YANKEES CHANCES ARE SLIPPING AWAY

The Yankees remain a roster loaded with talent but handicapped by one glaring weakness — the guy running the dugout. Aaron Boone is less a strategic mastermind and more a self-inflicted obstacle course the team trips over nightly.

Jon Heyman just poured a little salt in the wound, pointing out that the Yankees — with their $300 million payroll — are clinging to a measly half-game lead over the Guardians. Yes, the Guardians: a team with a third of New York’s payroll. If that’s not embarrassing enough, the Yankees’ recent skid has left them 62-55, six and a half games back in the AL East, and losers in six of their last seven. A 5-4 win yesterday barely counts as life support.

Look at Boone's career as manager. He doesn't win. 

And Brian Cashman this year? He basically left the trade deadline with a gift bag containing nothing but pocket lint and excuses.

Even Joe Torre — the man who delivered four World Series titles to the Bronx — is tiptoeing around the truth. Torre said, “I feel for Aaron Boone. I’ve been in that place where you’re trying to rearrange the furniture and hopefully it makes a difference… This club’s too good not to have a run, and there’s still time left.”

Translation: Boone’s not the guy, but Torre’s too classy to say it. Fans aren’t. We’ve seen Boone’s “track record” — overmanaging, ignoring instincts, and somehow choosing the one option that tanks the game. Remember the Nestor Cortes–Freeman debacle? Or bringing in Devin Williams the other night? It’s a constant uphill battle for the players just to overcome his blunders.

This isn’t chemistry, it’s chaos. Not leadership, but manager-loserville.

Sure, the Yankees might stumble into a Wild Card spot. But with Boone steering, it’ll end in the same sad way: an early exit and another round of excuses. The talent is here. The wins could be here. The problem is also here — in the dugout — and until Boone is gone, this team’s ceiling is hitting their heads on it.

Bottom line: fire him.

WHEN WILL THE BOONE CLOWN SHOW END?

It’s time to stop whispering and start screaming — Aaron Boone needs to go. We’ve been banging this drum at Bleeding Yankee Blue for four years now, and the beat hasn’t changed: Boone isn’t the guy. Sure, Michael Kay, a Yankees-paid mouthpiece can keep peddling their “he got them to the World Series” bedtime story, but let’s not kid ourselves — he also managed to not win it.

Remember that error-laden fifth inning that could have been salvaged by an actual leader? Instead, we got Boone’s brainchild: letting Nestor Cortes pitch to Freddie Freeman. That single decision should be bronzed and displayed in Cooperstown under “The Worst Managerial Call in the History of Time.” Boone just doesn’t have the finesse, the decision-making chops, or the leadership instincts you need in October… or frankly, in May. That’s why I’ve sworn off Yankee Stadium until the man is shown the door. I won’t spend a dime on this team until Boone is gone.

Now, the rumor mill is churning about Brad Ausmus as a potential replacement. Great — Boone-Lite. They’ve coached together, which means Ausmus already has Boone’s bad habits hardwired. And even if Ausmus did have fresh ideas, the real cancer isn’t just in the dugout — it’s in the front office. That stupid iPad and Michael Fishman’s “projection analytics” have turned this team into a lab experiment gone wrong. Remember when Aaron Judge hinted the Yankees might be giving players “the wrong numbers”? Yeah, file that under truth bombs.

Boone’s personnel choices? A masterclass in stubbornness. Veterans play because of big contracts, hungrier players on the bench sit. The bullpen? Don’t get me started. Boone inherits a batch of fresh arms at the deadline, and what does he do? Hands the ninth inning to struggling Devin Williams like it’s a gift basket.

Boone has this soft spot for veterans with big contracts. He “feels bad” for them, so he trots them out while hungrier, better-performing bench guys collect dust. He calls it “letting them work through it.” I call it losing games on purpose. Baseball is a business, not a daycare — and Boone refuses to act like a boss.

Meanwhile, the Yankees keep getting burned by sloppy fundamentals: missed cutoff men, brainless baserunning, and defense that looks like a blooper reel. Baseball & CBS Sports guy Mike Axisa put it perfectly — the Yankees win on talent alone because they constantly lose on the margins. And no championship team survives that.

