RESPECT THE NO-HITTER

Source: Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images North America

Quick note, Mariners James Paxton pitched a no-hitter. This guy just keeps getting better and better out there!

Hardball Talk writes:

Source: Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images North America

"Paxton’s no-hitter was impressive because all no-hitters are impressive, but his economy and his velocity were particularly impressive. In an age when even the good starters are hitting their pitch counts in the sixth inning, Paxton was parsimonious, needing only 99 pitches to make it through the game. There have been 75 no-hitters since Major League Baseball began tracking pitch counts back in the late 80s. Only 12 of them came in under 100 pitches. That pacing obviously helped Paxton’s strength, as he was able to deliver his two fastest pitches of the night — indeed, his two fastest pitches of the season — in the final inning.

His second-to-last pitch clocked in on the Rogers Centre gun at 100 m.p.h. His final pitch hit 99. Adrenaline was no doubt surging through Paxton’s system tonight, but his fast work and his willingness to rely on his defense rather than strike out a dozen or more guys certainly helped."

Photo: AP

If you don't read Craig Calcaterra, you are missing out. The way he describes things, so much different than the rest and his breakdown of Paxton last night is wonderful.

Coolest part for Paxton? He's Canadian, and he did it against the Blue Jays in Toronto.

Oh, Canada.

JETER'S CEREMONY WAS NO REQUIEM

Sunday's ceremony at Yankee Stadium in honor of Derek Jeter was a lot of things. Fitting, well done and memorable. It was what most of us expected it to be. It didn't, however, bring up memories of Mozarts "Requiem in D Minor." But, perhaps I am wrong because Craig Calcaterra doesn't seem to agree with me. If you hear him tell it, the ceremony was nothing short of us burying our captain. According to his piece "The visuals made it seem like a funeral." 

Listen, Calcaterra, I like you man! You're a pretty darn good writer. But a funeral? C'mon!

Okay, maybe the wreath was a little weird. I will give you that much, Calcaterra. But to the Yankees credit, I expect a much bigger wreath gracing his casket in the future. Something super gaudy, and tasteless. You have to be able to smell the lilies from down the block. It should spell out "Jeter" in white, and Yankee blue. Anything less would be completely unacceptable.

Okay, maybe I can see the similarities with Don Corleone's funeral and the guest in attendance.

They looked like a mean bunch.

Hey, Calcaterra! You don't go against the family!

I get it. Jeter doesn't really like the fanfare. He's never really been one to revel in it. But the truth is, he definitely deserves it. Jeter will never outright request that his departure be spectacular. But it SHOULD be spectacular. There should be a parade through the Canyon of Heroes on Principle alone!  Complete with confetti, and a marching band.

Fine! Some of it was over the top. But this is New York! So yes, our motto is "go big or you go home!" It's what sets us apart. New Yorkers don't have the time or energy to waste with anything less then full force. The fans are relentless. We expect greatness every single time. So a ceremony for our Captain? You're damn right it's going to be over the top! You don't have to like it, or understand it. That's cool! It's a New York thing, and we aren't exactly everyone cup of tea. Not everyone can keep up with us, so kindly move out of the way.

--Erica Morales BYB Senior Writer 
Twitter: @e_morales1804

 

You've made BYB the fastest growing Yankees fan site in history. Now shop at the Bleeding Yankee Blue store!  Follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and LIKE Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook!

AROD, A FAKE OUT AND SWEET LOU... MAYBE

I cannot speak for anyone else, but this MLB trade deadline has given me my fill of "fake outs." A fake Joel Sherman account tweeted that Marlon Byrd was traded to the Yankees. ESPN's Jim Bowden's Twitter feed was strange, to put it nicely. He was caught stealing tweets from a fake account, that was also Jim Bowden, but the first Jim Bowden is now a Ralph. Yes, it was weird. One of BYBs favorite guys, Craig Calcaterra, spent some time entertaining the masses by mocking the fake accounts. That was probably my favorite part of the entire day. Even MLB was duped by some of these accounts.

Mass mayhem!

