankees are looking for a cheap fix to turn their season around.

We've heard this Cole Hamels rumor before, but when we did, it was when Hamels was in his prime. And these days? These days it almost seems too late. But that's what the Yankees do... try to find pieces that aren't too expensive in the hopes they can find lightening in a bottle and give them a shot at winning consistently.  I have news for them. We don't need better players... we need better leadership... wake up!

Fansided writes:

"The New York Yankees are ready to watch Cole Hamels at a showcase this week

Hamels sure knows what it takes to win in MLB, as he’s got 15 years of experience under his belt. He’s posted a 163-122 career record, while sporting a 3.43 ERA. As impressive as he’s been, Hamels last saw extensive time back in 2019.

That season with the Chicago Cubs, he went 7-7 in 27 starts with a 3.81 ERA. At 37 years old, Hamels still has the fire to keep going and he’s now looking for a new team to give him a chance. Maybe Cashman shoots his shot?

If Hamels were to make his way to the Bronx, the Yankees would be the fifth team he’s suited up for, as previously played for the Braves, Cubs, Rangers and Phillies. Hamels spent 10 years with Philadelphia, going 114-90.

While New York may just end up doing their due diligence here and nothing else, adding a veteran lefty to the rotation is never a bad thing. If they could sign him to a low-risk kind of a deal, it could work out for both sides."

I honestly don't know what to make of it. We will have to see.

Stay tuned!

ANOTHER NAME TO ADD TO THE PITCHING WATCH LIST

We are all watching as the Gerrit Cole sweepstakes rolls on. He's at the top of a lot of holiday wish lists this Winter but he's going to cost a pretty penny and he's definitely in the driver's seat. We can sit and wonder if he wants his final destination to be with the Yankees, but reports from over the weekend didn't sound so encouraging.

According to George King at the New York Post, the Yankees are not considered to be an early favorite but this isn't new to anyone. King even said that could change by December or January but who knows. It's all a part of the rumor game that we know too well. But what if the Yankees aren't the favorites or what if the Yankees balk at the asking price?

Maybe they are, and in fact maybe several teams are. According to Jayson Stark of The Athletic, as many as 14 teams have called and asked about Cole Hamels over the past few days. Stark even said aside from Cole, Hamels might be the most sought after starter right now. I'm guessing he just happened to forget Stephen Strasburg somehow? Strange. I'm sure Zack Wheeler disagrees too since he's supposed to be highly sought after. Not by me, I have no interest but that's what the media continues to say.

At any rate, Hamels is getting a lot of attention. He's past his prime but, he has proven he can still pitch and he is a short term, more reasonably priced option who is looking for a job. The Cubs did not extend him a qualifying offer, so he can sign with any team and he won't be tied to a draft pick. All of these factors make him an attractive option for a team looking for pitching.

"I'll go every year. I'll prove myself. I don't mind having my back against the wall. I think I perform better like that anyway. It just keeps me more accountable," Hamels recently said HERE.

Hey, at least he has the right attitude. He also said he wants an opportunity with a team that are going to be postseason contenders. You can't blame the guy, he wants another ring and the Yankees have been close for a while now, he could be a difference maker. In 2019 he went 7-7, with a 3.81 ERA after rushing back from a strained oblique in July which hurt him. In his last 16 starts before his injury he had a 2.66 ERA and only 79 hits allowed in 94.2 innings pitched.

So are there really 14 teams interested and could the Yankees be one of them? Who knows, but it will be interesting to watch and see how the pitching market continues to unfold. Will the Yankees make a strong offer? We need the pitching, and I'm confident Brian Cashman is going to make the right moves.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @NYPrincessj

YANKS GETTING CLOSE TO A STARTER? HOPEFULLY. MAYBE.

"You've got to laser-focus on what you're comfortable doing and who you're trying to acquire. If you're able to do so, great, under the circumstances that you're able to live with. But our opponents are going to do something also. You understand it and keep plowing forward regardless." 

-Brian Cashman

Photo: Forbes

I sure hope that "laser-focus" Cashman was talking about means another deal is in the works and more reinforcements are on the way. The pressure just increased even more now that the Red Sox traded for ex-Yankee Nathan Eovaldi. So what will the next move be?

Photo: New York Post

Some Yankee fans are waiting and hoping that Jacob deGrom to the Yankees will happen....but it doesn't sound like Cashman is using his laser-focus on him. Multiple sources reported late in the day yesterday that the Blue Jays appeared to be close to dealing J.A. Happ to the Yankees.

MLBTradeRumors also has a timeline of rumors going here. The Yankees are supposedly the "favorites" for Happ but we've heard that before.  And even Casey is alittle worried, but excited... I think:

Imagine the Yanks get J.A. Happ. And the imagine he turns into Sonny Gray. I’ve seen this movie before. I hope it all works out in a good way for the NYY. #BYB #Yankees

— Robert Casey (@BleednYankeeBlu) July 26, 2018

The Rockies, Cubs and Brewers are also in the mix and interested, no surprise there since all contending teams seem to be making calls as they should be. The Blue Jays are reportedly motivated to make deals and don't want to wait too close to the deadline and stress about moving players. Sounds like Blue Jays are ready to clean house.

