YANKS MARCHING

In the mid 90’s the “Jam Band Movement” hit this country like the British Invasion of the early 1960s. Suddenly songs elongated from around 3 and a half minutes to 15 minutes of vamping, flourishes, solos and breakdowns. Some of it was ok…at first. However, it wore out its welcome quicker than your typical jam band tune.

Most of those puka shell necklace wearing outfits - Rusted Root, Widespread Panic, Dispatch and Big Head Todd & The Monsters – have drifted into the ether. There is one band that, in many ways, have become the New York Yankees of Jam Band music…THE DAVE MATTHEWS BAND.

Much like the Bronx Bombers, this crew packs them in on the road. They have a massive, loyal following. Even causal music fans are familiar with their act…the way someone who’s never watched baseball knows who the Yankees are. Unfortunately, the comparisons aren’t all a good thing.

I recently saw David and his gang…twice…in 3 weeks’ time. The first time in Camden just across the bridge from Philadelphia (I bet someone I was with that no matter what we’d hear a E A G L E S! spelling chant…you never disappoint, Philly…. awful.)

The second show was in the Insurance Capital of the World…Hartford, CT. What was the takeaway? Well, I still like many of Matthews’ songs. Dave and his band are very talented and the rush of memories of past shows made nostalgia hit like the contact high hanging in the air like a sad, hippie quilt. The other thing I left with is how formulaic it has all become. Sure, the set list is different each night but the rest…the rest is just the same old song. Dave is quirky. He offers up a few, “Thank y’all very, very much. We hope you’re having a nice time.” He may toss in a political nugget or dance like a Muppet with his loose leg hops and struts. Then we are treated to DMB’s Free Bird. A song as tied to a Dave Matthews show as New York, New York is to Yankee Stadium.

It’s catchy. Everyone knows the words…or has made up their own. It’s a great ending song…but it’s canned. The band walks off and gives us the 7-minute rest period before returning for the encore. It was fine. I enjoyed the show…but not as much as I once did.

The Yanks are the DMB. HUGE! DYNASTIC! CHAMPIONSHIP PROVEN! EXCITING...in the 1990s. Back when Stick Michaels was the “Tour Manager”. 

The club is now like the shows I saw. They dine out on old stories. They still bring in the audiences. They make you nostalgic with Paul O’Neill Nights, Bernie Bobble Heads or letting us watch Nelly groove one to Nick Swisher so he can go yard.

Brian Cashman is the record exec using yesterday and loyal fan base to hold down a job he does poorly. 

He knows the formula gets us just “good enough”…but that’s it? We do the same song every year and get the same story when it goes upside down at season’s end. We leave the ballpark in the Bronx the way I left the Dave Matthews shows…I’m a fan…but not like I was. 

Sure, they’re still the Yanks. He’s still Dave Matthews…and even to a punker like me the dude is worth seeing. But it’s not new…it’s not evolving. 

Look, we have Judge. We do have great pitchers. And Dave has put out a new song here and there that is solid…but it’s touring the old stuff to let older-ish folks from the 90s feel like high school and college kids again. It’s not about winning new fans or bringing in a championship. The formula is there…so the dollars will follow…until they don’t. 

So, take these chances…place them in a box…until a quieter time…lights down you up and die.

I’ll always like Dave and his talented band. I will always love the New York Yankees…but the shows pale to the 90s versions.

--Mike O'Hara

Bleeding Yankee Blue Contributor

THE FALSE REALITY OF WHAT MAKES CASHMAN GREAT

Something is seriously wrong with Aaron Boone.

But the Yankees don’t just have a manager problem. They have a general manager problem too. And before the Brian Cashman defense squad starts printing Hall of Fame plaques, let’s revisit a little thing called history — something Aaron Boone clearly treats like optional reading.

The Yankees dynasty wasn’t born the second Cashman sat in the GM chair. That’s revisionist history wrapped in pinstripes.

