A CRAZY NEW NAME FOR HITTING COACH IS OUT THERE!

Remember Manny Ramirez? Every baseball fan does. He was one of the most feared hitters in baseball during his years with the Boston Red Sox and throughout his MLB career. Now 14 years removed from his playing days he would like to return to Major League Baseball, but in a much different role.

Manny's playing days may be long gone, but now he is looking to get back into the coaching world and he has let all 30 MLB teams know. Jon Heyman talked about his credentials on MLB Network and X last week.

As Heyman mentions, he has credentials. He knew how to hit, that's the reason he was every pitcher's nightmare. But can he TEACH someone how to hit? That remains to be seen, and is a valid question. Manny had the "it" factor, but can he develop that in someone else? He doesn't have the long resume of teaching hitting skills like he does making clutch hits. So does his MLB experience give him the real credentials to jump to MLB again as THE hitting coach?

It's an interesting scenario to think about especially after leaving MLB in 2011 after testing positive for PEDS for a third time. Boston has a history of bringing back former Red Sox favorites into special roles for the organization. Could Manny be the next edition after David Ortiz and Pedro Martinez? It's what Boston does.

But is it what the Yankees would do? Considering James Rowson could easily be heading back to Minnesota as their new manager, the Yankees would need a new hitting coach. It would be crazy, but the Yankees do a lot of crazy things like keep Aaron Boone and Brian Cashman around. The Yankees are also obsessed with the long ball, and Manny had plenty of those. It's too crazy in my opinion....it's not a fit. 

I'm curious to see where this goes, the man with the "credentials" as Heyman says and the man with the PEDS background....is there a team out there (besides Boston) that will really give this guy a chance?

Can Manny even articulate and teach others to do what he did? That would be a season worth watching. It could be a disaster, or hilarious....or just crazy enough to work? 

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor
Twitter: @nyprincessj

THE LATEST JUAN SOTO RUMORS ARE NOT GOOD FOR THE YANKEES!

In all of my Yankee watching years I have always said "Never count the Red Sox out" and that appears to be true now more than ever. It's been a while since they were a bit "threat" to the Yankees but....here we are Yankee family. It could be true.

We have been talking about a Mets vs Yankees showdown for Juan Soto, but that might not be the case. Boston could be a real threat to sign him and disappoint both New York teams. There's always that one mystery team or unexpected team that throws a monkey wrench in free agency chases, Randy Miller thinks the Red Sox are the real threat now, read more HERE and HERE.

I would expect a Boston publication to lean and favor the Red Sox, so no surprise there. What is surprising is Randy Miller predicting the Yankees to finish fourth in the Juan Soto sweepstakes. FOURTH? Miller doesn't think the Yankees will go to $600 million that other teams are already willing to give and he believes the Yankees won't exceed 13 years. Because of those factors, he believes the Yankees will have the least attractive offer.

It's interesting to see the Red Sox really getting some traction in the rumor mill department. On one hand I would say that it's not surprising because if anything they could just be in it to drive the price up on Soto's deal. However, David Ortiz is rumored to be very involved in Soto's recruitment. Multiple sources say that the Red Sox are dedicated to adding high caliber players and have roughly $70 million in cap space before the first luxury tax threshold. Scott Boras also said that ownership was "committed" and "wanting to secure high-level players." Now, I don't trust anything that Boras says, because he's paid to do exactly what he's doing right now....cause big waves that gives his clients (and them himself) lucrative deals. Usually I would say you know Boras is lying if his mouth is moving but the Red Sox have been out of relevancy for too long so they are hungry.

Soto himself has also said that he wants to play for a contending team that wants to win. Again, you never count the Red Sox out (ever). He also wants to play for team that has a talent pool and the Red Sox definitely have that. They have a strong farm system and three of the top ten prospects in baseball. So the Red Sox have money to recruit other players with Soto and they also have the talent within. That makes a pretty dangerous combination....and the Yankees lack the stronger farm system.