It was confusing, chaos, and maybe a little funny, but I've really have had all I could take. So, when Casey messaged me saying that good ol' Lou Piniella was ranting about... well, we couldn't actually figure it out, I stopped to give it a while. "I'll get to this later tonight," I told him. Something told me to just hold off. Maybe it was the fake Twitter accounts, but if something seems too crazy, it's probably a fake. Thanks, Twitter!

I'm going to post the radio interview, but first I want to make sure that we all know IT IS A FAKE. It's a bit by the radio host, and absolutely NOT LOU PINIELLA. Got it? Not Piniella! Okay, here it is:



The "interview" with the guest they only ever call "Sweet Lou" starts around the 1:30 mark. The guest seems seriously ticked off about being left alone with a group of kids. He then goes into a tirade about a certain player, who he doesn't want to name. This player is a teammate of Derek Jeter's and his first name starts with the first letter of the alphabet. A player that he happened to coach in Seattle. I wonder who that could possibly be? Maybe, Alex Rodriguez? Is that possible? "Sweet Lou" never actually mentions ARod by name, but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure it out.

Okay, I get it! People don't like ARod. People want to poke at him as much, and as often as possible. There is no objectivity to the ridicule. Most of it is based on some sort of bias. That is their prerogative, I suppose. However, now you are bringing Piniella into the mix? Okay, so what exactly do you have against the REAL Sweet Lou? If you don't see how assuming his nickname, and doing a fake interview that effectively makes Lou sound like a stark raving mad lunatic can do his reputation damage, you really don't understand the power of the internet. Unless that was your intention, in which case, you have some serious problem all your own.

Look, I'm all for comedy. Laughter is an incredible medicine. But at the sake of another person's reputation? WOW. That I can't accept. There is nothing funny about making someone else feel awful about themselves, or making other people believe awful things about them. We know it's a fake NOW. But this piece would have been completely different had I decided to attack it the moment Casey sent me the clip.

I'm just tired of all the "fake outs." It's not in the least bit funny to me. These people have worked to develop their careers, reputation, and a certain level of respect among their peers. For others to ruin even a small portion of that for a laugh is unacceptable. If you want to know what the REAL Sweet Lou thought about ARod, work your hump off, develop your brand, earn some respect, and request a REAL interview.

--Erica Morales BYB Senior Writer 
Twitter: @e_morales1804

 
  

You've made BYB the fastest growing Yankees fan site in history. Now shop at the Bleeding Yankee Blue store!  Follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and LIKE Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook!

YOU CAN'T DEFINE MY FANDOM!

I've learned a lot while interacting with other fans. Not just fans of the Yankees, but fans of any professional sports team. People become passionate and emotional over players, plays, moments... it really is a beautiful thing. Think for a minute, where were you when Mariano Rivera broke the all-times saves record? Or when the Yankees played their Grand Slam trifecta game? Or when Pedro Martinez flipped Don Zimmer because he felt threatened? Depending on which team you root for, your reaction to those moments may have been very different. But, more than that, depending on what kind of fan you are, your reaction may have been very different.

With Robinson Cano returning to the Bronx with his new team, the media has created this sort of circus of speculation. Would he be booed or cheered? Craig Calcaterra, who we really like around here at BYB, wrote a piece about booing Cano too. You can read it HERE, but in a nutshell, he was kind of reprimanding Yankees fans for booing Cano, or at least that's what we thought. His point is that it doesn't matter one way or another, so why bother? Calcaterra, I really enjoy reading your stuff, and I think you are awesome, but I respectfully disagree.

I have a great amount of respect for the contributions that Cano made to the team. In 9 seasons in pinstripes he hit .302, hit 204 home runs, and had 822 RBI's. He was part of the 2009 World Championship team. He is a golden glover, and arguably the best second baseman in the game. Look, I am the first to tell you that I am bitter over Cano having left the team. I think his representation handled the negotiations with the Yankees poorly. And I think Seattle was silly to buy into a 10 year contract. Cano is phenomenal at second base, arguably the best in the league. But no one, no not even Cano, is worth a 10 year contract. Sorry, Cano. Really, I adore you as a player, but I'm just speaking my mind on this. 

As I said before, every fan is different. Personally, I don't need to boo Cano. I'm bitter, and I wish he had stayed with the Yankees, but I don't wish him ill. I recognize his talent, and appreciate watching him play, even in Seattle. But, there are others who did boo him. Those who are angry over the way he left. And you know what? They can!