The foundation of the dynasty was built by Gene Michael — “Stick” Michael — from 1990 through 1995. He was the stubborn architect who refused to trade away the young core when everybody else wanted shiny new toys. No Derek Jeter deal. No Mariano Rivera deal. No Andy Pettitte tossed away for some fading veteran. Stick protected the future while the rest of baseball played checkers with Yankee prospects.

Then came GM Bob Watson in 1996. The pieces were already in place. The engine was built. Watson helped guide the Yankees to a championship while the Core Four era officially arrived.

By the time Brian Cashman took over in 1998, the Yankees were essentially a luxury sports car with the keys already in the ignition. From 1998 to 2000, they dominated baseball — but pretending Cashman created the dynasty from scratch is like giving the guy who watered the lawn credit for building Yankee Stadium.

That’s why many people around baseball — and many Yankees fans — view 2009 as Cashman’s one undisputed championship. Why? Because that team had George Steinbrenner and his fingerprints all over it. And how did the Yankees win that title?

By opening the vault like a casino owner on New Year’s Eve.

CC Sabathia.
A. J. Burnett.
Mark Teixeira.
Nick Swisher.

The Yankees didn’t “develop” their way to that title. They went on a shopping spree that looked like George Steinbrenner had discovered unlimited credit. And to Cashman’s credit, it worked. But since then? A whole lot of headlines, analytics buzzwords, and October disappointment.

Which brings us to the recent Brandon Tierney-Aaron Boone exchange — a conversation that accidentally exposed why Boone always sounds like the last guy in the room to realize the fire alarm is real. Brandon Tierney was wrapping up the interview and talking about the Yankees’ roster depth and urgency this season when Boone decided to launch into a full infomercial for Cashman.

Boone called Cashman a Hall of Famer.

Tierney, probably wondering if he accidentally switched studios and wandered into a Yankees PR meeting, before politely pushing back.

Because here’s the reality: Hall of Fame executive? Based on what exactly? One championship in the last 16 years? An endless parade of expensive contracts that aged like milk in July? Constant playoff exits? A roster-building philosophy that too often feels like fantasy baseball run by a hedge fund intern?

That’s not greatness. That’s surviving in New York while owning an unlimited budget. Cashman is not a hall of fame GM.

Boone, of course, doubled down.

“He’s great at it, BT. He’s really good at it,” Boone said.

And that’s when Tierney hit the brakes.

“Great’s a little bit of a stretch. 2009’s been a minute, Booney.”

Correct. Completely correct.

The Yankees haven’t been starving for resources. They haven’t been rebuilding in a small market. They haven’t been operating with limitations. This is the Yankees. The standard isn’t “pretty good.” The standard is championships. Parades. Rings. October dominance.

Instead, Yankees fans have gotten aging rosters, bloated payrolls, analytics experiments, and postseason exits that arrive faster than Boone’s postgame line about how “the guys battled.” And Boone just kept talking — which is usually where Boone gets himself into trouble. He talks like a guy trying to finish an essay five minutes before class. More words don’t make the argument smarter.

Tierney ended the segment perfectly: “Go get a win.”

Exactly. Not 700 regular-season wins. Not another Wild Card appearance. Not another analytics seminar about launch angle efficiency. Win a championship.

That’s the job. If Cashman wants Hall of Fame talk, win another title. If Boone wants praise as a Yankees manager, stop managing October games like they’re spring training experiments in Tampa.

Until then, Boone can keep defending Cashman all he wants. Maybe he’s brainwashed. Maybe he’s loyal to a fault. Maybe he genuinely believes what he’s saying.

But one thing he definitely isn’t?

Right.

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED & THE 'FAKE NEWS' WORLD OF BRIAN CASHMAN

The Yankees had the blueprint for a clean, stress-free win: Max Fried on the mound, a slim lead, and momentum on their side. Naturally, it all went sideways. Why? Because the bullpen once again treated a lead like a polite suggestion instead of a responsibility.

