SOME GUYS YOU DON'T BET AGAINST

If you listen close you can hear the whispers. Listen. Do you hear that? They’re faint and you might miss them under the heartfelt cheers and well wishes showering Derek Jeter each time he steps foot on the field. Spring Training crowds at “The Boss” and around the Grapefruit League are taking every chance they can to catch The Captain one last time…but as the old  saying goes, “Your fans are in the streets and your critics are in the weeds.”  And there are some already reading Jeter his last rights…softly.

It is true that this spring has been an ugly one offensively for the Yankees’ 40 yr old shortstop.  He really has to rebuild it all from the ground up. Once the ankle mended and he was able to get his legs under him again, Derek needed to play catch up after basically missing an entire season. This would be a tough task for a 26-year-old coming into his prime, and unfortunately for Jeter and the Yankee faithful…Jeet is the Big 4 0 in June. Did you hear that? The whispers were joined by snickers…probably folks from Boston. Figures.

Joe Girardi and others in the New York ranks have deflected any and all “Are you concerned about Jeter” questions. They may be doing it out of respect, but I think they know that there are just some guys you NEVER bet against. Derek Jeter is one of those players.

I grew up emulating San Francisco 49ers’ legend Joe Montana…which caused me some abuse living in the Tri-State area. My Dad has always been my coach, and at an early age he told me to model my game after Joe. He wasn’t the biggest. He wasn’t overwhelmingly fast and didn’t have an arm like Marino or Elway…but Joe knew how to win. He took the frame and physical attributes he was born with and made the most out of them.

He was also a Patton-like field general. He instilled confidence in his teammates and made the entire unit better just taking the field. In my opinion he was the best ever to play the position. It’s up for debate I know, but what is not is the FACT that you could NEVER count Montana out. Even when the Niners pushed him off to Kansas City Joe still showed them and Steve Young that he was still the man and that 8 was only half of 16.

There have been others cut from this same cloth. They never let up. Even in the face of Father Time these players always come through in the end. I don’t care if you are in the sad, delusional sect that calls Jeter overrated or chose not to like him outright. I don’t care if you are an absolute Hall of Fame naysayer and clown like Skip Bayless. You can’t take it away from Mr. Jeter. He is special. A once in a lifetime type winner and this season he WILL show up. Bank on it.

As the Yankees get ready to break camp, Derek Jeter’s last, you can almost hear a powerful John Williams movie soundtrack starting to build. It haunts you like the lone French horn in the intro to “Superman”.


The season will be memorable for sure, but I think it will be more than that. On the day he captured his 3,000th hit (a dinger by the way) he also went 5 for 5. He mentioned that he couldn’t have scripted that way. But think about it, could it have been any other way for “#2 From Kalamazoo”?

Jeter, like Montana, isn’t the strongest. His entire career he’s heard that there were better shortstops all around him (Miggy Tejada in Oakland, “No Mah” in Boston and that suspended guy that played next to him at 3rd). But ask yourself, would they have been there to flip the ball to Jorgie in time to tag Jeremy Giambi? Would they have thrown themselves into the stands for a pop fly against the Sox? Would they have sent a rocket over the right field wall as the clock struck November in 2001.  I can’t say for sure, they were all great players, but I’m leaning towards a big ol' NOPE.

What will Jeter’s numbers be at the end of the 2014 season? I couldn’t say. Will he go out hitting over .300 with a Gold Glove and World Series Title? Well, it’s Derek Jeter, it might seem impossible to those whispering in the weeds, but for those of us cheering him in the streets, we just won’t bet against it.

 

--Mike O'Hara, MLB Fan Cave Host, Season 1
   Twitter: @mikeyoh21
"Paulie was always my favorite player."



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UNLUCKY 2013?

Legendary Notre Dame Football Coach Lou Holtz once said, “Life is 10 percent what happens to you and ninety percent how you respond to it.”  This quote exemplifies how I hope the Yankees will go quietly into the sunset this season.

Reflection is such an important part of professional growth.  Many of us fans wonder how the Yankees upper management will respond to what has gone down in the books at “Unlucky 2013” for the New York Yankees.  How will Joe Girardi respond?  Our veterans?  Our newbies?  What about us as fans?  How can we respond to what has happened to us this year?  Was it just unlucky from the start?  Were we doomed because the year is 2013?