I don't know that the "Yankees fear Red Sox more than anyone else" but I'm not counting them out by any means. We would be foolish to think that the Red Sox aren't hungry enough to chase Soto and add other talent around him. They've been out of the game for far too long.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

I NARROWED IT DOWN TO 3 TEAMS WHO WILL SIGN JUAN SOTO

Listen, Yankees fans, we’ve seen a lot of nonsense on the internet, but the latest batch of baloney from Red Sox "burner" accounts about Juan Soto verbally agreeing to join their team is next-level comedy. It’s like watching someone insist their $10 scratch-off ticket is a winning Powerball. Let’s dive into the absurdity and why this is all just another attempt by delusional Boston fans to rile everyone up.

Apparently, the Red Sox—a team that has spent like a middle-market mall kiosk since 2017—are suddenly in the mix for Soto with a 12-year, $650 million offer. Oh, really? This is the same ownership group that looked at Mookie Betts, homegrown actual MVP, and said, “Nah, too rich for our blood.” But now, they’re going to back up the Brinks truck for Soto? Get out of here with that fantasy.

Alex Cora can’t even figure out his own pitching staff, and we’re supposed to believe he’s about to convince one of the best hitters in baseball to come to Boston? Please. And let’s not forget, Red Sox fans are acting like they’ve got a deal done because some random burner accounts with fewer followers than my dog posted in Spanish about a "verbal agreement" that still has “a lot left to accomplish.” Newsflash: that’s not an agreement. That’s an idea someone yelled into the void.  You guys know how much I hate that garbage.

MLB insider Jeff Passan, probably in the middle of carving his Thanksgiving turkey, took time to squash these rumors faster than you can say “Fenway frauds.” But do Boston fans care? Of course not! They’re too busy sending out more burner tweets about how Soto is already house-hunting in Back Bay. Guys, take a lap.

Let’s set the record straight. Juan Soto is only going to one of three teams in my opinion:

1. The Dodgers: Because they have more money than anyone, and Andrew Friedman collects All-Stars like Pokémon.
2. The Yankees: Because Hal Steinbrenner cannot lose another generational player to Boston.
3. The Mets: Because Steve Cohen is that guy at the auction who keeps raising the paddle just to flex, even when he doesn’t need the item.

Mets owner Steve Cohen wanting to outbid everyone is peak comedy. He doesn’t need Juan Soto—he just wants the satisfaction of knowing he made Hal sweat. “Twelve years, $650 million? Pfft, make it $800 million. What’s another yacht, anyway?” Calm down, Steve. You already signed everyone available last year, and where did that get you?

Here’s the reality: Boston isn’t a draw anymore. You think Juan Soto wants to play for a team where the most exciting offseason move was re-signing their utility guy? No chance. Soto’s going to a team with real championship aspirations, not one clinging to memories of Big Papi and 2004. I kid, I kid. They actually are. 

The idea of Soto in a Red Sox uniform is hilarious, but it’s not happening in my opinion. Meanwhile, the Yankees, Dodgers, and Mets are gearing up for the real bidding war. And when the dust settles, John Henry will be left clutching his wallet, Steve Cohen will be laughing maniacally, and Hal Steinbrenner will (hopefully) be celebrating another star in pinstripes after he has the runs through December.

But hey, Red Sox burner accounts, keep tweeting. It’s adorable.

FAMILY RIVALRY & THE LAST WORD

This story was written on the pages of Bleeding Yankee Blue on May 13, 2011. Not sure why is came back to my mind yesterday, but it did. I decided to republish it today.  Written by Christy Lee, one of our former BYB staff writers, it still holds up.

--Casey

When the Yankees face Boston, I have a lot on my mind. Although I’m more than a little pleased at the fact that Boston seems to be less than the “dream team” these days, I have mixed emotions about the rivalry.

All day, I keep looking at the phone, waiting for my Uncle Bruce to call me. He hasn’t. A huge Red Sox fan, he never missed an opportunity to call me and bust my chops a little. Or a LOT. The calls would start before the game and continue during the game. If the Yankees lost, I never heard the end of it.