And the wild part? This wasn’t supposed to be an issue anymore. Cue the flashback—July 31, 2025. Brian Cashman steps up after the trade deadline and essentially stamps the roster with a big “Mission Accomplished.” Reinforcements had arrived: David Bednar, Jake Bird, and Camilo Doval. Three arms, one promise—problem solved.

Except… not even close.

Bird’s already been rerouted to Wilkes-Barre like a package marked “return to sender.” The others? Let’s call it aggressively average. Sprinkle in a few more spare parts, and somehow the bullpen still operates like it’s held together with duct tape and crossed fingers.

Meanwhile, yesteday Fried actually gave them a chance. He settled in, found a groove, and carried a one-run lead into the sixth looking every bit like the ace. Then came the turning point—because of course it did. Former Yankee Oswald Peraza ties it with an RBI double, and Fernando Cruz follows that up by turning a crack into a crater with three more runs.

From there, it became a parade of “who’s that?” and “why now?”—Angel Chivilli (I don't know who this is) and Ryan Yarbrough—and just like that, the wheels weren’t just off, they got lost. The offense, for dramatic effect, vanished right on cue.

So yes, they got run over by an Angels team that isn’t exactly a juggernaut. And the question keeps coming back: how does a team that stockpiles bullpen arms like collectibles still end up with a relief corps that can’t close a door, let alone a game?

I’ll give you the short answer—because the guy in charge thought the job was already finished. “Mission accomplished,” remember? That’s starting to look less like confidence and more like the moment the GPS lost signal.

And it’s not just the bullpen. This is part of a longer résumé that raises eyebrows: the Carlos Rodón deal that hasn’t delivered co-ace results, the gamble on Frankie Montas that came with a warning label attached, a roster that seems permanently one tweak away from the injured list, and an offense that lives and dies by the long ball—usually dies when it matters.

At some point, it stops being bad luck and starts being a pattern.

And if you zoom out? Brian Cashman only really has one unquestioned crown jewel—2009. The rest? All of it traces back to the foundation built by Gene Michael. Since then, it’s felt more like maintenance than mastery.

Yesterday was just another episode in a very familiar series: shaky bullpen, silent bats, and a team that looks less complete the closer you examine it.

And the best (or worst) part? It’s only April 17. Plenty of time for things to improve… or for the same script to keep running on repeat.

WHAT'S NEXT? MORE BOONE BABBLE AND CASHMAN CRAP!

If you were holding out for hope that something positive comes out of Hal Steinbrenner's "deep dive" it's not looking very pretty. Both Brian Cashman and Aaron Boone had a lot to say to the media, and none of their comments were very inspiring. This feels like a repeat episode of failure.

After 17 losses in the last 24 games and a fall from first place in the AL East to holding on to a Wild Card spot, Baboonie is in the hot seat again. He's used to it by now and fans are beyond frustrated by it. We're also frustrated (but used to) Brian Cashman defending him. How the hell do these two still have jobs?

Both of them had a lot to say recently, the New York Post breaks it down HERE. I can't stand Baboonie as the Yankees manager anymore. He's a soft simpleton in my opinion who just can't get the job done, yet the Yankees keep him around. Am I the only one that hates this quote?
"It starts with me," Boone said. "I filter in through the coaches and it's about us trying to get these guys prepared the best we can, setting a tone with how we present ourselves. But it's on us as coaches to put our players in the best position possible to go out there and be successful. We got to continue to try to do that to the best of our ability and trust that the ball's going to start to bounce our way a little bit and we can get it rolling here. It starts on that bump and we gotta keep at it."

WE GOT TO CONTINUE TO TRY?! You've been trying since 2018, Baboonie and it hasn't happened. There's no more try! There's you do the job and right the ship now or you gotta go. There is no TRY. I don't go to work every day, and TRY to do the assignments and projects my boss gives me. I do the job or I should expect to not have my job. It should be no different for him but somehow, it is because he's protected.