So where do we go from here? The talent is there. Cashman added some depth, Judge is healthy, and the schedule even hands us beatable teams like the Marlins and Rangers. Yet we still manage to lose to them. This year’s summer slump feels deeper, uglier, and more telling. If they want to salvage the season, guys like Fried and Rodón have to pitch like actual aces, the young core needs to step up, and Boone must manage like every game is a playoff game. Spoiler alert: he won’t because he doesn't know how.

 

Boone doesn’t get gut calls. He doesn’t get that computers can’t run a baseball team — humans with baseball instincts can. And while his last name comes from a long baseball lineage, pedigree isn’t performance. Boone is like the slow clone from Multiplicity: technically a Boone, but… not all there and the 4th one.

The clock is ticking, and with the right manager, this team could pivot instantly. But until then, we’ll just keep going through the motions, exactly like we have since Boone first took the reins — and that’s the real tragedy in pinstripes.

ANOTHER AARON BOONE DECISION LOSES GAME FOR YANKS

Here we go again. Another game, another avoidable Yankees loss, and — spoiler alert — another chapter in Aaron Boone’s How Not to Manage a Bullpen masterclass.

The Yankees coughed up a lost to the Sox. A 10-7 win, Yanks lose. Painful? Sure. Predictable? If you’ve watched this team under Boone, absolutely.

Now, let’s be fair: when a pitcher gets the ball, he’s supposed to do his job. If he doesn’t, that’s on him. But let’s zoom out. Because the question isn’t just who blew the game — it’s why was that guy in the game at all?

Ladies and gentlemen, meet Ian Hamilton. Your ninth-inning guy....against the Red Sox. Yes, that was the decision Aaron Boone made. And no, it doesn’t make sense.

Hamilton hadn’t pitched in a week. He’s been shaky. Yet Boone tapped him to hold the line in the ninth, and it predictably exploded in his face. Or rather, our faces. Because Yankee fans are the ones paying the price for this recurring nonsense.

FanSided said it best in a scathing and accurate breakdown:

“Hamilton pitched the ninth inning and immediately allowed four straight Red Sox hitters to reach base. Two of those runners scored, turning what was a one-run deficit into a three-run deficit. Hamilton was once an important piece in the Yankees' bullpen, and he hadn't pitched in a week, but using him in that game in that spot is just the latest Aaron Boone blunder.”

Boom. Right there. That’s the story. And that’s the problem.

This isn’t Hamilton hate. The guy has had moments. But managing isn’t just about pulling names from a hat — it’s about context. It’s about feel. It’s about not being completely clueless in high-leverage situations. And yet here we are.

Once again, the Yankees hand Boone a lead, and he returns it gift-wrapped to the opponent like a confused mall Santa in July.

We’ve been down this road before. We screamed about it last October when Boone trotted Nestor Cortes out to face Freddie Freeman with runners on and no bullets left. That wasn’t Year 1 Boone. That was Year 6 Boone. And it was still a total disaster.

So fast forward to last night. With the bullpen available, why was Ian Hamilton the choice? Jonathan Loáisiga likely wasn’t an option after back-to-back outings. Fine. But Devin Williams? He threw 14 pitches the night before. Fernando Cruz? Just 9 pitches.

And you’re telling me they were both down? In a one-run game? Against Boston?

Give me a break.

There’s no guarantee they would’ve shut the door, but the odds were infinitely better than running a rusty Hamilton out there cold. This wasn’t complicated. This wasn’t 4D chess. This was “Who’s my best arm tonight?” and Boone somehow forgot the entire board.

And here’s the part that blows my mind: where is the outrage?

Where are the other Yankees blogs? The analysts? The media members? Why aren’t more people calling this out?

The man is bad at this. Full stop. And every loss like this one is a reminder that a different manager might have this team in first place instead of floating in mediocrity. The margins matter. And Boone is consistently on the wrong side of them.

And don’t even get me started on the postgame pressers. You want professionalism from your manager? Boone was literally picking his teeth while talking to reporters after the game.

 

We’re not making this up. The Yankees are bleeding and this dude’s flossing on camera.

It’s embarrassing.

At some point, the Yankees’ front office has to recognize what’s painfully obvious to the rest of us: this team will never win a championship with Aaron Boone as the manager.