Sometimes, I would pick up the phone to hear nothing but his laughter if Mariano blew a save. He would often forget that there was a two-hour time difference from Colorado, calling very late into the evening just to let me know that yes, he watched it, and yes- my team blew it.

Being the typical Sox fan, he could dish it out, but he couldn’t take it. I made it a point to call him when the Yankees signed Johnny Damon. He didn’t answer his phone. I took my picture next to a life-sized cutout of Derek Jeter and sent it to him; he sent me an envelope full of Red Sox confetti.

This back-and-forth razzing would last all season long. An avid fan, he could get downright mean and nasty about it. I don’t play like that, and it started to get on my nerves. So, I made it clear to him that I would no longer have these discussions with him. I declared a truce. He ignored this and continued to call anyway.

I tried to explain to him that a true fan loves their team; that hating another team was bad sportsmanship. He spent so much time hating the Yankees that it seemed that he didn’t really know what was going on in his own team’s camp. Look, I’m all for the rivalry against the Red Sox, but I don’t take it to the extreme. To love baseball, you have to love the game, respect good players, and think objectively. As painful as it is to say sometimes, I have respect for Big Papi as a player, and a person. 

My uncle would never, EVER, say something like that about Derek Jeter. So I just accepted it and continued the game with him. Sometimes, I felt like screaming at him, but I just laughed it off. I let the baseball Gods handle the karma for me.

When I visited his home near Denver this past summer, my point of view about my uncle was forever changed. Bruce had every ticket stub to every game that he ever went to. He loved the Colorado Rockies as much as he loved the Red Sox, and his home was filled with souvenirs not only from Coors Field and Fenway Park, but many stadiums throughout the MLB. Right there, on a little cul-de-sac nestled up against the Rocky Mountains, was his very own Baseball Hall of Fame.

As I looked around some more, I noticed something. Prominently displayed in his dining room was a collector’s edition plate commemorating Don Larsen’s Perfect Game. Don Larsen. A New York Yankee. I was thrown for a loop. I stood there, staring at it, and I thought for a long time. Then, it occurred to me. All this time, he really was a real baseball fan. He was playing this game with me as a way of making the 2,000 miles between us disappear. He was having fun and staying connected with me at the same time.

Earlier today, less than two hours before the first pitch at Yankee Stadium, I sat on my cell phone and accidentally dialed Bruce’s number. It rang forever, and he didn’t answer. This time, I know why. My Uncle Bruce died in July, leaving a pile of unused Red Sox and Rockies tickets, and leaving me to face this series without him.

And so, to my friends, Yankees fans and Red Sox fans alike, I say this: Enjoy this weekend. Enjoy the series. Enjoy every minute with your fellow fans, even your rivals. And to you, my dear uncle, in the spirit of family tradition, I say, with love… LET’S GO YANKEES!!!!!



--Christy Lee 

BYB Staff Writer
Twitter: @ladybleedsblue

JUST TO SUM IT UP... CARRABIS IS A NOBODY WHO HATES THE YANKEES

If we're talking about cheating, we should talk about the Houston Astros.  If you watch Domingo German today being examined by the umpire staff during the Yankee/Twins game, you came away wondering what was actually said, but know that German was clean and the game continued.  Sure, it looks bad, but everything always looks bad if you're the Yankees because assholes like Jared Carrabis is the biggest twerp of them all loving to try and stick it to the Yanks because Alex Cora is an absolute turd and the Red Sox suck, plain and simple. Remember, Cora was suspended for a year for ACTUALLY cheating.

Carrabis sucks off the Red Sox every chance he gets and wondering from Barstool to Draft Kings seemed like a prick move all because he wasn't in the Barstool Documentary, I guess. I remember Portnoy's podcast talking about this creep leaving. It's HERE, Portnoy one year ago:

"I am under the impression that Jared is going to be leaving...he got a big offer from a competitor and we could have kepy Jared at less money then the competitor is paying him. He would have taken a hometown discount. But good for him..."