"Baseball is a very funny game," says Luke Scott, an outfielder for the Rays. "If one little thing doesn't go right, it can throw you off. If you don't complete your superstition, it can throw you off and make you look like you've never played the game before,” as per the ESPN article posted on September 13th.  Many a player and manager will quietly follow their protocol before a game- it is superstitious to even talk about a superstition in many clubhouses.  So was 2013 just unlucky 13 at work?  I don’t know.  Andy Pettitte, who ended his season and career with a complete game this week, begins his pre-game rituals by motivating himself to the Rocky soundtrack.  So, on days he didn’t have a productive day did he turn off the soundtrack too early?

Has Alex Rodriguez’s career been doomed since he started wearing #13?  Did Babe Ruth curse ARod and now, finally in 2013, he has hit the wall?  You see, when Alex Rodriguez signed with the Yankees, his steady #3 was unavailable because, of course, only the Sultan of Swat could ever wear that uniform in New York.  ARod not only changed his position from shortstop to third but he had to change his number- no big deal, right?

Rodriguez said he chose #13 to honor his childhood quarterback, Dan Marino of the Miami Dolphins.  Yikes, no Superbowl Marino seemed to have his own curse cast upon him; wasn’t he part of the plot in Ace Ventura’s Pet Detective?

Many a team decides not to shave as a superstition to keep a winning streak alive.  That, of course, would never happen in the Bronx.  So, is hygiene a superstition?  Or I should say, lack of it?  I mean have you looked at the starting lineup for the Red Sox.  Just awful- all that hair makes me sick.  But, they are going to the postseason and we are not- they are the anti-curse; 13 may actually be lucky for them.  It took them 86 years to win a series- 2013 could be their year.  We still have 20 wins on them and remember how they blew it in 1986 to our stepbrother the Mets?

Fans, I hope the Yankees, particularly the general management, really hones in on the meaning of the Lou Holtz’s quote and thinks about where we as a franchise is headed.  I also hope that veterans like Derek Jeter zero in on it as well.  There’s always next year and next year does not end in a three so it’s all good.  Good bye 2013- don’t let December 31st hit you on the way out!  Let’s Go Yankees, rest up and bring on Spring Training.

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




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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: MEREDITH MARAKOVITS

I’ve had my share of memorable baseball experiences in my life. I have met some great players and seen some games that I will never forget and I get to write about them. Now I've been able to talk to someone who is very influential and I get to share that too. I have really admired all of the personalities on the YES Network. They know the game and they share a lot of the same memories that we do. They are people I look to day in and day out for all things Yankee related. Recently, I got to spend some time getting to know the woman who we see on our television every game.

We know Meredith Marakovits best for all of her pre-game and post-game reports, but she has more stories to share than just player updates. Any aspiring writer knows that when you are just starting out, you will take any opportunity you can get. Meredith has taken all kinds of freelance writing gigs, and did some radio broadcasting before finally making her way to New York. There are many talented reporters out there, but after talking to Meredith, I have a new found respect for the work she has done and feel fortunate enough to be able to share that all with you. I’m so glad she had the time to talk with us at Bleeding Yankee Blue so we could share that with all of you, so here it is, another great exclusive. It's a pleasure to share this...

BYB: Tell me about the first day at YES and working with the Yankees?

Meredith Marakovits: I’ve had a great welcoming from all of the players and the organization. The Yankees welcomed me with open arms and I looked forward to the opportunity. I came from a great organization when I worked with the Philadelphia 76ers. I was actually still with the 76ers during my first week with YES and I was flying a lot back and forth between Baltimore, Philly and New York. After a week like that, you learn to expect the unexpected. My first job with the Yankees was down in Spring Training during 2010 for ESPN Radio. The first series was played against the Rays and we were swept, so the first questions were a little tough following a rough series. I wouldn’t have drawn it up that way though because it worked out.

BYB: How much different are the Yankee fans compared to other fans around Major League baseball?
 
Meredith Marakovits: They are pretty different because they expect perfection all the time. Fans for other teams are content to just contend for the World Series, but Yankee fans expect excellence, and anything short of a World Series win is a failure. The fans want to hear more, and they expect answers when players don’t perform well. They have a higher focus on what is going on. Yankee fans are a passionate fan base and they want a good product to watch year in and year out.

BYB: Have you ever been star-struck by anyone you have ever interviewed? If so who was it and why?