You want to beat Boston? Win a division? Hoist a trophy in October?

You don’t do it with a guy who thinks “rested and rusty” is a bullpen strategy.

Tonight is a must-win as far as I'm concerned. The series is still within reach. But if Boone keeps rolling out the wrong guy at the wrong time, this team will keep losing games it should win.

And when that happens — again — don’t blame the bullpen.

Blame the guy picking his teeth in the dugout while the season goes down the drain.

That’s the bottom line.

COMPLACENCY & MEDIOCRITY WIN THE DAY WITH STOOGE BOONE'S EXTENSION!

We as the Yankees are no longer are the team of grit, passion and championships.  We the fans are just feeding the Yankee piggy bank because of successes of years past.

These days Hal Steinbrenner has become complacent, plain and simple. The Yankees are no longer a team obsessed with winning championships—they're a brand, a massive, money-printing empire where the past is more valuable than the present. The merchandise flies off the shelves, the memorabilia from the glory years keeps the cash registers ringing, and as long as the Yankees logo is still a global icon, actually winning? Well, that’s just a bonus, not a priority. That’s why Aaron Boone—the puppet, the king of empty October appearances—has been handed a contract extension through 2027.

Oh, you didn’t hear? The Yankees just announced this morning that they’re extending Boone for two more years beyond his current deal, which was set to expire after 2025. Why? Because mediocrity is now acceptable in the Bronx. Yes, Boone has a winning record, but since when did that make someone a great manager? MLB Trade Rumors tried to defend him, stating:

"Boone is a divisive figure in the fanbase but there’s a lot of good stuff on his track record. The Yanks have made the postseason in six of his seven seasons at the helm, with the aforementioned 2023 campaign being the lone exception. They have had some tough postseason losses but, as mentioned, just went to the World Series a few months ago. As skipper, he has a regular season record of 603-429, a .584 winning percentage."

Okay, and? So, Boone padding managerial wins is important? WTF. We've all gone soft.

Getting to the postseason and failing isn't an achievement—it’s just prolonging the inevitable. So Boone is what, the best loser in the league? Give me a break. The Yankees lost the World Series last year. Before that, they missed the playoffs entirely in 2023—the worst season in three decades. They’ve been second place in the AL East more often than not under Boone and have exactly one World Series appearance in his tenure.

But sure, "the manager isn’t responsible for that," right? Tell that to Billy Martin. Tell that to every manager who’s ever been fired after a bad season. The reality is Boone isn’t qualified, he isn’t good under pressure, and when the moment is biggest, he panics. Just ask Nestor Cortes and Freddie Freeman—Boone made one of the worst managerial decisions in World Series history, and it cost the Yankees everything in a must-win game.

Let’s be real: Boone is still here because Steinbrenner doesn’t care about winning, and Brian Cashman keeps feeding him nonsense. Cashman even had the nerve to say this, per MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch:

“I think that is a strength, that is a benefit. I know that if he wasn’t the Yankee manager, it would be a feeding frenzy for him to be a manager that’s coveted elsewhere, objectively. That’s how we see it.”

So, let me get this straight: the Yankees kept Boone not because he was the best option, but because they didn’t want another team to have him? That’s the logic now? That’s the standard in the Bronx? What an absolutely ridiculous take.

And let’s not forget the Yankees marketing machine still playing that 2003 Boone walk-off against Boston like it’s some iconic championship moment. Do they forget what happened after? The Yankees lost the World Series. That homer meant nothing. Just like Boone’s entire tenure.

Great managers are carried off the field. Why? Cause a good manager will LEAD YOU TO A WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP.  That has never happened to Aaron Boone and with the amount of talent around him... it should have happened at least twice by now. But the reason is simple... Boone is not a great manager.

This extension is a joke. I will apologize if—and only if—the Yankees win the World Series under Boone. But let’s be real: they won’t. Because Aaron Boone doesn’t have what it takes. Joe Torre won four rings and was let go. Joe Girardi won a championship and was cut loose. But Boone? Still here, with zero titles to his name. Why? Because Hal Steinbrenner doesn’t care about championships. The money is still rolling in, even if the Yankees keep coming up short.