"Good for him" is like "F You dick, you're nobody without me" speak, but Portnoy is too much of a professional to say it.

The point is, Carrabis loves to point out when the Yankees "CHEAT".

If you're gonna be a total twit like Carrabis and tweet that the Yankees cheated today, remember how Bud Selig obsessed over PEDs champ David Ortiz after the Red Sox won the series in 2013 even though we all knew Ortiz wasn't REALLY baseball's darling and just a pawn for change in the MLB. Yet, Ortiz was a cheater in 2003 for using PEDs and it was swept under the rug because Selig loved the guy.  Double Standard, absolute BS.

Hell yes Rocco Baldelli! Domingo German is cheating, not putting up with that Yankee Bullshit #mntwins glad he called out the umps pic.twitter.com/EF6z8dJXlu

— Alex Micheletti (@AlexMicheletti) April 15, 2023

Rocco Baldelli was pissed today, Jared Carrabis was pissed (and no one cares), but to think for a second that the MLB and the Yankees were "IN ON IT" and the Twins and toolbox Carrabis wasn't is just pure BS.

Let's be clear, the Yankees have been screwed plenty a time in many years of Major League Baseball decisions. To accuse every Yankee and umpire of collusion and cheating today when there is no real proof of anything is outrageous.  

There is an expression that says "perception is everything". That means that what is seen can be construed as something bad (or good). In this case, bad because the haters have come out of the woodwork.  But I truly believe that this is nothing more than a misunderstanding.  Trolls have appeared. Collusion was NOT a thing and accusation or not, does this game between the Twins and Yankees really define the championship in 2023? 

What I mean is, are we all gonna focus on a meaningless game against the Twins in April where nothing actually happened?  After all, the MLB did nothing to the Houston Astros who cheated to a championship in 2017 and nothing to PEDs user David Ortiz. Why in the hell is a guess on cheating important in April 2023 really important?  Oh yea, I know why... it's because it's the Yankees... and Jared Carribas thinks he's important.

F off dude. You're nothing without Barstool. Way to try and stay relevant.

Yankees beat the Twins today: 6-1.

THE YANKEES NEED SOME TRUMPETS IN THEIR CLUBHOUSE

I remember when the new Yankee Stadium was being built next to the original House. The construction workers took tremendous pride in building the stadium of the future for the Bombers. As Derek Jeter said at the time, we are going to take our legacy across the street, in not so many words. And then I remember that there was this chatter about now Hall of Famer, David Ortiz, trying to bury his jersey into the foundation to place a hex on the Yankees. I know he didn't— but do I really? So fast forward to today. I am witnessing our cross town rival New York Mets success at Citi Field. It is making me sick and excited at the same time.

There is so much energy, padgetry and just excitement blaring from that stadium—literally blaring. Like trumpets blaring as their triumphant closer, Edwin Diaz trots in from the outfield much like a Mariano Rivera did for us when we were, well good. Maybe that's it. Maybe the Yankees need some trumpets in their clubhouse, wrapped around their stadium, and blaring the sweet and powerful music they need to snap out of this crazy spiral of losses and go back to playing the way we know they can.

                                                                                Source: The Washington Post

"Díaz entering games to a bouncy trumpet beat is nothing new. After walking out to “No Hay Limite” by Miky Woodz in 2019, the right-hander’s dreadful first season in New York following a trade from the Seattle Mariners, Díaz reverted to “Narco” before the pandemic-shortened 2020 season and has been using it ever since. With the first-place Mets enjoying their best season since they won the World Series in 1986 and Díaz striking out more than half of the batters he faces, the entrance has taken on a life of its own this year," wrote The Washington Post. 

Source: MLB.com

Much like a movie, SNY's John DeMarsico has made the broadcasts light and fun, adding more salt to my wounds as a diehard Yankee fan.  “I never understood why a baseball broadcast can’t be more like a movie, and that’s how I approach every day,” DeMarsico, 35, said in a phone interview. “I’m covering a game, but I’m going to pick a spot here or there where I’m going to show people something that they’ve never seen before,” wrote The Washington Post.

The Yankee broadcasts are lackluster, boring and filled with the TV announcers scolding the team on the field. The Mets broadcasts are completely the opposite with Keith Hernandez often trending on Twitter for his clever quips and light disposition. So between the bad performances as of late for the Yankees, the broadcasts have not been kind to them either. Perhaps some music will lighten them up too.

Source: Tampa Bay Times

Music has been known to soothe babies, calm busy kids, provide hours of enjoyment for teens and definitely a mainstay for exercise junkies, beach goers, celebrations and just backyard deck life. For years, players have played DJ in the dugout to boost the energy and excitement for their team. So how can music and a bit of cinema be put to good use to jumpstart this team? Heck, if we had to hire an entire band to welcome in Aaron Judge or Anthony Rizzo to the plate and get the stadium rocking, then do it!

Source: The New York Post

The downspirel of Clay Holmes is probably the most upsetting as the Yankees continue to struggle with pitching overall, both bullpen and starting rotation. Maybe we need to get him some music therapy. The Yankees simply will not win if they don't snap out of this funk. And it can't be the long ball or no ball. It has to be the entire unit working together to generate runs and protect leads. 

The Yankees need some trumpets in their clubhouse. In other words, they need to shake it up. Otherwise, they will be once again fall short of their goal—and I can barely remember 2009. 

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

ORTIZ IN, AROD OUT

 

Source: NY Post

What else can I say? Alex Rodriguez was not a popular vote among baseball writers, only gleaning 34.3 percent of the votes. Interesting and ironic, because the guy that was popular wore #34 for many years. And that guy is a Hall of Fame inductee for 2022—David Ortiz. What does this mean for Arod's chances for the future? Let's unpack it.

Source: Associated Press

The New York Post writes, "Rodriguez was always going to suffer on the first ballot, which many writers view differently than others. However, starting off this low, combined with the fact that the writers declined to elect fellow PED suspects Bonds and Clemens, makes it a longshot they will ever vote Rodriguez in." Yet, his numbers speak volumes, and honestly, performance-enhancing methodologies (let's not just call them drugs) were utilized by many athletes in MLB and beyond. It was all part of the time. But unfortunately for Arod, it is also a part of his legacy.

Source: Sports Illustrated

"Rodriguez finished his career with 696 home runs, a 117.5 WAR, and a .930 OPS — all gargantuan numbers. He was also an excellent fielder and the catalyst in the Yankees’ 2009 World Series run," reported the Post. And when he was healthy, he was lethal. The PEDs were part of the package, but is Ortiz absolved of dabbling in performance-enhancing tactics?

Source: WGN-TV

According to CNN, "Ortiz also was the subject of steroid speculation after he reportedly tested positive in anonymous survey testing in 2003. MLB's official testing program went in effect the next year and Ortiz never failed." Everyone knows that PEDs were utilized by all of the top performers during this time period. So, absolving Ortiz and not Arod is just ridiculous. Perhaps Ortiz was able to sell it better?

Others overlooked by the HOF committee included Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds who were linked to steroids in the Mitchell Report. Interestingly enough, "if the vote were on statistics only, Bonds, Clemens, and Rodriguez would have been shoo-ins," reported CNN. Bonds and Clemens claimed only about 65% of the vote, so many years later. 

Source: The Boston Globe

So does it come down to Public Relations? Yes. Exactly. And the fact that Arod played for the New York Yankees who are under a different kind of scrutiny that only New Yorkers and their fans understand. Will Arod ever make it to the HOF? I don't know. Unfortunately for him, it comes down to timing. PEDs legislation across the league was not clearly enforced and not clearly communicated. It was confusing. Much like the CDC and its Covid recommendations. You get it. 

Am I a proponent of PEDs? No. Do I think Ortiz was innocent of using PEDs. No. Do I think Arod deserves a fair vote and opportunity to make the Hall? Yes. Will he get his day? I think so, I hope so. But not now. Ortiz got in and Arod did not. That's all I have. Arod was just so much more of a player than Ortiz. Not because I am a Yankee fan, but because all around, he was a better player. And for that, I hope he gets his day. 

--Suzie Pinstripe

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @suzieprof

SHUT UP PLEASE!

Much like I will tell Jon Heyman in the Twitter world to please stop tweeting because he's an apologist for bad behavior...

Please stop tweeting

— Robert Casey (@BleednYankeeBlu) April 23, 2020

I must tell Big Papi to shut the F up. He's so annoying as well.

This is the latest about dummy Papi, coming to you from NJ.com:

"...Ortiz said MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred’s penalty — seen by most as a slap on the wrist — was actually too harsh.“The punishment was not fair," he said on Fox Sports while talking with Kevin Burkhardt and retired Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez on Friday.

“Everybody’s doing it in the league right now,” he said. “You’re going to blame the video guy, you’re going to suspend him for two years just because he’s watching what the catchers are giving — fastball, slider, breaking ball, changeup – and telling the player so the player can use it on the field,”
Ortiz said.

“That’s what everybody’s doing. I don’t call that cheating. “That’s what everybody’s doing. I don’t call that cheating. I think it was more of an excuse more than anything else. That’s how I feel about it.”

Look, I think the dude needs to shut up. This is a guy that was coddled by Bud Selig even though he was a known steroid user.

He was embraced and loved because he was a personality and his monster home runs was good for the MLB because it made them a ton of money because fans would come out to see him hit dingers. We all know why he was there.  So if anything, he should be pretty mindful about that and be quiet.

This entire cheating scandal is a mess, and the longer MLB waits to start the season, the more reason why it's good for the league, because they are banking for everyone to forget, as one of my favorite BYB readers stated in her tweet:

And MLB is secretly happy about the lockdown because they're hoping everyone will have forgotten by the time we get back. Counting on the fans and media to not let that happen.

— Joanie G (@Joangyankee) April 24, 2020

It's true.  But here's the thing... Manfred is a piece of garbage, his relationship with Jim Crane destroyed any true investigation into wrongdoing with the Astros, and he knows that if the league starts hammering popular teams like the Astros and Red Sox, fans go away.  And so, logically, he and his cronies did the whole smoke and mirrors trick and made it seem like they cared.

They banned Cora for a season that isn't happening, which, still makes ZERO SENSE, and are hoping that they can move on from this in 2021 like everything is wonderful.

I'm sick of it. I'm sick of all of it.

#FireManfred.  
#FPapi

NO ONE BETTER THAN O'HARA WHEN IT COMES TO YANKEE BASEBALL

I can talk to Mike O'Hara about baseball for hours.  He's just that knowledgeable and fun.  He and I are the same age, and so we can talk about 70's and 80's baseball like it was going out of style. We like similar players, we followed them growing up in our living rooms where ever we were at that time.  And when we chat, it just brings us back to a much simpler time, where there was no responsibly.

Only Yankee baseball on WPIX, and baseball cards and fun.

These days Mike and I are grown men, with families and plenty of responsibilities. We're in charge of making things run correctly in our respective households, or at least that's what our wives tell us.  But when it comes to the Yankees.... we'll always be kids and we'll always be in our happy place... and I think that's why O'Hara and I are so tight. We get each other... we have for a long time.

Mike reached out to me around 2011 when BYB was relatively new. He was working and hosting at the MLB Fan "CAGE" as he calls it and I was a fan of his before I even knew he was a fan of Bleeding Yankee Blue.  We started chatting it up and before I knew it, Mike was a staple in the BYB Family, writing unique stuff for our pages.  While Mike doesn't write as much anymore, he still does when he can. And let's not get it twisted... with the Coronavirus lingering, I think it's safe to say that he, and many have a lot more free time on their hands. And so, Mike wrote for us the other day to rekindle his connection with the BYB audience, and I decided that I needed to interview him for the BYB Media Podcast like I did with Suzie Pinstripe (HERE) and Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa (HERE). 


Loyalty runs deep with me... you know this by now.  And Mike? Mike's loyal and like a brother to me.

So give this interview a listen. We talked about everything, from COVID19, actor Bill Hader... to Goose Gossage to Reggie Jackson to the stupid Astros.

We talked Joba Chamberlain, David Ortiz and even Rob Manfred and George Springer.  This guy's real and honest and one of the best when it comes to talking baseball.

Let me know what you think.

And Mike? I love ya buddy. Thanks for taking the time.

MAD AT GARDNER? YOU BETTER HAVE MORE NAMES ON YOUR LIST.

I've spent the last two days listening to arguments both defending Brett Gardner and ones that say he's wrong for what he did. We all have our opinions, we've heard them on BYB the last few days. The one thing we haven't heard is that Brett Gardner isn't the only player to do this....in fact other players who aren't Yankees have done this. So why is it only wrong when Gardy does it?

We've already talked about Paul O'Neill. Yes, he was a warrior. Yes, he was an emotional guy. He beat up water coolers and back then you and I probably know a lot of fans who thought that was okay. Hell, some people may have found it amusing. The point of all of this is that we accepted it. We didn't debate about it for days on end and we didn't question his character. He was Paul O'Neill the warrior and damaging water coolers was not out of the ordinary.

But have we all forgotten what David Ortiz did? Come on! I remember Big Papi literally taking his bat and destroying the helmet rack and bullpen phone in the dugout. He took his frustrations out on anything else that was in his way. He had teammates sitting right next to him that could've been injured. Did he get THIS MUCH backlash? No. Was he under the same microscope? He should've been, but wasn't. I don't buy the "Well Gardner is a New York Yankee and he is held to higher standards being in New York" excuse. Boston may not be New York, but has high expectations also. Papi was an elite player in the game and a veteran leader too so I don't buy it. What he did is no different so Gardner should not be looked at any differently. So why are we so quick to crucify Gardy?

Look, I get the whole professionalism thing. I really do. I'm not saying that what he did was right. I won't defend it in any sort of way. The point is we have written on this blog COUNTLESS times in the NINE years I have written stories for this site that we wanted to see emotion from our guys. We were tired of the robots. We wanted to see their emotions come out AND WE ARE! Why are we discounting that? It's not about whether I think Gardy is right or wrong....it's about the bigger picture here.

WHY was Gardy so mad that he took a bat and started banging it on the dugout ceiling? He's SAVAGE and freaking pissed! The man was tossed from a game in error and the umpires just can't do their jobs. I get it. That's how he channeled his frustration....right or wrong that's what it is. It's another human element of the game.

The umpires need to be more concerned about what is happening on the field, not in the dugout. This game has a lot of human error with it, that will never change. But when the errors keep happening and some that are much more costly then others it becomes a problem. Where is the accountability for the umpires? We are all so quick to jump on Gardy, or Aaron Boone for getting tossed but what about the umpires? Gardy, Boone and CC Sabathia may get a fine for their latest ejections but what happens to the umpires? Nothing that we get to heard about!

The game needs to be managed on the field, where the ball is in play. The dugout is of no concern to the umpires when they can't even make accurate calls. What Gardy did is not against ANY rule. Find it, there isn't one written. Yes, the Baseball Rules Academy says that "MLB Umpires are entrusted with the authority to remove any participant from a game" but it does not detail anything about what can or cannot happen in the dugout and what authority the umpires have there. They shouldn't be allowed to start making up and enforcing new rules, but somehow no one is questioning this.

Gardy's behavior is a matter that the New York Yankees have addressed, it was not a mater for the umpires to take up. If it were their issue, they've sucked in that area for far too long because Paul O'Neill and Papi Ortiz were not made an example of in the same way....and maybe that is just being hypocritical.

I'm not defending Gardy. He made his choice and as a veteran of this team I'm sure he will continue to do so. We have never come down on another player like this before. The umpires shouldn't be allowed to make an example out of Gardy now. If we are going to say we expect professionalism out of our players, we need to expect that same professionalism from the umpires....and that isn't unreasonable.

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