And what makes it worse, is he is protected by Brian Cashman, who is even more incapable of doing his own job than Baboonie is and Cashman said it best himself. "Obviously he works extremely hard. He’s very well-connected with these guys. He’s charged every day with pushing the right buttons the best he can with what he’s got. I think he’s navigating that as well as he possibly can," said Brian Cashman.

He's charged every day with pushing the right buttons the best he can with what he's got. Hmmmm....funny how what Baboonie's got is the exact flawed roster designed by Cashman himself and constantly riddled with injuries. Honestly, minus Juan Soto and Alex Verdugo, this is the exact same offense we had last season. It didn't get the job done then, and it isn't now. I don't care if Aaron Judge and Soto are two of the best players in the game, they are only two in a lineup of nine and they can't do it all themselves. And what about the starting rotation recently? Overperformed in April and May without Gerrit Cole and now a major weakness. Oh, and Carlos Rodon looks like a terrible signing now.... fixing on two bad seasons in a row. 

Was Cashman at his best when he was thriving on the team that Gene Michael masterfully conducted? He had a vision for a winning team, which is lost on Cashman. He doesn't have the same skill set, and yet he is protected by Hal.

It's just another episode of Boone babble and Cashman crap....and I am tired of watching and listening. Will Hal ever wake up and realize this isn't working?

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

THE NEW YORK SPANKEES

Hal Steinbrenner and Brian Cashman embarrassed themselves and the entire organization this past week.  A lot of talk and lip flap to the press... but literally offered nothing about how they are going to change this Yankee team.  In fact, Brian Cashman was on his heels the entire time he spoke to the press... totally defensive... gaslighting the Yankee fans that pay thousands and thousands of dollars a year on this team, the tickets, the overpriced food, the merchandise.  

In the end, what did we learn?  Well, it was more of the same.  There are "big changes" coming... but when you listen to them, there is ZERO SUBSTANCE.  It's like kicking a can down the road.  Sooner or later all you have is a can on the other end of the street, but it's battered and broken down and dented... and nothing else.  

That will be the New York Yankees as we start spring training in 2024. There is panic among the top executives in the front office of Yankee stadium. And I will say this again... Despite what Cashman says about utilizing analytics way too much in 2023, it doesn't take more than the eye test to know that that is EXACTLY what the Yankees were doing.  There were no gut moves... there was no managing with the eyes... there was none of that, and if there was, Boone is DEFINITELY not qualified to manage.

I am quickly noticing that Brian Cashman doesn't have a baseball mind at all. Brian Cashman's big ideas are quick fixes on guesses when it comes to wrangling players.  His trades have been disastrous.  His signings have been flops.  The other day he mentioned to the press that the Yankees had the largest Scouting department in the MLB.  Well, it doesn't show Cashman. You clearly have hired to wrong people.

The Athletic demolished Hal and Cashman almost as bad as BYB does on the daily. Check this out:

"Steinbrenner said in no uncertain terms that changes were coming to the Yankees. When pressed on multiple occasions to provide some clarity, Steinbrenner dodged questions by citing private (meetings)...

Steinbrenner said. “These were private meetings, and they need to stay that way, or else we’re going to have a more difficult time getting things done.”

Steinbrenner was mostly vague about the potential different processes and personnel changes fans can expect in 2024.

“There’s going to be some big changes,” Steinbrenner said. “There’s going to be changes some people might not consider significant, but (Aaron) Judge and I may because we’re doing this every day.”

The most bizarre moment of Steinbrenner’s media availability came when he said the team discussed the importance of bunting back in August. Steinbrenner said manager Aaron Boone raised the point that he believes the team has not taught young players coming up through the minors to bunt enough."

Anyone who has seen this Yankee team understands they are built for home runs, not bunting.  Let's also talk about the fact that Steinbrenner just revealed his cards when he offered that the advice of "bunting" came from Aaron Boone who literally has no real baseball mind, and his only baseball moment came when he hit a home run against the Red Sox in the 2004 ALCS to advance.  What we need to remember about that moment is this; We did not move on to win the World Series... and that moment is so old it's insignificant to the now. The Yankees suck now and so the more the YES network plays that moment as a part of Yankees history, I want to throw a baseball through the television. It no longer matters... one would argue it didn't matter then.  