Pathetic.

DODGERS SPENDING HABITS ARE TOO MUCH FOR THE YANKEES

Could it be possible that the spotlight of evil is off the Yankees? The Athletic thinks so. In fact their quote is this, "Maybe the Evil Empire really has relocated to the West Coast." Yes, maybe, and eventually they have to pay up. I feel like they just keep racking in the "Bobby Bonillas". In case you don't know, this was the contract the New York Mets agreed on in order to bring in and eventually cut Bonilla back in 2001. He is paid every July 1 through 2035. The Dodgers have a few of those kinds of contracts. In fact, "The Dodgers have committed nearly a half-billion in guaranteed dollars to players this offseason, second only to the New York Mets, who signed Juan Soto to a historic 15-year, $765 million deal." So it is safe to say that the Dodgers spending habits are wide and deep, perhaps too deep for the Yankees.

According to The Athletic, "This winter, the Dodgers made the following big-money signings: Lefty starting pitcher Blake Snell, five years, $182 million; lefty reliever Tanner Scott, four years, $72 million; outfielder Teoscar Hernández, three years, $66 million; righty reliever Blake Treinen, two years, $22 million; outfielder Michael Conforto, one year, $17 million; and infielder Hyeseong Kim, three years, $12.5 million. They also landed Japanese free-agent starting pitcher Roki Sasaki, the most coveted international prospect of the winter." This is in addition of course to Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts, Max Muncy, must I go on? You can see the whole payroll here.

But the Yankees haven't been quiet in the off season. They have made some upgrades for sure. But not quite at the expense that the Dodgers have. They have picked up starting pitcher Max Fried, veteran first base man Paul Goldschmidt, outfield Cody Bellinger and likely the best closer in the game right now in Devin Williams. Yet, still, the Death Star march plays for the Dodgers who have positioned themselves as not only the team to beat but the team to hate.

What likely adds salt to the Yankees wounds is that the Dodgers are favored to repeat in 2025, perhaps a rematch in the Fall Classic with their rival Bombers. But I think Hal Steinbrenner has the right mindset here, “They still have to have a season relatively injury-free for it to work out for them, and it’s a long season, as you know, and once you get to the postseason, anything can happen. We’ve seen that time and time again. We’ll see who’s there at the end.” He's right. The season is unforgiving. And injuries are inevitable. It is about who is left standing at the end. And this year, the Yankees hope it's them and that they have done enough.

With Spring Training only a few weeks away, the anticipation for the new season is high. Will the Yankees start early and stay strong? My prediction is yes. They have a good start; they lead the East through the All-Star Break, and they have a heck of half of a season. But guess what, so do the Dodgers. So, then it really comes down to do the dollar pay for endurance and greatness? We shall see. It will be interesting to watch what money can pay for. 

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

FACING THE CRITICISM: LACK OF FUNDAMENTALS DON'T WIN WORLD SERIES

Watching the Yankees' undoing in the fifth inning of Game 5 of the World Series was painful, but not surprising. As I shared with my CEO today who calmly asked me if I was okay a week later, the Yankees simply cannot win when they lack basic baseball fundamentals, and I have not been able to watch or read anything baseball since that horrific loss. He advised, "Write that in your blog post and you will feel better." So, like a good employee, I am doing just that. The Yankees' lack of fundamentals don't win World Series. And I am not over it.

The Dodgers knew of the Yankees' lack of defensive play ahead of the World Series. In fact, they were extremely confident going into the games against the Yankees because their scouting reports indicated that they would make mistakes defensively when the ball was in play. According to NY Post's Joel Sherman,  "What the Dodgers told their players in scouting meetings was the Yankees were talent over fundamentals. That if you run the bases with purpose and aggression, the Yankees will self-inflict harm, as was exposed by Mookie Betts, Tommy Edman, Freddie Freeman, etc. That the value was very high to put the ball in play to make the Yankees execute."