As fans, we invest not just time, but money, into our teams. You love your team. You are passionate about it. You boo and cheer whomever you so choose. I get Calcaterra's point. Either way it won't change what has already happened. But if you saw him out there, and you let a "BOO" escape your lips, then so be it! Trying to make someone feel bad about their natural reaction to something seems like bullying. You aren't a bully now, are you Calcaterra? I kid! Calcaterra really is a decent guy, I just happen to disagree with him on this one subject. To some people, booing him will make the difference. It will help them let go of the left over anger, and move on. Maybe it's what they need.

Bottom line, whether you booed Cano last night, or applauded him, or even ignore his existence all together, it really is your choice!  Not all fans react the same.  Some may even spit obscenities, and make harsh, cruel, if not a bit funny, comments about the whole thing. Don't let others, even a nice guy like Calcaterra, define your fandom.

--Erica Morales BYB Senior Writer 
Twitter: @e_morales1804

 
 

You've made BYB the fastest growing Yankees fan site in history. Now shop at the Bleeding Yankee Blue store!  Follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and LIKE Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook!

HOLD THE PHONE! AROD DID WHAT?

You know what the first thing is that I do in the morning? After I brush my teeth, have a bit of tea, and get dressed? I sit and wonder whether or not Alex Rodriguez has paid his bills. Yes, it bothers me that I don't know the state of ARod's finances. Because it would be an absolute shame if a man with that much money had terrible credit. Really, it just worries me to no end. Thankfully, someone out there heard my cries of woe.

According to the New York Daily News, ARod might be a "deadbeat." How can that be, you ask? Well, "A-Rod hasn't paid millions of dollars in legal bills he owes the lawyers and private investigators who worked for him in his epic legal battle with Major League Baseball, a source familiar with the case told the Daily News." Thank goodness for those nameless, faceless sources. It in no way seems like they are trying to make up a news story to quench the thirst of those who crave the ARod hate.

If you haven't noticed, I'm being a bit snarky. I honestly don't even understand how ARod's bills are anyones business but his own. But the Daily News reported it, and here I am presenting it to you all for your thoughts on it. To their credit they do say that Joe Tacopina, ARod's lead attorney, confirmed he had no problems collecting his fees from Alex. "He has been entirely fair and responsible with respect to the payment of my fees," he told the News. Great! So why is this even in discussion? Well, that wonderful 'source' from earlier is threatening to make him suffer.

"If he resists paying, he will pay anyway and he will suffer. If he forces people to prove he owes them money, the issues that he discussed with his attorneys will be made public- and Alex doesn't want people telling the truth."

Whoa! Okay, are we dealing with professional legal attorneys here? Because really, it sounds like more like Capone from "The Untouchables" than a professional attorney. You can check the clip above. There is an uncanny resemblance to that statement, and this scene. Let's add some more depth to this discussion. Let's consider for a moment that he originally owed $4 million, and now his bill is at $3 million. So it isn't like he hasn't made a payment. Isn't that how those of us who have car or mortgage payments do it? You pay in installments. Craig Calcaterra of Hardball Talk was an attorney and had this to say about it:

"Multi-million dollar legal bills are not like your electric bill. They're not typically turned around ASAP lest you start getting late notices. There is always negotiations about specifics of the charges. At least if the client is being prudent there is. 

Giant corporations review their bills because- this may be a shocker to you- not everything that appears on an attorney's bill is always legitimate. Indeed, a big reason businesses get into trouble is simply cutting checks to their attorneys without scrutiny or negotiation for whatever the attorneys say is charged. That's how double billing and all manner of attorney shenanigans happens. And that's from even the most respectable attorneys."

Thank you for clearing that up, Mr. Calcaterra.

Basically, you pay your legal bills the same way you would any other bill. But it is always wise to make sure that what you are being charged for is in fact something that you owe. Makes sense. Again, ARod has made payments already, and Tacopina has said that he has no issues in collecting his fees from ARod. So what is the issue really? Apparently, there doesn't seem to be enough news going around. The ARod front got quiet, and they want to rile all the troops up again. Get your pitch forks, ladies and gentlemen! We're about to hunt us an ARod!