Photo: NJ.com

The Yankees are also checking in on Cole Hamels (again) according to MLB.com HERE. Cashman says they are going to continue to "evaluate" and see. I'd rather have Happ because I don't understand the fascination with Hamels anymore. His last five starts have been pretty ugly with a 1-3 record and 10.23ERA. He's throwing batting practice and not worth his expensive remaining contract.

Photo: NBC Sports

At this point, The Rays and the Orioles have sold some rentals. Now I guess we wait and see what happens with the Blue Jays. It's an AL East internal trade market I guess. I'm hoping for Happ if these are our two options. Let's see how motivated the Blue Jays really are.

For now, I am focused on Cashman's laser-focus. Stay tuned.

--Jeana Bellezza
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @nyprincessj

COULD SONNY GRAY BE TRADED?

Source: Scott Taetsch/Getty Images North America

A year ago we were looking for starting pitching nearing the trade deadline and a year later, we are still looking.  The pitcher we picked up might be the one we are dealing away on or before July 31st.  According to Jon Heyman, "Some believe the Yankees will consider trading Sonny Gray a year after acquiring him. He has struggled this year, and especially so at Yankee Stadium. Some believe it's either the stadium, or the city, that doesn't agree with him, and that he'd do much better elsewhere." But if we trade him, potentially to the Milwaukee Brewers who have his old pitching coach on the payroll, who do we pick up?

Source: Jim McIsaac/Getty Images North America

The Yankees are showing some interest in Mets starter Zack Wheeler among the other guys they have already established connections to like J.A. Happ and Cole Hamels. They also have renewed interest in San Diego's Brad Hand and Orioles Zach Britton, to provide more power to the bull pen.

Source: Mike Stobe/Getty Images North America

Zack Wheeler is healthy for the first time in four years.  And he is throwing hard and fast.  "Wheeler, 28, owns a 4.42 ERA in 17 starts this season. While that ERA doesn't jump off the charts, Wheeler appears healthy, is throwing hard and sports a FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching) of 3.70. If the Yankees think his stuff will continue to lead to success, a possible upgrade for the stretch run can likely be had without surrendering a haul," reports NJ.com.

Source: Getty Images North America

The Brewers also have an interest in Wheeler.  We did well in our trade with another pitcher from Milwaukee, and he is still with us today.  That guy is CC Sabathia and who knows what kind of trade combination could yield us some starting pitcher to replace Gray and support Masahiro Tanaka and the rest of the staff?

 Source: Jim McIsaac/Getty Images North America

We are a day away from the All Star Break and with guys like Greg Bird, Brett Gardner and Didi Gregorius heating up, I almost don't want to break the momentum.  Post-All Star, I hope we see Gleyber Torres back in the lineup, and a shake up in starting pitching.  Could Sonny Gray be someone else's problem the second half of the season? I hope so, as long as there is someone else ready to play ball in pinstripes with the guts and grit we need to carry us to the post season.

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

"STRONG OFFER" MADE FOR MANNY MACHADO

Oh here we go.

I don't know why we are going here or IF we are going here but there's buzz out there. There's more Manny Machado talk in the rumor mill so compose yourself.

If you are excited....compose yourself it might not happen. Don't get your hopes up.

If you are irritated and think this is stupid.....compose yourself it might not happen. Don't let your blood pressure go through the roof.

Many of you that read us have said "We need starting pitching!" and I don't think anyone disagrees. Brian Cashman says his job is to "attack weakness" but it looks like he made a wrong turn somewhere. We have the offense, but he's chasing Machado right now.

Last time I checked, he didn't turn into a pitcher overnight. Multiple sources are reporting that the Yankees have made the Orioles an offer, a "strong" one at that but it does not include Justus Sheffield read that HERE.

Twitter has been flooded with all kids of updates like these:

So, who is included in this offer and WHY did we even make it? Machado is more of a WANT for the Yankees at this point and not a necessity. We need a Cole Hamels, Jacob DeGrom or a J.A. Happ.
We NEED pitching. Our infield is just fine.

Is Cashman just driving the price up for Machado? If so, that's pretty genius. The Red Sox are also one of the other rumored tumors to possibly have made an offer so maybe Cashman just wants to keep Machado out of the Red Sox hands? I don't want to see the Red Sox get better no matter what that move that may be.

The only other thing I can think of is that Cashman doesn't have a reasonable option for a starting pitcher right now and with limited options he may not like the cost. Remember last year when Justin Verlander was the pitcher to get? He was the big name and this year there really isn't one that will make the impact that he did. Is Cashman just looking for another powerful bat to out slug everyone else? Maybe he thinks that if the Yankees can't get a pitcher we could just try to score a ton of runs and it won't matter. That wouldn't be my thought process though. Pitching wins games.

I still think there is a pitcher out there for us and Cashman is going to find him. It may not be the splashy trade that Verlander was last year for the Astros but it's out there. Cashman always finds a way to pull something off and it could be a guy none of us would ever expect. Cashman is going to surprise us all and it won't be by adding Machado and sacrificing pitching. Believe it!