Meredith Marakovits:  I don’t know that I have been star-struck because I have been doing this a long time. Since my college days I have interviewed more people. I am sure I will look back 10-15 years and say “Oh my god, I had the opportunity to interview Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera, the greatest closer of all time. I can’t believe I got to do that!” I hope I get to do more of that.

BYB: Did you ever think you would be doing what you’re doing now? How did you get your start?

Meredith Marakovits: I did, I actually told my parents that when I was in High School. I had the idea this was what I wanted to do. My parents said they wanted me to have a backup plan because it is such a tough industry but I told them the day I have a backup plan is the day I believe I won’t be able to do this. I did major in marketing, but my mentality was always to do this. I did an internship where I worked for Fox Sports in LA for 3 months. After that I went back to Philly and begged people for any opportunity to edit packages and shoot. I also worked covering local sports doing a 30 minute show for High School sports. I found jobs during my junior and senior year and eventually did live interviews. I eventually worked for the Philadelphia Phillies AA affiliate then New York where I covered the Scranton Wilkes-Barre team. That job helped me form relations with guys in the minors so by the time got the majors I had the connection with them.

BYB: We asked this to Jack Curry, Pete Caldera and Ian O’Connor and we need to know, what advice would you give an aspiring journalist, in my case, a female writer who wants to follow in your footsteps?

Meredith Marakovits: It sounds simple and cliché, but no job is too small. The path you take makes you appreciate the success that you finally do get when you reach your goal. You need experience, so get your name out there. Make the mistakes on the small scale so when you get to the big stage you have the experience. This industry is very subjective, some people will love you and others won’t. No matter what, always have confidence to push through and persevere. My advice for females is just to remember that sometimes people will look at you differently. It’s not right or wrong, just be mindful of it and just be confident in what you do.

BYB: You can only have 1 answer. What is your favorite sports memory; Yankee related or not and why is it so important to you?

Meredith Marakovits: I am probably going to get crushed for admitting this, but I would say it was when the Phillies won the 2008 World Series. They were not the best team, but they put it all together and they had the chemistry. The feeling in the city was incredible. I remember the parade well because so many people took off from work to be there. I am fortunate that I had the opportunity to cover it. It was neat to see the city get so involved.

BYB: Who was your favorite athlete growing up and why?
 
Meredith Marakovits: I was active in sports growing up. I loved Dan Marino and the Miami Dolphins. I also loved the Charlotte Hornets so I was a big fan of Alonzo Mourning. When Alonzo Morning got hurt, it was devastating for me. I also followed the 76ers so I loved Charles Barkley too, I still have an old picture of him.

(In Photo: Vernon Wells)
BYB: Which New York Yankee is easiest to approach and always gives you a good soundbite?

Meredith Marakovits: They are a very professional clubhouse so they are all pretty easy to approach. I must say that I am pleasantly surprised by Vernon Wells because he always has a smile on his face. Everyone has treated me very well in there. Robinson Cano is pretty easy too. It depends on your approach. They get it here, they know that the fans want to hear from them.

BYB: If you could sit down and have a pint of beer or cup of coffee with 3 people, 1 baseball related, 1 basketball related and any other person in politics or other, who would they be and why? 

Meredith Marakovits: Basketball – Charles Barkley because he is unfiltered. He seems like a fun guy to have a drink with.  Baseball – Jackie Robinson because I want hear his reflections and his story. I want to hear how the game has evolved and what he thinks about it now. President Obama – who wouldn’t want to sit down with the commander in chief?

BYB: On that rare off day, what are you doing?

Meredith Marakovits: It’s probably not as exciting as you think. I’m either sleeping or unpacking since I am usually coming home from a road trip. I’m also running errands and paying bills. When I can, I like to take a trip, see friends, or go out to a nice dinner.

BYB: Finally, have you ever read Bleeding Yankee Blue? If so, what do you think… and remember, we love the work you do... :)

Meredith Marakovits: I have read it before. I have been mentioned in the past and I thank you for the kind words. I like the outside opinion and fan perspective. After hanging with beat writers it’s cool to hear another point of view. The more educated opinions that you can have out there is good.

Meredith, thank you so much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to talk to me. It’s been great having you in our living room every night, but it is even better to talk to you and learn more about you. There are a lot of great female sports reporters out there, and as demanding as the industry is, you make it look so easy! Thanks for keeping all of us so informed.

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