Here's the most outrageous part of Hal's chat. Backing the medical staff:

"...when the Yankees finished sixth in MLB in injury list placements with 28...

“Believe me,” the owner said, “we’ve looked at it and looked at it and there doesn’t seem to be a smoking gun at all. I’m very comfortable with our training staff and very comfortable with our strength and conditioning staff.”

Steinbrenner added that players “really have respect for” the staff."

When leaders aren't ruthless... when leaders aren't honest with themselves or the investors, us fans, a company cannot survive.  Sometimes you can't be nice as a boss.  Sometimes you need to go hard on the players, the personnel and fire a few people to make an example. Is it fair? No. Is it business? Absolutely.

Hal Steinbrenner will not make the needed fixes to turn this Yankee team around.  I know people that have cancelled their season tickets like me, it appears to be the most unrest among some of the greatest Yankee fans on earth, all yearning for the past, when we didn't always agree with George Steinbrenner, but we knew he was in it just like us and he wanted the Yankees close to perfection.  

The Yankee fans of this generation are getting hosed.  They don't truly know how good we were.  They don't understand that the turmoil of the early 70's was to make the Yankees truly great in the late 70's. They don't understand that Stick Michael was a genius in the early 90s which was why we were so successful on the late 90's and 2000s.  And let's face it.... 2009, while a solid team was orchestrated by George because he made huge free agent moves of CC Sabathia, Mark Teixeira, Nick Swisher and AJ Burnett.  But that's where it ends, folks.  George is dead and the kid and his pawns are really not sure how to fix the team.  

And I guess that's just the way it's gonna be.  Buckle up... I see nothing good coming out of this offseason.  Just a big headache.

FINALLY! STEINBRENNER BLAMES CASHMAN FOR HIS LOUSY TEAM BUILDING STRATEGY!

Do be a good leader, you need to admit the organization's shortcomings.  Gaslighting and lying and acting like bad stuff didn't happen when the entire baseball world can see it is no way to run a baseball team is no way to win. 

Admit failure, look at the big picture and come up with a strategy to build a future.  Hal Steinbrenner is not his father, this is true, but what he does have is a demeanor about him where he can sit back, assess the situation and come back with an honest assessment and potential fix. Cashman is not good at this, but talks a good game to the press... kind of like his puppet Boone.  Alot of words... no solution. 

The Yankees sucked a week ago, this is true, but the tide has turned and that's a testament to the guys we did NOT trade. And for that, he throws Brian Cashman under the bus. The guy who want's instant fixes and relies too much on big names with no talent.  Guys like Joey Gallo. Guys like Frankie Montas, a hurt pitcher before he even came to the Yankees organization, but a pitcher we took anyway due to no one paying attention in our organization.

The AP writes:

"We’ll learn a lot in September and we’ll learn a lot in the spring,” Steinbenner told The Associated Press as he left the Yankees’ minor league complex in Tampa on Thursday. “That’s why I didn’t want to trade these guys away at the trade deadline. We’ve traded away too many guys the last few years. So, I think it will be exciting.”

What does this tell you? It tells you that Cashman's on notice. Whether the guy gets canned is another story, but for now, Hal is saying "Cashman blew it. I acknowledge it, and I like the way I feel right now as the Yankees leader seeing these kids bring an energy I haven't seen since 1996."

The AP also quoted Cashman:

"“I think we’re all going to be evaluated, including myself,” Cashman said."

Cashman needs to be the dog with his tail between his legs these days.  He needs to worry about losing his job. As Empire Sports Media writes:

"Take Frankie Montas, Joey Gallo, and Josh Donaldson as prime examples of these failed transactions. Montas hasn’t thrown a single inning for the Yankees this year. Donaldson was just cut loose after posting a meager .142 batting average and a .225 OBP across 34 games. Meanwhile, Gallo, who was expected to bring some serious power to the lineup, was shipped off to the Los Angeles Dodgers after accumulating a troublingly high strikeout rate during his stint in the Bronx."

