THE BYB JINGLE YOU CAN'T GET OUT OF YOUR HEAD

I wanted to share this with you.  My buddy Paul Chivari of the Fahey & Chivari show not only has an incredible radio voice, but he's a musician as well. In fact, he was a member of the Chicago band,  Elephant Gun at one point.  Needless to say, the dude's talented.

Over the past year, I've become friendly with Paul and Ryan Fahey.  They are great people and I first introduced them to all of you when I wrote MY CHICAGO FRIENDS ARE COOL.

Since then, alot has happened. Paul has since moved on from his radio show with Fahey, and Bleeding Yankee Blue has gained popularity.  So what I'm about to share with you will stick in your head for the rest of the day... and you can thank Paul for that!

Paul wrote Bleeding Yankee Blue a jingle. It's a jingle that I will eventually attach to the home page of BYB and you'll be able to click it any time you want.  Here it is:



Awesome, right? I'm totally flattered by it and I greatly appreciate it.

Paul... thank you.  You're a great guy and I know you're in a great baseball town like Chicago, but you should consider being a Yankee fan... we're better. I kid... I kid. I mean we are, but you know.

Thanks again old friend! I owe you one.

You've made BYB the fastest growing Yankees fan site in history. Now shop at the Bleeding Yankee Blue store!  Follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and LIKE Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook!  Also, don't forget to check out the BYB Hub!

THE YANKEES ARE KILLING OFF THEIR YOUNG

The Yankees are driving me crazy!

Did you hear what they just did to our youngish guy (28 year old) Zelous Wheeler? They got rid of him... I'm not kidding.

Hardball Talk's Aaron Gleeman, love this guy, writes:

"...the 28-year-old career minor leaguer is headed to Japan. Wheeler has been sold to the Rakuten Golden Eagles of the Japanese League, removing him from the Yankees’ roster.

He hit just .193 for the Yankees, but Wheeler batted .296 with nine homers and an .834 OPS in 82 games at Triple-A and has the defensive versatility to potentially have stuck in a bench gig."

That's all fine and good, and many of you will say, "Well, Wheeler wasn't gonna give us much." I say this... "How the hell would you know? We didn't give the guy enough time."

Truth be told, Wheeler was never expected to last too long in New York, but he was fun to watch once in a while, and he had alittle pop. He also filled in in a crucial time last season.  This unloading of course comes 1 day after Pat Venditte took a hike and signed a 1 year minor league deal with the A's.  Read  SWITCH-PITCHER PAT VENDITTE TOOK A WALK.

I was just on Fahey & Chivari, a Chicago broadcast today (#4 on their broadcast list) screaming about the fact that we needed the Youth Movement with the Yankees... then they turn around and do this.

I have a feeling Jeana Bellezza, one of our BYB writers has something to say about all of this. She's big on the youth movement in New York.

Hey Jeana, I have an assignment for ya...

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

HOW CAN YOU NOT BE ROMANTIC ABOUT BASEBALL?

When you think about heroes in sports. Derek Jeter comes to mind.  Sure... let the hater's hate. After all, the funniest and most tremendous part of Derek Jeter walking off in his last game ever in the Bronx is that he did his job and didn't respond to the haters. Keith Olbermann looks more like a fool today than he did yesterday and trust me, that's hard to do. The guy's a doofus... anyway.

The point is it's moments like last night that the haters will never understand. It's not the stats, it's the class... it's that role model stature and it's Derek's character and perfect timing that we all fell in love with.  Haters will never get that... and I feel bad for them.

Forget the haters who want to rain on the parades and celebrations and farewell tours of Derek Jeter or even a Paul Konerko.  Fans celebrate players, that's it! Reporters or commentators rarely do without being provocative.  Don't listen to the media who tell you it's "over the top."  We love our players.

Now, we all know the Jordan and Gatorade videos when it comes to Derek Jeter. Here they are again:




Now Paul Konerko of the Chicago White Sox released his Thank you to the Chicago fans too and some highlights are sprinkled in there.  If you've never watched Konerko play... watch this. He always had a flair for the dramatic too. It's a must see, if you're a baseball fan:






I have always had tremendous respect for Paul, and while if you're on the East Coast like me, and only truly hear about Derek Jeter, Chicago is having their own farewell tour for Konerko.

According to my Chicago radio friends Fahey & Chivari, who I spoke to yesterday, Listen HERE, Konerko had been great for the White Sox fans, and while he hasn't played alot this season... he's loved by the fans... and he should be. It's fun to celebrate these baseball heroes.

I leave you with this;  If you're a fan and you love a guy for clutch hits, or big moments.... or even the fact that he's just a nice guy or good role model... Celebrate them. Celebrate them loud!  That's what fans do.  Don't listen to the haters. Don't listen to the media who claim it's all "over hyped."  They are not the authority when it comes to the honoring players... THE FANS ARE.

Carry on...


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

THIRD STRAIGHT WIN & THE YANKEES ARE BACK!

On Joe Torre day, there had to be a win.  After all, while Torre was at the helm, he was a terrific manager and we won a helluva lot. He was so terrific in fact, that we celebrate him at BYB constantly.

Over the next 24 hours, we'll have different pieces celebrating Joe... but let's get back on track for a second... the Yankees won! 

It was three in a row, and I don't want to get ahead of myself, but I have to tell you, if you're Yankee fan, you're all happy, aren't you?  Trust me though... I'm not going to get ahead of myself.  When I do, I blow it, I jinx the team and they go on a losing streak.  I refuse to get too excited.  I will however smile from my seat today.  Love the wins boys!

My 2 favorites today had to be Hiroki Kuroda and Martin Prado who is on a friggin' tear. Prado was 3-4 today.  Kuroda pitched 6 innings, gave up 5 hits and only 2 runs. Only 1 more run was given up, that was off of Shawn Kelley. Other than that, the bullpen shut down the Chisox and David Robertson got his 34th save.

The Yankee run scoring went like this:

In the second, Chase Headley grounded into the double play, and in the process, Mark Teixeira scored.

In the 4th, Martin Prado doubled, knocking in 2 runs.  Then in the 6th, and as reported by MLB.com, "Umpire reviewed (home run), call on the field was upheld: Carlos Beltran homers (15) on a line drive to right field." I'll take it.

After that, Stephen Drew sac'd home Prado.

That was it... the boys won, and it looks like my boys, Fahey & Chivari of SportsTown Chicago may owe me some cat nip and wine as part of an unofficial bet which took place on Thursday. It was off the cuff... but I take it seriously.   Don't know what I'm talking about? Check out my friend Paul Chivari below...

Any questions?

Final: Yankees 5 - White Sox 3

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

I'M A "BALL OF JOY" TO TALK TO...

I was welcomed back to SportsTown Chicago's Fahey & Chivari Show and I always love talking to Ryan and Paul.  They are great dudes and great professionals. They handle me with care.

We spoke mostly about Derek Jeter, in between my poor phone reception in Manhattan. Bummer, but truth be told, I was able to recover, get to a good spot and the boys were patient with my phone problems.

I wanted to share the broadcast with my BYB audience if you wanted to hear it. Just click HERE for the 19 minute spot.  We had a lot of laughs.

They asked me about my favorite moment in Jeter history, and to me, I think it has to be Derek Jeter's home run in Game 4 of the 2001 World Series.  I remember him pumping his fist as he homered at Yankee Stadium. It was a walk off in the 10th, and it was the greatest moment for me, for New York and for the nation after 9/11.  This is what I said today on Fahey & Chivari:

"For me personally, 2001, when 9/11 happened, and we were all here. It was a real low point and we needed a boost and to see the dramatics of that 2001 team, even though we didn't win the whole thing...my God.  They were doing things... hitting home runs... you were sitting there on a couch in Manhattan  late at night thinking to yourself, 'my God. They're gonna do it!  They're gonna do it for New York. They're gonna do it for America.' So that for me personally was my moment, even though we didn't win the whole thing, that's my moment. When he hit those home runs, when he was anointed Mr. November... That was it."

I also spoke of the club in the second half.  My thoughts have never changed on it.  I believe the Yankees will go after 1 pitcher and then handle the hitting and run scoring with what we have.  Bottom line, the Yankees spent a ton of money in the off season and gave the fans what we wanted, change.

Well, we have it, and now we have to hope these expensive hitters hit.  I believe we will, I really do, and I'm happy the boys let me offer that opinion on their show.

But the best part was this, and it's a part that I didn't hear because I had hung up by then;  Ryan and Paul had alittle banter after my interview.  I smiled when I heard it played back this morning.  It made me feel like I did the job... and I appreciate the kind words...

Paul Chivari: "He's got a great sense of humor and great insight to the Yankees."

Ryan Fahey: "He is a ball of joy to talk to. When I was communicating with him... when we officially confirmed he was coming on today, it just put a big smile on my face and I'm like 'we're gonna have some fun...'"

Well, we did, and I appreciate the kind words... it keeps me motivated and it makes me realize that I'm carrying myself and presenting the brand of BYB the correct way. I'm glad about that.

Anyway, the Chicago boys are terrific, professional and I'd go back any time they wanted me.

Again ladies and gentlemen... I'm not about myself here, but I'm happy to be apart of what BYB has become. I think I'm just proud!

Fahey & Chivari make me feel at home. They're stand up guys! Thanks gentlemen!

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

MY CHICAGO FRIENDS ARE COOL

I appeared on the Illinois Center for Broadcasting's SportsTown Chicago, the Fahey & Chivari radio show yesterday. The appearance was courteous, professional and I am an instant fan.

We talked about a lot of stuff, and I encourage you to take some time and check it out. Click on Fahey & Chivari above.

We spoke of Jeff Samardzjia, a guy who remains winless in Chicago with the Cubs, yet has a terrific ERA.   We recently wrote a piece on BYB by Suzie Pinstripe called SAMARDZIJA: WASTED TALENT IN THE WINDY CITY. In it, Suzie wrote this:  

"... he can’t reach his potential hanging around Wrigley Field as a Cubs starter.  The iconic team just isn’t cutting it for the rising star who is an athletic, injury-free 29-year-old pitcher...Could Samardzija make it in New York?  I think so.  “Samardzija, it has been noted by people close to him, has an amazing belief in his own ability. He also has the $10 million nest egg from a beefy signing bonus negotiated when the NFL was another option,” stated (Jon) Heyman.  Confidence can carry you very far and in the Bronx, you need a healthy dose of it, as the Yankees are not any ordinary team with ordinary media and fans.  But he is used to the spotlight, being a sports hero with one of the most beloved teams in the world." Suzie was referring to Notre Dame.  And Suzie made a lot of sense. The boys referenced it. 

Now, I agree with Suzie, although many fans believe a National League pitcher doesn't always translate to the American League. Maybe, maybe not, but you don't know unless you try.  I'd welcome Samardzjia.

We also talked about the move to make David Robertson our closer now that Mariano Rivera retired.  Here is what I said and it's sincere:

"We love David Robertson. We love David Robertson, we always have. You'll never replace Mariano Rivera. We all understand that. We all respect what David does.  We call him Houdini for a reason because he makes you alittle antsy when he's out there, but he pitches very well. He's always in the zone. We celebrate him there." 

That's the truth.  DRob is DRob, not Mo and I'm glad.  They are different players and pitchers and David will succeed for us. I have no doubt.

There was a lot more we spoke about.  We chatted about Yangervis Solarte, Dean Anna, Masahiro Tanaka and his first loss in Chicago, Brian McCann and Derek Jeter.

I also needed to break chops, and by the way, I knew I was in good company because while by Ryan and Paul are professionals, they also like to have fun.  They, like us here at BYB, run a tight ship, but don't take themselves too seriously.  At the end of the interview, click HERE to hear it, I asked Paul about his picture where he is holding a glass of wine while petting a cat on the Sportstown Chicago page.

It's hilarious and they both laughed hysterically.  I knew right then, we'd be fast friends.

I encourage you guys to support the Fahey & Chivari show and check in from time to time. I encourage you to listen to my interview with them.  I tip my cap, they made me feel comfortable and they're cool cats. Thanks guys.

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