It was hot head Dodger pitcher Joe Kelly who bashed the Yankees on his "Baseball Isn't Boring" podcase calling their ranking inflated and placing them at the bottom quarter of the 12 teams that made the MLB playoffs this year. "Just let them throw the ball to the infield, they can't make a play," Kelly said. "I mean, you saw. Shohei got an extra base going to third on a sloppy Gleyber play. It's well known. We all knew. I mean, we're the Dodgers. We know every little detail," ranted Kelly. Yeah, I get it. We all know it. We are with the team 162 games. We have seen it all and we don't need the Dodgers or anyone else to rub it in our faces.

In response to the criticism, General Manager Brian Cashman acknowledged the Yankees poor performance in the World Series. "Our A-game didn’t show up when it counted the most,” he continued. “I also think, objectively, if you take a step back and analyze who we played, whether it was the Dodgers or any of the other postseason teams that were participating, whether it was us playing them or other teams in the National League, those rosters are all constructed with players that do things in some category better than others. You have exceptionally great defenders that don’t hit as well, you have really good hitters that don’t defend as well. And the combination of how it all fits together plays out a certain way over the course of 162 and then in the month of October if you’re lucky to get there,” reported Yahoo Sports.

I think we can all acknowledge that both teams deserved to be playing in this World Series. And yes, there can only be one winner. But it absolutely was not a mismatch as Kelly and others have stated. 162 games is a long season and the Yankees won out. Then they battled through some very tough ALCS games and won out. But the Yankees have to figure out October and that's just what the GM admitted.

“And to be the world champs you gotta be really good – which I think we produced really good teams – you gotta be healthy and you gotta be lucky. We’ll try to continue to figure out how to navigate October. We’ve done it before, but as many times, in many years the best teams going in don’t win. And it’s not because they’re flawed it’s just navigating October is difficult,” reported Yahoo Sports. 

For me, I'd like to see less of these fundamental mistakes, more small ball all season long not just in October and less emphasis on big bats. It is not just about the home runs; it is not just about swinging for the fences but rather it is about putting the ball in play when it counts and then defending that lead. It is a whole-team effort. And the Yankees just weren't able to execute that plan. Fundamentals executed well win ball games and absolutely win World Series. 

--Suzie Pinstripe

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @suzieprof

BOONE AIN'T NO GENERAL, HE AIN'T NO MANAGER OR LEADER... HE'S A HACK

This entire series was predicted... by me.  

It takes a true leader to lead a team.  I have said this for years. Aaron Boone is not that leader.  He doesn't truly understand how to manage a short series, and he doesn't truly understand what needs to get done during tough times. This, my friends is the toughest time of his career and he is a no show, he's nowhere. He ain't no manager, he surely ain't no General.  

Generals are tough. Managers are smart.

Yup General Patton is there, for good reason.  Now you can get angry at me and say that war is not baseball and how dare you.  My imagery is for heavy reaction because it's not about Patton leading soldiers to war... it's about a leader leading his players to deliver.   Boone doesn't understand what it takes. He has been exposed. How else to you explain changing up the lineup last night and pulling Austin Wells, putting in Jose Trevino to replace him, and then pinch-hitting Wells for Trevino later on?  

That's a manager second guessing himself.  For me, it was the most glaring indication of a manager that is unclear on how these games work and the importance of a short series.

I don't know why any Yankee fan is surprised by the way this World Series is going.  The New York Yankees are the most inconsistent team in 2024 and Bleeding Yankee Blue has been harping on this and writing about it since the season began.  They are just moving along, a win here, a lose here and a hot streak in the beginning of the season and a hot one near the end.  It was like a fake season. And by the way, absent Boone had really nothing to do with anything except make bad decisions and trust me, Bleeding Yankee Blue has documented all of them.

I don't understand what is wrong with the integrity of these Yankee players.  They defend Aaron Boone for "Backing them".  If backing them means he argues ball and strikes as theater to get kicked out of try and fire up the fan base, I have news for you, that's not what true leaders do.  If that's what they hang their hat on they are also part of the problem and they should all be fired.

Last night the Yankees had a big opportunity, probably the only one they were going to get all game.  Gleyber Torres at bat, men on base and on a ball out of the strike zone and high. The umpire calls a strike three.  Now for you, for me, for Gleyber, for my mom, for the typical Dodger fan that at this point takes pitty on us... we ALL knew it was a ball and an opportunity to walk and maybe Soto could have started something big... you know, momentum.

Got him!