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @nyprincessj

COLE HAMELS TO THE YANKEES? NOT SO FAST....

Sean M. Haffey/Getty

That Cole Hamels guy is back in Yankee headlines again so we are writing about him....again. Will Hamels ever become a Yankee? Do we even want him to be at this point? Depending on which news source you picked up over your holiday you could be hopeful or skeptical.

So now what? Back in May we wrote HAMELS TO THE YANKS? HE SEEMS INTRIGUED and so were a lot of fans. The trade deadline is coming up fast, and some sources still say that Hamels will be a Yankee. Former Mets and Orioles GM Jim Duquette thinks Hamels becomes a Yankee with a very interesting trade package, read more HERE.

Source: NJ.com

Now assuming that Cole Hamels doesn't veto a trade to the Yankees thanks to his no trade clause I think the package Duquette suggests is strange. He picks Brandon Drury as a trade piece but he doesn't make any sense for the Rangers. Drury is a very versatile guy and could play second or third base for them but the Rangers already have s roster crunch at those positions. They don't know what to do with the guys they have now so it makes no sense to add Drury and make it even more complicated.

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Then there is the addition of either Chance Adams or Justus Sheffield which is an interesting either/or scenario there. Adams has definitely regressed since last year so we aren't talking about the same guy that the Yankees were considering packaging to acquire Gerrit Cole. Sheffield on the other hand is a top prospect and even if the Rangers ate all of Hamels salary (which is a lot to get the deal done) seems like a long shot. I don't see Hamels playoff experience a great reason to deal him for Sheffield.

But maybe none of this will even matter because if you read Jon Heyman yesterday it sounds like Hamels could possibly be heading home. 

Maybe he is headed for a reunion in Philly. He started his baseball career there and he helped them win a World Series there in '08. He was an NLCS and World Series MVP and he finished is time in Philly by pitching a no-hitter against the Cubs.

Maybe Heyman is right, he as roots there and memories. It could be too good to pass up. If he had an opportunity to go home again....why wouldn't he? The Phillies have rebuilt and are going to be a dangerous team going forward. Why not go back and have a chance to do it all over again? It could be a story book ending.

Photo: The Sporting News

Who knows if either Duquette or Heyman are right at all. It's been many years of waiting to see if Hamels will ever wear a Yankee uniform. I guess we will wait and see if it happens this time....we will have our answer soon enough.

Stay tuned.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @nyprincessj

SEVY IS LIGHTS OUT IN PHILLY!

Source: Associated Press

Luis Severino is a stud, and quite frankly the most versatile, most athletic and convincingly one of the best pitchers, if not the best pitcher in baseball right now.  Now, Phillies' fans could just be bitter, but when I engaged one in Citizens Bank Park regarding Sevy's powerful performance on the hill, all I got was, "Yea, well he's not Clayton Kershaw (1-4), Justin Verlander (9-3) or Corey Kluber (11-3)." I said, "No one is doing what he is doing right now, despite their record. He's got more punch, more life than any of those guys." Not to mention that Sevy was lights out in Philly as he picked up his 12th win (12-2) in a 6-0 shutout lowering his ERA for the season to 2.08.

 Source: Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images North America

As Philly manager Gabe Kapler suggested, Severino was "as dirty as you could possibly be." "A lot of our guys were talking about the life on the fastball and difficult to catch up to," said Kapler of Severino's 100-mph heater. "We knew it was going to be on top of them, but it just had a little extra life today. Sometimes you just have to tip your cap to the other pitcher," reported NJ.com.

 Source: Hunter Martin/Getty Images North America

No place I would rather be than at the game last night to see Sevy take down the Phils one by one.  The night was set to be a pitcher's duel but Jake Arrietta just didn't have anything against Aaron Hicks and Didi Gregorius, who each launched a dinger, making my night complete and Arrietta's very short.

 Source: Hunter Martin/Getty Images North America

"Severino easily outpitched Arrieta, the NL Cy Young award winner in 2015 with the Cubs. In five innings, Arrieta allowed six runs (three earned) and five hits. He is 5-6 and looking like a bad $75 million free-agent investment by the Phillies," reported the NY Post.

Source: Jim Rogash/Getty Images North America

With one more game in Philadelphia tonight, the Yankees take a breather on Thursday as the Red Sox roll into town for a three-day stint against the Bombers at home.  The heat is on in the AL East as the Sox and Yankees could both be vying for another arm, potentially the same arm, in their respective rotations.

Source: Mike Stobe/Getty Images North America

"Problem is, he (Red Sox GM) doesn't have much left in the cupboard to swap for an arm, unlike Cashman, who has a well-stocked minor league system. So if the Yankees make a run at Toronto Blue Jays lefty J.A. Happ or Texas Rangers southpaw Cole Hamels, they should have an advantage over the Red Sox," reported NJ.com.  The Yankees will stack their advantage against the Sox with CC Sabathia, Sonny Gray and top off the series with Sevy on Sunday Night Baseball.  Oh it's a great to be a Yankee fan especially when you have Sevy shining at the top of your rotation.

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof