AROLDIS CHAPMAN IS JUST ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF THE YANKS GIVING UP ON THEIR GUYS

I keep coming back to one question: why did the Yankees give up on Aroldis Chapman so fast? Sure, the guy had his rough stretches in pinstripes, but let’s not kid ourselves—Chapman was a force. A tough competitor, a fireballer with a presence few relievers in baseball history could match. Not a Devin Williams, not a David Bednar—Chapman was better. And yet, the Yankees couldn’t wait to show him the door.

Yes, there was the 2016 suspension, a messy chapter in his career. A girlfriend accused him of choking her and firing off shots in his garage. Prosecutors dropped the charges for lack of evidence, though Chapman admitted to the gunfire (which, let’s face it, was reckless but not exactly the same as the headline-grabbing allegations). MLB still dropped the hammer with a suspension—more about Rob Manfred flexing faux authority than proven wrongdoing. That was the start of the Yankees distancing themselves. They didn’t want to deal with the bad PR, so they quietly framed him as a headache and moved on.

And yet, George Steinbrenner once made second chances a cornerstone of his Yankees. Doc Gooden. Darryl Strawberry. Guys with real demons, who George embraced and who rewarded him with production and redemption arcs. Chapman and Hal Steinbrenner? Chapman didn’t get the same grace. Instead, the Yankees basically shrugged and said, “Go scratch.” Eventually, Chapman felt disrespected, and the marriage fell apart.

Now? The guy’s still shoving 100 MPH fastballs past hitters. He’s bounced around—won a title with Texas, now thriving with Boston of all teams. The Red Sox signed him, liked what they saw, and just extended him. They’re paying him $13.3 million next year with an option for 2027. Meanwhile, Yankee fans are watching him close games at Fenway while our bullpen situation looks like a coin flip. That’s not irony—that’s organizational malpractice.

And here’s where it burns: this isn’t just about Chapman. This is a pattern. The Yankees always seem to cut bait too quickly. Caleb Durbin? Gone. Now thriving in Milwaukee in their infield. Gleyber Torres? He’s torching pitchers in Detroit while we cycled through second basemen like they were scratch-off lottery tickets. At third base, we finally land Ryan McMahon—.217 hitter, hardly terrifying. And in the bullpen? Don’t get me started. They already had Luke Weaver proving himself, but Cashman couldn’t help himself—he had to overcomplicate things by bringing in Devin Williams, who has been, frankly, a disaster in pinstripes.

The truth is the Yankees operate from a place of confusion. They panic, they shuffle, they tinker, and they give up on their own too soon. Chapman is the poster child for this mess. The Red Sox gambled and are laughing their way to wins. The Yankees? They’re juggling four guys for the closer role and still can’t decide who should pitch the ninth. That’s not strategy—that’s indecision.

Yes, the Yankees are on a seven-game winning streak right now. That’s nice. But when October rolls around and the margins shrink, fans won’t forget how badly this team manages talent. And if the postseason ends early, maybe—just maybe—it’s time the Yankees give up on Brian Cashman and Aaron Boone the way they’ve been so quick to give up on everyone else.

Because let’s be clear: Aroldis Chapman is still out there blowing hitters away. The Yankees are still out there pretending like they’ve got a plan. And us fans? We see right through it.

COULD THE YANKEES ACTUALLY GET YAMAMOTO?

Source: Yuki Taguchi/WBCI/MLB Photos

What does the #18 mean to you? It means Johnny Damon and Didi Gregorius to me and likely others. The last time #18 was worn by a Yankee is was when Andrew Benintendi played for the team. But to Yoshinobu Yamamoto, #18 could mean everything. As reported by SNY, "According to league sources, the Yanks have purposefully held the number 18 for Yamamoto over the past year. That is not only Yamamoto’s number with the Orix Buffaloes, but is traditionally considered the "ace" number in Japan." So could this small gesture lure Yamamoto to the Yankees? Let's drill deeper.

Source: NY Times

"Hiroki Kuroda, a onetime NPB ace, wore 18 with the Yankees. Masahiro Tanaka wore number 18 as an ace for the NPB’s Rakuten Golden Eagles before signing with the Yankees, but took 19 in New York out of respect for Kuroda, who was still on the team," reported SNY. God I love that Tanaka! He truly gave ace-like performance as a Yankee and could Yamamoto be next?

There are several teams linked to the Japanese ace right now including the cross town rival New York Mets. But guess what? #18 is about to be retired to honor Met favorite Darryl Strawberry. According to the New York Post, "Yamamoto, by all indications, would be the right fit for both the Mets and the Yankees. Which doesn’t mean he will end up here; there’s more teams with money to spend now than there’s been since the dawn of free agency in 1976, when the numbers were still low enough that even small-market teams like Montreal and Cleveland were big free-agent players. But when the bids begin to build, assuming Yamamoto is bullish on New York, he can do what precious few have ever done: Craft a full-scale bidding war between baseball’s two fiscal monoliths."

Yet to throw another wrench into the free agency mix, there's Shohei Ohtani who the Post calls "the biggest prize on the market." Although the Yankees and the Mets for that matter are longshots for a deal with Ohtani, Steve Cohen has shown how deep his pockets can go. He even tried to throw his hat in the ring for Aaron Judge. And we know how that went down.

So could the Yankees go for it? The asking price before a bidding war ensues is $200 million. And the bidding war could also include the Dodgers, Red Sox and Giants- all who have #18 available by the way. But if Yamamoto wants to be a Yankee and the Yankees are willing to go for it, we may have our modern day Tanaka come spring. 

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Senior Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

TATIS TO THE YANKEES: A MADE-UP RUMOR, BUT A GREAT IDEA

Once Aaron Judge was signed, I'm not going to lie, I kind of wanted to hibernate. I was like the day I got engaged. There was so much build up to the moment, and then it happened, and I needed a long nap. It took everything out of me.

But now we want the next big thing to happen. Just read Suzie Pinstripe's story, YANKEES HAVE A LOT TO DO NOW THAT JUDGE IS BACK. I mean, we got Judge, but we need to improve the team as well.

A story went out today from ESPN, who is for the most part pretty unreliable and biased against the New York teams. This has been known forever. But what I found interesting was the nugget that popped up out of nowhere. Listen...

Tatis to the Yankees?  I laughed at first.  Listen to this...

Fernando Tatis Jr. to the #Yankees? @HDumpty39 is hearing rumblings.

LISTEN: https://t.co/cd8W4sHvNW. pic.twitter.com/Il8cwXx8sx

— DiPietro & Rothenberg (@DRonESPN) December 12, 2022

OK, now a few things here.

For one, this story is not true. If someone heard it, someone's making it up. There has been zero connection with the San Diego Padres and the Yankees.   If you search about the internet, this is the only source and plenty, even high-level baseball insiders have never heard a whisper.  But think about this... does it make sense? It does.

First off, Tatis has a 14-year, $340 million contract with the Padres. That is insane considering we just signed Judge to a ridiculous amount, and we had to do that.  This we don't have to do, but we could.  

For one, Cashman would have to really think about a way to have the Padres pay for that contract.  Secondly, he'd have to give up some guys, some damaged goods like the Aaron Hicks and Josh Donaldson's of the world, and then some top talent.  And I'm talking about guys like Jasson Dominguez or Anthony Volpe or a guy like Oswaldo Cabrera and maybe even a player more.  Now you can say this is too much and what are we doing here... I am speculating because I love this idea and it falls in line with the old Steinbrenner way. 

Tatis needs a second chance after PEDs. And if we saw anything from Hal Steinbrenner this year it's that he is slowly turning into his old man. Willing to get on the phone himself, surpassing Cashman and locking in guys.  

Plus, like I said, Tatis needs a second chance. Remember Darryl Strawberry? Remember Dwight Gooden? Second chances, new environment and the nod from the Boss to turn it around and they did.  If Hal is really like his old man, he'll get all nostalgic about second chances and try to make this deal to clear up Tatis's image and allow his talents to shine in the Bronx. 

Tatis can hit. He can also play short, outfield and if we can move Donaldson, what a pleasure it could be to have him at third and IKF at short for a hot minute before we bring up Volpe.  And hey, you don't wanna do that? Put Tatis in the outfield with Bader and Judge. We need that too and he plays there.

The whole Carlos Correa to the Yankees story is not happening. He is hated in New York, and we'd be fools to sign that guy. He's an arrogant prick.  While Tatis can show arrogance, he more moldable now because of his shortcomings of the PEDs scandal. He's trying to turn it around and get in the good graces of baseball fans again.