Torres is caught looking at strike 3 up in the zone.

📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/YDLHNBlVVt

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 29, 2024

  

But Gleyber struck out on a bad call.  And what do we get? We get a cutaway of Aaron Boone spitting out seeds.  No fight in a game that actually means something.  All season long this guy looked like a fucking clown arguing balls and strikes in meaningless games.  But this is when we need him most. This is a leadership moment.  And he doesn't budge.  He spits his bacon ranch seeds and sits there lifeless.  WHERE IS OUR MANAGER?

Let me also state the worst part of last night's game and something a lot of Yankee fans do not know.  Joe Davis is on the Dodgers broadcast team. John Smoltz is just anti-Yankee ever since the Yankees beat him and the Braves in the '90s.  So, it's no wonder why they took every opportunity to slam the Yankees with backhand compliments and critical comments for the past 3 games.  My favorite "rooting of the Dodgers" moment came when the Yanks pegged out the Dodgers runner at home.  Listen to Smoltz:

My favorite highlight of Game 3. Because he was wrong. pic.twitter.com/0VL59opESL

— Robert Casey (@BleednYankeeBlu) October 29, 2024

Now I'm sorry but why are you rooting?  

Look, the broadcast BS doesn't help, but back to our weak leader in Aaron Boone.  This note's to Hal Steinbrenner....

Dear Hal,

We have tried it your way for a few years now.  It's clear that Daddy Boone made a phone call to someone in the Yankees front office to get Aaron Boone a job.  And we tried it, but it's not working.  Aaron Boone is a guy that hit a home run against the Red Sox in 2003 and everyone seems to forget that we actually LOST that World Series and then he broke his leg in the offseason and violated his contract. So, he is hardly a noble, hardworking and smart individual capable of managing the biggest franchise in baseball.  But what's worse is the fan base has been telling you this for years.  Fire him.

Thank you.

Fondly,

Casey 

The Yankees can win the World Series, but obviously the percentage is very low.  But if they do not we can blame this entire World Series on one play.    

Aaron Boone not bringing in Tim Hill into the game in Game 1 and instead going to a guy that hadn't pitched since September 18th.  If Freddie Freeman doesn't hit that Grand Slam, we are in a much different situation today.  Why?

Momentum.  

Momentum is a very powerful thing and much of the momentum that surround teams comes with a subtle move made by their leader.  It could be a fired-up speech in the clubhouse before the game. It could be a last-ditch effort of putting Wade Boggs in to work a really good at bat.  It could be a moment in time where a pinch hitter bunts in a suicide squeeze.  And it could also be a guy named Tim Hill coming in in that inning with that sick windup and hopefully shutting Freddy Freeman down.  

But Boone didn't make the right decision.  He chose the friend zone, not the must win. He chose Nestor at the worst possible time and that moment killed the Yankees, brought momentum to the Dodgers and will ultimately (hopefully not) cost the Yankees the World Series.

And after this season, win the Series or not, Aaron Boone MUST BE FIRED. Because he is not a manager, he is not a General... he's a hack.  That's the bottom line.

YANKEES- DODGERS RIVALRY IS BACK AND IT'S BETTER THAN EVER

Source: Yahoo Sports

I love it. I have been waiting for this since the late 1970s when it was Billy Martin against Tommy Lasorda. Those were the days when Tommy John went toe to toe with Ron Guidry and when Steve Garvey and Reggie Jackson belted bombs across the diamond. Today, that fierceness is back with guys like Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts heating up the Dodgers lineup against the Yankees with the mighty Aaron Judge and young shortstop Anthony Volpe. This Yankees-Dodgers rivalry is fire. And it feels better than ever.

Writes the New York Post, "It is one of the most unique rivalries in all of sports, one that tugs at heartstrings and memory banks, and whenever there is a game and those two teams are on the field, it seems like it should be televised in black and white, feels like Mel Allen and Red Barber should share the call." And the games against the Dodgers yielded so many great moments like the only World Series perfect game in 1956. 

