I HAVE PTSD WITH THESE GAMES AGAINST THE MARINERS

Source: The Seattle Times

Watching these last two games against the Mariners takes me back to the mid to late 1990s when Seattle used to beat up on the Yankees. That's when Tino Martinez played for the other side and used to pounce on us. Then there was Edgar Martinez,  Ken Griffey Jr. and who could forget "King" Felix Hernandez in the 2000s. Yeah, that team and this series against Seattle puts me right back there. For no reason, because we are better than this team. But the Clay Holmes debacle and the quiet offense on Tuesday night leaves no other choice. I have PTSD with these games against Seattle and it is quite frankly annoying.

I suppose The Seattle Times had it right when they reported, "Facing a team that had won seven straight games coming into the series and was seemingly on its way to eight straight, the Mariners were down to their final two outs in the top of the ninth inning against Yankees closer Clay Holmes. But an offense that looked listless to lifeless over the first eight innings found a way to score four runs off a pitcher that hadn’t allowed an earned run all season." 

That's Seattle and they have bested the Yankees so many times over the years. Is this an important series? Yes, they all are important. Because you can't get these games back. You can reflect. You can lament. But you can't get them back. And all of these games hold value. Especially when this year could be your year. And with the Mariners holding a 15-10 record on top of the AL West, you want to win these games.

"Yeah that one's on me," Holmes said. "I feel like I made some good pitches and definitely some balls found some holes, but I was ahead on a couple guys there, 0-2, 1-2, and put them on base which could've been big outs. It was one of those outings where I felt like my stuff was there, maybe trying to go for a little too much chase with a couple guys there. Some balls found some holes and it didn't go our way there," reported SNY after the Monday loss against the Mariners.

According to Fansided, the Mariners are "heating up" this May. Before heading to the Bronx, Seattle took a close one in Baltimore and picked off some games against the Royals. Then kept the Yankees bats quiet, particularly on Tuesday night after playing spoilers on Monday. 

People always asked me what I have against Seattle. Why won't I route for them when they aren't playing against the Yankees. I tell them what I tell you; Seattle hurt the Yankees in the 90s. That team was lethal. So yeah, I have PTSD when it comes to Seattle. And the last two nights have been a self-fulfilling prophecy. 

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

IT'S BEEN A HUMBLING POST SEASON

Source: NJ.com 

Ever want something so much, that you'd do whatever it takes to get it? The Yankees have always been that team for me. They wanted it in the 90s, and they pushed through tough teams like the Seattle Mariners who had tough guys like Ken Griffey, Jr. and Edgar Martinez. They plowed through Red Sox teams, Oakland teams and Cleveland teams, and ended up on top. They had Houston where they wanted them and well, you know what happened from there. Those teams did not have it easy but they did have one thing- grit. It has been over ten years since we won a World Series. And that drought has humbled me as a fan who always thought of the Yankees as heroes. Seeing the Yankees fight so hard over the last few games of the post season has been humbling for me. I want a championship this year and this team may have enough fight in them to get there.

Source: ESPN

One of the biggest fighters on this team is Yankee first baseman Luke Voit, who exudes enthusiasm and grit with every at bat. 

"I love being a Yankee. I hope I am a Yankee for a long time. I want to win. That's what we all want. That's the most important thing. Obviously, the numbers have been good for me and I always want to have as best year as possible. But that is not the goal. The goal is to win a World Series and now's our chance to take advantage and end 2020 on a good note," reported ESPN.

Source: Corey Sipkin, NY Post

Another fighter is Mr. Reliable, DJ LeMahieu. Since coming to the Yankees last year as a utility player at best, DJ has been literally invaluable, in the field and at the plate. But it has been his humility and heads-down approach to getting things done that has been an exemplar for grit on this Yankee team. 

"The way this whole team approaches our work, I’ve just been very comfortable here from Day 1,” LeMahieu said last week. “We know what we want to accomplish and we know what we need to do to get there. It’s just been an excellent fit," reported the New York Post. 

Walking around town this morning in Central NJ, I stopped by a local eatery and talked shop with Liz, one of the chefs for the small business named Wild Flour. We both share a passion for the Yankees and she was grinning from ear to ear behind her dark blue mask when I picked up my breakfast after a workout. "It is humbling to be a Yankee fan today. We always took it for granted that we would win, but now, it is not a guarantee which makes these games even more exciting." My sentiment exactly. WFAN's Boomer and Gio affirmed this when they recalled that the Yankees have had to play tough teams before and this is no different. 

The Rays are just another team for the Yankees to get passed. They need to stay the course, dig deep and know they can beat this team, just like the other Yankee teams before this one who defeated worthy opponents to earn the right to contend for the championship. Let's hope this is the journey and destiny for this team, one run, one game at time. 2020 is certainly a year to be humble. It is only fitting we do it this year. 

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

FOR ME, IT'S ABOUT MUSSINA, NOT MO

Now there are gonna be Yankee fans out there that will look at that headline above, JUST the headline, and then blast me on Facebook.  Mostly because they're ignorant and have no idea that there's words in articles these days.  Oh yeah... there's always words in articles. Twitter and Facebook ruined journalism for everybody and then everybody became stupid.

OK... I'm getting off track.

The fact is Mariano Rivera is a Hall of Famer 100%, and we already knew that! And to be honest, for me, it's not about unanimously being voted in for him. Yes, while historic and absolutely deserving, the truth is the guy was getting in no matter what.  Being Unanimous? That's gravy. Mo earned it. No one better in that spot in how the game has transformed during his playing days.

There were no longer 3 inning or 2 inning closers anymore. Mo and many closers like him were 3 out guys. They evolved with the game. While some writers out there may feel as though that's not too impressive. The fact is... it's super impressive and I applaud him for that role. He's one of a kind.

But for me, the surprise. No... the news story of the day is the fact that after a many year debate, Mike Mussina is headed to the Hall.  And for me, I am happy about that.  Why? Because it came as a surprise.  This quiet ballplayer that just came in and did his job was a terrific pitcher for the Orioles, and certainly for the Yanks and his career, while not outstanding, was very, very good.

I have always felt as though Moose should be in. Truth is, with the whole steroids generation constantly being debated and questioned as to who should and should not get in... I still don't think those guys should be there. But in the end, they were great players and sooner or later they will be voted in.  That's because the Hall isn't about mediocre. It's about the greats, and believe me, while steroids tainted the game... years will make people forget.  Writers will soon stop being so stubborn, look closely at the numbers of the PEDs users and know that even in those players early years, the numbers were good... good enough to make it to the Hall. Sure, breaking records because you used steroids taints the game, but we will one day be at that point where those players will eventually be voted in because the less players are just not good enough. That's my gut talking now. We shall see.

But if they do that... if they let the PEDs users in, the next worry for those writers is then another hard debate. Will they'll have to vote in Pete Rose.  And God dammit, if PEDs users get into the Hall... Pete Rose needs to be there too.  But hell... that's another conversation for anther time.  The fact of the matter is this is about Mo... and Moose.

Moose is deserving. I'm glad they saw it that way. Sure, the numbers aren't quote "Hall of Fame" numbers, but that goes back to the evolution of the game.  Pitchers rarely complete games anymore.  Pitchers are pulled earlier for the bridge relievers... for the LOOGY... for the closer and that would be the big reason why Moose doesn't have those 300 wins. And you know what? That's OK. 270 in this era is pretty good. Again... the game has evolved, he evolved with it, just like Mo.  They did their jobs... they are both deserving.

The other guys who will go in are Edgar Martinez and Roy Halladay.  AP writes:

"Rivera became baseball's first unanimous Hall of Fame selection, elected Tuesday along with Edgar Martinez, Mike Mussina and the late Roy Halladay. Rivera received all 425 votes in balloting announced by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Ken Griffey Jr. held the mark for top percentage at 99.32 when he was on 437 of 440 ballots two years ago. 

'Beyond my imagination,' Rivera said. 

The quartet will be enshrined in Cooperstown along with Today's Game Era Committee selections Harold Baines and Lee Smith on July 21. "

And so now we wait for the big day.

And fun fact.  I called the Cooper Inn today after the announcement came down.  Sold out. Wow.

Congrats to Mariano and Mike. Job well done.

By the way, Suzie Pinstripe will have her take on Mariano Rivera tomorrow morning. It's a great piece, be sure to check it out.

GREAT PICKS FOR THE HALL OF FAME!

I love this Hall of Fame class!

There will be some great players named to the Hall of Fame this year, and these guys deserve it! Honestly.

The Associated Press simply writes the following:

Photo: Tim Umphrey 

"Chipper Jones, Vladimir Guerrero, Jim Thome and Trevor Hoffman elected to baseball’s Hall of Fame."

Now, I am not lucky enough to vote for the actual Hall of Fame. But myself and the BYB writers are members of the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America, and we do vote every year for who we think should be in the Hall of Fame.  Here is my ballot:

It also should be noted that Vladimir Guerrero and Edgar Martinez had already been honored in previous IBWAA elections, which is why you don’t see their names listed here. 

And if I was thinking clearly at the time, I would have marked Vlad on my ballot.  That's my bad.  It's good to see that I was in line with the baseball writers on the others.

Photo: CBS Sports

And yeah, I voted for guys like Matsui and Huff in my picks.  Those were guys I respected as players, maybe they don't necessarily deserve the honor right now, but still, it's my vote, I can do what I want with it.

Anyway... congrats to the winners this year.  It's pretty damn exciting.

THE YANKEES NEED TO GET SPITEFUL NOW

Jacoby Ellsbury needs to wear number 24.

Now, I know it’s beneath the New York Yankees to do this, but hear me out, because I think it’s brilliant.

When a player makes a mad dash from New York and signs with a team like the Seattle Mariners, like Robinson Cano just did, it’s a big F U to the team that “raised” him.  After all, he was talented and it’s no secret that the Yankees loved him at second base, the fans did too, despite the lack of hustle. But let’s be clear… the fans made him a superhero in the Bronx and now that Seattle officially signed him, we know that he’s thumbed his nose at us all. He never cared about the pinstripes and he sure as hell didn’t care about us.  He cared about money.  I was right… he’s selfish, greedy and pathetic.

I’ve stated here that reputation is a valuable thing and Cano’s is now tarnished in the Bronx.  There is no going back. He’ll now have his group of Seattle fans that love him. He’ll have Felix Hernandez, a tainted Jesus Montero and not much else.  In other words, the bill of goods that Mariner brass sold him on being a "baseball legend" sucked him in… all because the price tag was over the $200 million mark.  He signed with the Mariners for the money, not for the team.  He wants to be a legend… in Seattle of all places, with the likes of Starbucks and Kurt Cobain… OK… whatever… good for him.

Oh and let me be clear, this is in no way a knock on the Mariners fans. You have your team and you just got a terrific piece.  My beef is not with you... mine is with that money hungry second baseman we used to have. 

So now the Yankees need to market wisely.  They need to be smug, snarky, spiteful.  They need to stick it to Cano, almost like he never existed in the Bronx.  Much like the Red Sox did when Daisuke Matsuzaka signed with them, trotting him out in Johnny Damon’s old number 18 after Damon darted to the Bronx. The Yankees should announce Jacoby Ellsbury next week, in Cano’s old #24. They should do it because Cano never cared about being a Yankees, so why should we try and preserve it for him?

In other words, Hey Junior, Right here. 

If there is 1 player that can make the memory of Cano in the Bronx disappear, it’s Jacoby Ellsbury, trust me. For 1, he hustles and plays the game hard. Plus, it will also bring a smile to my face, not to mention it will be a big F U right back at greedy Robbie boy.

I don’t like selfishness. I makes me mad.  I don’t like it when my own kids do it and I sure as hell don’t like it when it happens with my team and our players.  I keep hearing stupid statements about Cano, like, “He did the right thing to secure his future with that deal in Seattle.”  Really? If he signed a 7 year deal with the Yankees for $180 million it would have been plenty, not to mention the endorsements, the fan base and the history he would have long after he retired in New York.  He’d be on a list of Yankee greats with guys like Lou Gehrig, Mickey Mantle and Derek Jeter.

(In Photo: Ken Phelps)
Instead, he’s aiming to be placed in Seattle as an "artificial" captain and will go into the history books as one of the richest ballplayers ever and will be in the Mariners record books with guys like Ken Phelps, Mark Langston and Edgar Martinez.  OK then… I guess it works for him.

Finally... I wanted to share this with you because to be honest, the Cano saga is over now for me and I'm pretty much done with it.  He's been exposed... he's money hungry, case closed.  Check this out: Paul O'Neill tweeted this to Robbie late yesterday... It's genius:

Oh Robby.... There's no place like New York and no team like the Yankees!
— Paul O'Neill (@PaulONeillYES) December 6, 2013

Say no more... I love the Warrior and that puts everything in perspective, doesn't it? Players want to come to New York... not leave it Robbie... sorry you didn't realize that until now.

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WHAT'S A DH WORTH?

The Yankees 2012 starting lineup is mostly set. Starting around the horn we have ARod, Derek Jeter, Robinson Cano, and Mark Teixiera. The outfield is Brett Gardner, Curtis Granderson, and there’s an opening in right until we hear for sure that the Yankees will pick up Swisher's option. Barring any snafus, Russell Martin will probably be behind the plate again. That leaves a hole at DH.
While the early candidate seems to be Jesus Montero, I think it’s a shame that a 20 something year old is going to be pigeon-holed as a DH. Outside of Edgar Martinez, who else has made an entire career as a DH. The American League is built for the DH and teams need a strong hitter in there.

Now with the Yankees aging roster, the DH spot is heavily going to be used to rest players, therefore using Montero as your everyday DH is not going to be feasible. If Brian Cashman was smart, which we all know he is, he’d sign some much needed pitching and the DH slot will be filled by a rotating cast of characters. That's my take at least.
With that being the smart move, I’m also a firm believer that you can’t turn down a good player if the opportunity is right. The 2 biggest free agents out there are David Ortiz and Albert Pujols. I don’t care what the majority of you and most of my friends think, I would sign Papi in a heartbeat. I'd give him $12 - $14 million for the year and stick him in the 4 hole. In the new stadium, Ortiz is hitting .257, 6 HR, with 17 RBI (.316, 16HR, 35 RBI in the old stadium). I know the numbers are low, but he’s a lefty and lefties love Yankee Stadium, the ball flies out to right.

Lance Berkman has said that Pujols is better than Babe Ruth. I say prove it. If it's true, he could bash his way through history. Now Pujols is looking for a long-term deal and the Yankees have enough of those already. If he doesn’t sign here, I hope he stays in the NL.

Prince Fielder is also out there as well, but he’s in the same boat as Pujols. He wants a long-term deal and plays first base. Like Pujols, I’d take him but only if he’d take 5 years/$75 million.Maybe the solution is what Casey suggested... bringing back Hideki Matsui. (Read WHY HIDEKI MATSUI? WHY NOT? )He’s a good fit here and a fan favorite. Andy Pettitte came back home, Godzilla could too.

Finally, with all that said, the Yankees are about stars. Unless you bring in a legitimate star, the DH slot is worth no more than $5 million a year, maybe $7 million. But on this team of aging veterans, not having a full time DH thus giving them the ability to rest these guys and keep them fresh all year could turn out to be priceless.

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-- Lem Allen, BYB Freelance Writer
bybcurmudgeon@gmail.com



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