Look, tell me I'm wrong, that's fine. But while this story is absolutely not true... it could be, and I like it. 

STRAWBERRY HAS SOME FREE AGENCY TRUTH-JUICE FOR JUDGE

I love that Darryl Strawberry turned it all around for himself.  This guy was in the pits for a while. I have to be honest. I thought that one day we'd find this guy dead of a drug overdose. It seemed like it was going that way.  

I loved that Steinbrenner gave Straw a comeback with the Yanks. It was special for him and for the team to see guys like he and Gooden get that chance they needed.  Anyway... now I'm just rambling.

I found this interesting and wanted to bring it to your attention. Straw has a few words to say about free agency and Aaron Judge.  Most importantly, the grass isn't always greener on the other side.

NJ.com writes:

"Strawberry left the New York Mets for hometown Los Angeles Dodgers, signing five-year, $22.5 million contract. Strawberry tells a cautionary tale that the that the grass may not be greener at home on the West Coast. Via SNY:

“It was heartbreaking for me to leave New York because I was so used to Met fans and what New York fans were all about. Becoming a free agent, you let a player test the free agent market and most of the time he’s going to test it. I didn’t want to get to that place, but I got to that place, and I was very saddened about the fact that I had to leave New York because I was so used to the fans. L.A. fans come late and leave early. New York fans come early and never leave ... it was kind of different when I went to California, and it was more laid-back ... I was more used to the aggressive fans and playing in New York City ... when you suck, they tell you that you suck ... they want you to get better and that’s what I love about playing in New York ... that was the biggest mistake in my career, was leaving New York to go play in L.A.”

Look, one thing is clear, the Yankees have to make every effort to make sure Judge comes back. This isn't only on Aaron Judge. But still, this message from Strawberry is a powerful one, and worth sharing.  I leave you with this, from David Lennon:

Let's hope.

WHAT JULY 4TH MEANS FOR THE YANKEES

Source: NY Daily News

35-years-ago today New York Yankee left-hander Dave Righetti threw the first no-hitter since Don Larsen pitched a perfect game in 1956.  He did it against the Red Sox in Yankee Stadium in 90 degree heat.  Fast forward to today, July 4, 2018, and we see veteran pitcher and clubhouse leader CC Sabathia take the hill against Atlanta after pitching only five days earlier against rival Sox for a key 8-1 win this season.  Today, despite our pitching challenges, we reflect on what July 4th means for the Yankees yesterday and what it means for them now.

July 4th is “Lou Gehrig Appreciation Day” A day that the legendary first base man spoke boldly and kindly to a sell out crowd about his illness and how he has been blessed to have been associated with the best family both on and off the field. "When you look around, wouldn’t you consider it a privilege to associate yourself with such fine-looking men as are standing in uniform in this ballpark today?" stated Gehrig in his farewell address to fans on July 4, 1939.  These words could be used to describe this year's team, who protect players who are slumping and high five those who contribute to the team's overall effectiveness.

Source: Newsday

July 4th is Yankee owner George Steinbrenner's birthday.  Today, the Boss would have been 88 years-old.  "Steinbrenner helped the Yankees experience the taste of success again in 1976, when it won its first pennant in 12 years. Although the team lost to the Cincinnati Reds in that year's World Series, New Yorkers were suddenly interested in their underdog team again," reported biography.com.  This sounds like deja vu all over again (thanks, Yogi).

Source: William Perlman | The Star-Ledger

Hal Steinbrenner spoke with YES Network's Meredith Marakovits this week and segments of the interview ran during the pre-game yesterday. In the interview, Steinbrenner mentioned his dad saying that he would like this Yankee team.  He also wasn't shy about what he intends to do by the trade deadline to lift the team much like his father did in 1976.  "I would have to see where we are, who the person is, how badly that position needs help, so to speak, but I will say, we have a considerable amount of money to spend and I'm not adverse to spending it," he said. "A considerable amount even staying under (the threshold). We've got some options there, flexibility."

Source: USA Today

July 4th has been both eventful and nostalgic for the Yankees.  The days past have contributed to today's successes and there are eerie similarities and connections to today's team.  Daring signings, like Darryl Strawberry, occurred on July 4th, which is potentially a symbol of what is to come for this Yankee team, a no-hitter gave birth on July 4th, and our Boss, George Steinbrenner was born on July 4th and he lived for teams like this one.  What's next in our July 4th legacy? A no-no, a celebratory win or a daring signing?  It's anyone's guess, but there is one thing for sure, there is nothing like baseball on July 4th especially in Yankee Stadium.

Happy Independence Day!

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

THE NEXT BABE RUTH

Everybody's talking about this Japanese kid. I had to jump in as well. Ever hear of Shohei Otani? Me neither. Actually that's not true...

BYB wrote about Otani back in 2012 when he was a bit younger.  Back then, the story was titled BYB TRADE RUMORS & FREE AGENTS: PART 2, and BYB senior writer Jeana Bellezza wrote this:

"Shohei Otani:  WHO?! You may be asking that….and after you read this, prepare to do some extra Google researching. Otani is an 18-year old Japanese phenomenon from Japan. He is a starting pitcher that features a strong fastball that he can throw between 95-100 mph."

Well... apparently he can now hit the crap out of the ball too and he's just a total superstar.  I love that BYB had the scoop on this dude way back in 2012.  But now there is more.  The New York Post writes:  

"Otani is not expected to come to the American majors until next offseason, at which point the frenzy for his services likely will make him the first Japanese import to exceed $200 million. 

 'I actually think the guy might get a $300 million deal,' said a scout who has had multiple looks at the righty pitcher/lefty hitter. 'That is how special a talent he is. He has power No. 1 starter stuff. He is throwing 99 [mph] in the eighth inning. His secondary stuff is unhittable. He is big and loose. His fastball is electric and his curve, cutter and split are all 70s [on the 20-80 scouting scale].And I think he is getting better as a hitter. I think an American hitting coach teaches him to turn on the ball more and he can be a 45-homer guy. 

He has Darryl Strawberry power. He is the face of a franchise. He is a big, handsome guy and when he plays baseball you cannot take your eyes off of him.'

Otani is 6-foot-4, began pitching professionally when he was 18 and this past season went 10-4 with a 1.86 ERA, 11.2 strikeouts per nine innings and — oh yeah — he hit 22 homers with a 1.004 OPS in 382 plate appearances. By the way, he does not turn 23 until July."

I love when new talent is discovered and I love when we can put these new names out there for you to see. If you read BYB, we've done it with a ton of Cuban and Japanese players alike over the years.  Now Otani is the newest, er, uh... or I should say, he's a revisit... and I love it!

You'll be hearing a lot more about this kid now that he's older and has a chance to one day soon come to the United States. 

Be excited... this is fun stuff!

AND ISN'T IT IRONIC...

Oh how funny the Opening Series is for both New York teams this year. The baseball gods are laughing because this couldn't have been scripted to be any funnier. If this is a sign of things to come then Yankee fans better hold onto their seats because 2016 could be another crazy year.

I don't pay much attention to the Mets because let's face it.....most of my life they have been irrelevant. As I was looking over the Opening Day results I laughed when I saw that both the Mets and the Yankees opened up against the teams that killed their postseason run last year. The Mets had Matt Harvey take the mound yet again but did not get their revenge against the Royals.

 

The Yankees took on Dallas Keuchel once again and well.....it wasn't the ending that we all hoped for. Baseball is funny like that I guess.

So the Yankees started this season with a loss just like they ended last season. More irony, but I am not going to panic. A win last night eases that.



I can't help but think back to how when I was younger the Yankees had some miserable years. The Eighties were not kind to the Yankees. Meanwhile, the Mets were the team to follow. In 1986 the "Lets Go Mets Go" VHS tape was watched regularly in my house and Dwight Gooden, Gary Carter, and Darryl Strawberry were icons to many Mets fans including my dad.

On the other hand, the Yankees took over in the 90's. The Yankee farm system was finally showing off some of their best prospects and the Core Four was born. Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada and Andy Pettitte helped bring winning baseball back to the Bronx and a dynasty was born. The Mets were just the other team on the other side of the city now. The tables had changed and all of the buzz about the Mets I had been hearing was suddenly gone.

Last year was the first time since I was born that the Mets started to steal some of the Yankees thunder again. As our team continues to carry some lengthy contracts on some older players the Mets continue to get younger and start to bring up their own kids, just like we did.

So what will this year bring? I never like to draw similarities about the Mets and the Yankees but I realized last night that the Mets already have a strong identity. They have a starting rotation that could be championship caliber. In fact, their rotation reminds me a lot of the Yankees 1998 rotation where Andy Pettitte, David Wells, David Cone and "El Duque" Hernandez were a powerhouse rotation. This year, the Mets have a killer rotation. Great pitching rotations help win championships. The Yankees had that great rotation in 1998 and won it all......could the Mets be next? Is this their year?

These teams couldn't be anymore different. The Yankees have a veteran lineup and will have a strong bullpen. On the other hand, the Mets have a younger team and their starting pitching is their strength, The Subway Series is going to be very interesting this year.

I can appreciate irony, it keeps things interesting. I believe that you can't predict baseball and just when you think you have it all figured out baseball throws a curve ball at you and you swing and miss. I have a feeling this season will be filled with irony. I choose to leave on this high note though.....the Yankees may have lost the Opening Day game for five years in a row now, but there is this one time in 2009 where we lost the first game of the season but won the championship. Something to think about because if it happens again, wouldn't that be ironic?

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





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I BET YOU CAN'T GUESS WHO IS BACK IN TAMPA....

It's the return of some familiar faces! Anytime I see the name Derek Jeter in the news I do a double take. I miss seeing Jeter on a baseball field. It is still weird not to see him out there playing but he was back in Tampa this week hanging out with the Yankees.

New Photo: Derek Jeter having dinner with some Yankees prospects last night in Tampa #derekjeter #jeter #tampa #sighting #re2pect #yankees

A photo posted by Derek Jeter Diehard Fan ⚾ (@derek_s_jeter) on Feb 16, 2016 at 5:05am PST

Captain's Camp started this week, and what's Captain's Camp without the Captain himself? It was the second year since his retirement that he went down to Tampa to spend time with the Yankees minor league kids. This camp started right after Jeter's retirement and is focused on teaching leaderships skills, integrity and of course a "team first" attitude. Who better to help mentor these kids then the Captain himself and the man who was the face of baseball? What a great way to shape and mold the next Yankee leader in the clubhouse. Just thinking about it gives me the chills!

It just goes to show you that even though he may be retired, he still does have baseball in his blood. It's nice to see him take time to continue to be a positive influence within the organization. Maybe one day, we will see the next great Captain being interviewed by YES Network and he will talk about his experience at this camp. These are the stories I wish we heard more about. The Derek Jeter we watched all the time as a player, is still doing and saying the same things even without wearing a uniform. Retirement has not changed Jeter and that is one reason why I will always admire this man. Baseball needs more men like him and maybe this camp will help inspire that.

I still believe that the next Captain is in the distant future, but if our next leader is in this camp, then I feel even better about the future outlook of this team. Jeter wasn't the only returning retired legend in the group Alfonso Soriano, Darryl Strawberry, CC Sabathia, Jorge Posada and Andy Pettitte even made appearances to spend time with the kids.

Speaking of Andy Pettitte, he threw batting practice to several players including Aaron Judge who hit a few long balls and impressed him. Pettitte enjoyed his time there so much he is trying to arrange another visit back to camp. When asked if he was coming back as a player though he quickly answered "no" so there will be no third comeback for Andy. Hey,  coming back as a special guest and pitching during training is better than nothing, right? It's nice to see him back involved with the organization, too. You can tell he still has that competitive drive and love for the organization.

It's a blast from the past this week for the minor leaguers. It makes me reminisce about my favorite memories watching the Core Four. I love the nostalgia here it brings back good feelings. Now, let's get Spring Training going!


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





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TOP FIGHTS IN YANKEES HISTORY: #5-1

As I mentioned in the first half of this series, the Yankees have had some great rivalries, and most of us remember where we were and how we yelled at the TV when certain fights happened. Here is the second half of my top 10 fights in Yankees history.

5. Shelley Duncan and the Spring Training Melee

I cannot think of a single good reason why a fight breaks out in spring training. Veterans are getting their work in, rookies are trying to make an impression. Everybody's biggest worry is getting hurt and missing opening day. The last thing anybody thinks about is a fight. The 2008 Rays had other ideas. After a home plate collision a few days earlier, Shelley Duncan retaliated by sliding into second with spikes up. Tampa Bay right fielder Jonny Gomes charged in and the benches cleared. It was the birth of a division rivalry with the division newest member.