Despite being one of the most well-known, well-established rivalries of all time, it has not been this anticipated since those days in the late 70s and early 80s. And no wonder. It has been some time since the Dodgers and Yankees were both this good at the same time. It has been some time since the Dodgers trotted into Yankee Stadium with this much confidence backed behind slugger Shohei Ohtani. And speaking of Ohtani, I don't remember a time when the Yankees sold an out of town jersey in their very own stadium team store. And a collaborative New Era cap featuring Judge and Ohtani on the front which is making Yankees fans dizzy.

As Fox Sports reports, "Judge and Ohtani are, without a doubt, the two faces of Major League Baseball, and the Yankees are taking advantage in what many perceive to be a peculiar way. First of all, the Yankees are selling Ohtani Dodgers jerseys in their own team store this weekend. But what got fans really riled up were the bodega-style hats featuring Judge's 99 and Ohtani's 17 side-by-side." One fan even called the hat a felony while another said "you have to pay Juan Soto somehow." Soto is eerily absent from the lineup with forearm inflammation. Probably the only downer for this well-anticipated and attended series. 

The Saturday game was played under the lights, which is atypical for the Yankees on Saturdays. And this game has been featured among other must watch events: The London Series, The Belmont Stakes and yes, the Yankees vs. the Dodgers. Yankee Stadium is in a fan's word, "mobbed with so many Dodger fans" this weekend.

1941 was the first time the Bronx Bombers and "Dem Bums" faced one another in the World Series. Back then, they were cross-city rivals; now they a cross-country, bicoastal rivals, driving huge crowds whenever they have the chance to face one another. Altogether, the Yankees and the Dodgers have faced each other in the Fall Classic 11 times, with the Yankees dominating the Dodgers for most. Could this weekend be a preview of what's to come? With all the energy and excitement, one can only hope.

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

IT'S NOT EVERY WINTER THAT A PLAYER LIKE AARON JUDGE BECOMES A FREE AGENT!

Source: LM Otero

You can't skim the social sites without seeing an Aaron Judge headline every fifth post. Local newspapers and national ones alike, plus the hundreds of sports beat reporters and blogs have a mention of Judge somewhere in their articles and posts 10 hours ago, three hours ago, 15 minutes ago, The Daily News said, ESPN posted, Bryan Hoch stated that...and with good reason. It's not every winter a player the caliber of Aaron Judge is available on the open market. The question is, who will be lucky enough to land him?

Source: CBS Sports

"The Dodgers are one of the few teams who have shown a willingness to hand out the kind of contracts required to shop at the top of the market on a consistent basis. They absolutely have the financial flexibility to do so this offseason, too, after allowing Trea Turner to enter free agency without an extension and declining Justin Turner's option," reported CBS Sports. Certainly not necessarily new to the conversation, the Los Angeles Dodgers are always looking to add more to their arsenal. Last season they picked up superstar Freddie Freeman. The year before they picked up ace pitcher Max Scherzer and before that they exploded with a contract for then free agent Mookie Betts. The Dodgers are not afraid of digging into their deep pockets to pick up the right players for their evolving team. And this year will be no different.

Source: LM Otero

"It's not easy to clock what the Dodgers starting nine might look like because of their versatility, and because they have some other pressing questions to address this offseason -- like, who plays shortstop, and what about third base? Predictably, the Dodgers have been linked to the top free-agent shortstops, including Carlos Correa, and have even been rumored to have interest in Willy Adames of the Milwaukee Brewers," reported CBS Sports. So maybe the Judge addition is not as essential as these key infield positions. That leaves their in state rival the San Francisco Giants who have been linked to Judge since before he officially announced his free agency.

                                                                           Source: LM Otero

Recall the Aaron Judge was wooed by the San Francisco Giants and visited with the team and the higher management over several days last week. According to MLB Network’s Jon Morosi, “I believe that once Aaron Judge knows where at least the initial Giants offer comes in, and I do believe one is forthcoming, that there will be a fairly robust conversation to where we could see Aaron Judge signing with a team within the next two weeks, by the end of the Winter Meetings." The Winter Meetings kick off on Sunday and end Wednesday, December 7th. With an offer coming perhaps as early this week, the Yankees and maybe even the Dodgers will have opportunities to outbid and woe the slugger accordingly. 