The whole thing is beyond silly to me. ARod is no poster boy for innocence, but this is really the best "hate ARod" news they could dredge up? Doesn't ARod get himself into enough trouble without our help? Bottom line is this is a non-issue, and ultimately none of our business. If his lead attorney isn't worried about getting his money, why should we care? Oh, that's right! Because it further demonizes ARod. How silly of me!

Carry on, folks!

--Erica Morales BYB Senior Writer

Twitter: @e_morales1804

You've made BYB the fastest growing Yankees fan site in history. Now shop at the Bleeding Yankee Blue store!  Follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and LIKE Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook!

BUSTER OLNEY JUST GOT SCHOOLED

I love to read Craig Calcaterra of Hardball Talk.  He's a smart guy, he's witty and when guys like "baseball insiders" say stuff that's silly, he questions them... I guess I learned that from him. Anyway, I just wanted to bring this to your attention... I found the conversation fascinating this morning on Twitter. Also, please NOTE, I did not put the entire conversation for the sake of space, but you will see it and get the idea, Craig nails it...

@Buster_ESPN He was the fourth pitcher in that game. he gave up three runs and it was essentially a vulture job.
— Craig Calcaterra (@craigcalcaterra) July 28, 2013

@Buster_ESPN Really what you're saying is (a) we're skeptical of anyone who has been caught before; and/or (b) skepitcal of old players.
— Craig Calcaterra (@craigcalcaterra) July 28, 2013

@Buster_ESPN Reference to the 98 ASG is a conscious or unconscious implication that he's been an elite pitcher for 15 yrs. He hasn't.
— Craig Calcaterra (@craigcalcaterra) July 28, 2013

@Buster_ESPN ..you encourage fans to be suspicious of any 40 year old playing well, when that is exactly what we don't need.
— Craig Calcaterra (@craigcalcaterra) July 28, 2013

@Buster_ESPN ...doing something that someone else could very well do. Because when that person does it he will be unfairly suspected.
— Craig Calcaterra (@craigcalcaterra) July 28, 2013

@Buster_ESPN That's my point. THAT's a way better reason to be suspicious. The reference to the ASG is not. It's misleading.
— Craig Calcaterra (@craigcalcaterra) July 28, 2013

@Buster_ESPN Chris Davis and Jose Bautista have had profoundly unfair coverage of them for this very reason.
— Craig Calcaterra (@craigcalcaterra) July 28, 2013

@Buster_ESPN And, again, my point isn't that Colon is clean. Wouldn't bet a ton on that. I simply worry when we get into the business of ...
— Craig Calcaterra (@craigcalcaterra) July 28, 2013

@Buster_ESPN by using that, rather than his recent PED use as a reason you encourage "old + good = PEDs" commentary.
— Craig Calcaterra (@craigcalcaterra) July 28, 2013

My point on Colon: I'm not saying we shouldn't be suspicious of him. He tested positive last year, so it's naive not to at least wonder. but
— Craig Calcaterra (@craigcalcaterra) July 28, 2013

We shouldn't be suspicious merely because he went away and came back strong. We need more than that with players.
— Craig Calcaterra (@craigcalcaterra) July 28, 2013

In Colon's case we have more, so no problem. But the next guy who has a nice late career bump? We have to suspect him too?
— Craig Calcaterra (@craigcalcaterra) July 28, 2013

I don't defend Colon for his sake. He could test positive tomorrow. I just don't want to be in the business of saying old + good = PED user.
— Craig Calcaterra (@craigcalcaterra) July 28, 2013

If we had always done that, how many great late career seasons would we have to dismiss? How many more in the future? That'd be sad.
— Craig Calcaterra (@craigcalcaterra) July 28, 2013

Anyway: sorry for monopolizing your timelines today. And thanks to @Buster_ESPN for being a cool guy who disagrees civilly.
— Craig Calcaterra (@craigcalcaterra) July 28, 2013

Craig, you can do that any time you want.  It was a pleasure watching this morning on Twitter.  Much like I did when I questioned Ken Rosenthal last week (Read PED USE HAS IT'S EXCEPTIONS APPARENTLY)... sometimes these "insiders" get alittle full of themselves and need to be questioned.

Great work, I'm not worthy...

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