4. Alex Rodriguez vs. Jason Varitek

July 24, 2004, was a flashpoint in the history of the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry. After getting hit by a pitch, Alex Rodriguez started yelling at Jason Varitek and it was very easy to read lips ("F--- you! F--- you! F--- you, M---r f---r, c'mon!"). Varitek puts his mitt in Alex's face, and Alex grabs him in a headlock and throws him around like a rag doll. After Varitek was rescued by his teammates, a bunch of other fights broke out on the field. This fight was a clear indicator of what the rivalry with Boston looked like in 2003 and 2004. It wasn't as bad as 1976, ut it was intense. Do hard feelings linger? Neither Alex nor Varitek will sign a picture from that game. Tanyon Sturtze, who started that game for the Yankees, grew up in Boston. In an exclusive interview with BYB (read Bleeding Yankee Blue: EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: TANYON STURTZE), Sturtze said that after this fight, he threw out a bunch of Red Sox memorabilia and despises the Red Sox to this day. Enough said.

3. Graig Nettles  vs. Bill Lee

Speaking of 1976 .... it started as a war of words. In 1973, after an altercation between Thurman Munson and Carlton Fisk, Red Sox pitcher "Spaceman" Bill Lee said the Yankees looked like "a bunch of hookers swinging their purses". Three years later, in 1976, Bill Lee was pitching against the Yankees when Lou Piniella barreled into Carlton Fisk in a play at the plate. All hell broke loose. Piniella and Fisk went it for a while before it was broken up. Then Lee got the brilliant idea to yell at Graig Nettles. Nettles knocked him to the ground with a single punch. Mickey Rivers and a bunch of other Yankees got into it as well. When it ended, Bill Lee walked away clutching his arm in obvious pain, causing the Yankees Stadium crowd to erupt in cheers. Was it connected to the 1973 comments? After the game, Bill Lee would call manager Billy Martin a Nazi, who responded by leaving a dead fish at his locker with a note telling him to stick it in his purse. Graig Nettles asked after the game, "I'd like to know, does he look like he's been hit with a purse?” Bill Lee was never the same pitcher after that injury. Those were the days.

2. Armando Benitez hits Tino Martinez

Armando Benitez came in to save a 1-run lead with two on when Bernie Williams sent a fastball over the fence for a three-run home run. Maybe it was the fact that the Orioles had lost 7 of their previous 9, or that they were in dead last. Regardless, Benitez lost his composure and hit the next batter, Tino Martinez, on the first pitch. Darryl Strawberry led the charge from the dugout and the fight lasted for 10 minutes. It spilled into the visitor's dugout, with lots of people getting involved. Most notably, Graeme Lloyd flew in with a wild haymaker, which earned him a loud standing ovation the next game he appeared in. Curiously, Cal Ripken was pulling people away from the fight. He was in the middle of his consecutive game streak, so I wondered why he would risk getting injured. Nevertheless, it was a stupid move by Benitez, even prompting some of his teammates to say the same. To add insult to injury, the next batter, Tim Raines, hit a home run. It was a nice touch. 

1. 2003 ALCS Pedro Throws Zimmer to the Ground

Betting on baseball gets you banned from the Hall of Fame. Throwing a 72-year-old man to the ground apparently does not. Roger Clemens was pitching to Manny Ramirez when he threw a pitch that angered Manny. If you see the footage, the pitch was high but over the plate. That little detail didn't stop Manny from walking to the mound and yelling at Clemens, who was yelling back. Benches cleared, and Don Zimmer charges Pedro Martinez. Pedro grabs him by the head and shoves him down into the ground. The fight literally stops and both Yankees and Red Sox players come around to see if Zimmer was okay. It drew universal condemnation from the announcers to baseball journalists all over. Even Mayor Bloomberg suggested that perhaps assault charges should be considered. Despite rationalizations from Pedro that he was trying to defend himself, absolutely nobody was buying it. It was an ugly game, with 3 separate altercations, and deepened the hatred between the two teams.

So that's it. I gotta tell you, recalling some of these incidents got me heated. And it's the offseason. So what did you think? Did I get it right? Did I miss any of your favorites? Let us know. 

--Ike Dimitriadis, 
BYB Senior Staff Writer
Twitter: @KingAgamemnon