Source: Tony Gutierrez

Judge was a Giants fan growing up. He met a number of iconic Californian sports figures while in San Francisco. But he has already tasted what it is like to be a part of one of the most winningest sports franchises in history. He has felt the nostalgia. He has been a part of history himself in breaking Roger Maris's record of 61 home runs. He has the opportunity to be the next Yankee captain. You can't top that, even if you are Steph Curry, one of the frontliners in the Giants wooing sessions for Judge.  

I am glad Judge is being lauded, celebrated, wooed after. He deserves it. But after all the fanfare subsides, I hope he can quietly reflect on the player he is and the one he wants to become. It's not every winter we get to witness this kind of lovefest over a player. But this year, is Judge's year and let's hope he chooses well. 

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

THREE KEY REASONS JUDGE WILL REMAIN A YANKEE FOR LIFE

Source: Fox Sports

One could say I am writing this piece because I can't stomach Aaron Judge playing anywhere but New York. When I say, New York, I mean the Bronx. And after I read John Feinstein's piece, "The Yankees and Aaron Judge would be crazy to end their partnership" in The Washington Post on Saturday, I knew that my feelings were not just mine alone. Others like me believe that Judge will stay not because it makes them feel better to say that, but rather because the partnership they have forged is one that can't be broken by money or fame or hurt feelings. Here are three key reasons why Aaron Judge will remain a Yankee for life.

1. The Yankees, well are the Yankees. 

They have history and even though they have not won the World Series since 2009 and the days of Boss George Steinbrenner are long gone, the Yankees remain the most successful, most prestigious team in all of sports. As Feinstein states in his article, "Judge is a bright guy. He understands these things, and he understands legacy. It probably explains why he tightened up when he got to 60 home runs with 10 days left in the season and barely surpassed Maris’s single-season AL record of 61 home runs down the stretch." 

Source: Fox News

It is meaningful to break this record as a Yankee. It is meaningful that Roger Maris's family was there to witness it, with Judge's mom, traveling city to city to see history be remade. And Aaron Judge won't find the same kind of home he has had in Los Angeles, San Francisco or Queens for that matter. Sure, I like the Dodgers, but when they left Brooklyn, they vacated their spot in baseball history. It ended as Ebbett's Field went silent. Judge will not be the player he is now anywhere but as a Yankee. 

2. Scott Boras nor Casey Close is Aaron Judge's agent. 

Need I say more? Two of the biggest deals of the 2022 baseball season saw Boras and Close make a ton of money on Freddie Freeman and Juan Soto. Boras is known to push the envelope, making teams bid against each other, artificially inflating baseball salaries. As Feinstein reminds us, "Boras would tell him to sign with the Kansas City Royals or the Arizona Diamondbacks if they offered $1 more than the Yankees. Someone may offer Judge more than his current employer, but unless the Yankees don’t come to the table with some kind of reasonable offer, he isn’t going anywhere. The Yankees will do what has to be done." Then there is the shady Casey Close who was rumored to have not been completely up front with his client Freeman that the Braves did make an offer to have him remain in Atlanta. Despite some controversy around the claim, the fact remains that if Freeman had a counter offer in front of him, he may have stayed in Atlanta. Judge will likely have many suitors, but if the Yankees are able to meet with him before the free agency bonanza begins as soon as the World Series is over, the partnership needs could be placed clearly on the table—the Yankees need clubhouse leadership and Judge can bring that and more to the Yankees in 2023 and beyond.

Source: Frank Franklin II/AP

3. There's unfinished business in pinstripes. 

This goes back the earlier point about the World Series. Judge and his team have unfinished business. The business of the World Series—getting there and winning. "He has been rookie of the year, he is going to be the MVP this year, he hit 62 home runs, and the Yankees have made the postseason in each of his six full seasons. But they haven’t won a World Series. He might go someplace else and win one, but it wouldn’t feel the same as doing it in the place where he grew up as a player and where memories of postseason failures would make a postseason victory that much sweeter," writes Feinstein. I can't agree more. 

So things could and likely will get ugly in the weeks and months following the World Series. And as fans, we need to muster up the energy to get through it. But at the end of the day, for all of these reasons, Aaron Judge will remain a Yankee. Not because I feel better saying it but because the wise insights of this article align with what is true about this game and the New York Yankees' place within it. 

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