The bottom line is things need to change, and with new life, young energy and a winning streak from the New York Yankees right now with the kids... Dominguez and company... one thing is for certain.  Take a page from the late Stick Michael... "stick" with the youth, DEVELOP THE FARM and let's go win.

THE RANKINGS DON'T LIE. THE YANKEES FARM SYSTEM THESE DAYS DOES NOT EXIST

The Yankees have clearly decided to build a team around Aaron Judge.  Gone are the days of breeding a winning mentality down on the farm with guys that would play together for a bit before being brought up to try and win on the big team.  Jeter, Pettitte, Mariano, Jorge and yes, even Bernie Williams.  It's that thing that was pushed by Stick Michael, and even if George Steinbrenner wanted to trade a guy like Mo, Stick would jump in and say, "No, No George. You need to trust me on this one."  And George... would listen.  Now yes, George would go rogue and pick up big time free agents that many times didn't do much.  But for the most part, the farm was Gene's and life was good.  Hence, 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2000.

During Cashman's tenure with the Yankees, he was GM and Senior Vice President since 1998 don't forget, . the Yankees have won six American League pennants and four World Series championships.  But if you really think about it, only 1 championship was manufactured by Cashman.  The others were created by the great Gene Michael.

Not to go on a tangent, but it's become clear to me that the Yankees 2nd biggest problem, the first being bad leaders in top management, is the diminished farm system.  The Yankees don't teach baseball and they sure as hell don't mold team comradery like they did when Michael was alive.  Look at this chart... I mean really look at it:

It's pathetic.  

Since 2015 we are barely ranked in the top ten. Do you know how bad that is?  and look at 2021 and 2022.  The teams that have molded and formed a solid farm are the teams that are pretty unstoppable this season.  The Orioles. The Pirates.  The Dodgers.  Texas.  The Reds. Team with futures... teams that will make the playoffs while the Yankees will not.

And it makes sense. Former Yankee farmhand, Ben Ruta blasted the team for lack of effort down on the farm. Sports Illustrated writes:

Former prospect @benJAMINruta tells a story about Chris Gittens and others getting "reamed" by minor league analytics coaches.

▶️ https://t.co/41ZpraoE45 pic.twitter.com/pACY4zNH7M

— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) August 17, 2023

"Former outfielder Ben Ruta, who played in the Yankees’ minor league system from 2016 to ’20, criticized the franchise for leaning too heavily on analytics and lacking in proper baseball instruction while on the Foul Territory podcast on Wednesday.

“Fully expect them to clear house in the minor leagues … they will change developmental culture back to old Yankees days,” Ruta wrote in the episode’s comments section, per host Scott Braun. “Keep in mind, I played in the Yanks org. before analytics in ’16 to ’18, and then after in ’18 to ’20. Stark difference in development.”

And CBS Sports has another quote from him:

"Here's all you need to know: In 2020, before COVID, we played a game called pitchers vs. hitters," Ruta wrote. "The only way to win was to walk or hit a ball 95-mph-plus. There is no baseball being taught there anymore. No baserunning, moving runners, fundamentals, etc."

Sure, it's Ben Ruta, and I'm positive when the Yankees got wind of him speaking out they thought "It's Ben Ruta, no one cares about Ben Ruta", but the truth is, the Yankee fans care. The Yankee fans want answers. All of this is bullshit.

The Yankees are on a losing streak and sinking deeper and deeper into the basement. They aren't going to the playoffs, folks.  But imagine having a farm system that could go through the wins and losses and development together.  Would there be a difference? I think there would be, I really do.

You want to build a team around a superstar like Judge? Go watch the Angels. Trout and Ohtani are surrounded by that team... and they've done nothing.  Have we become the Angels?

#FireBoone

THE FALL OF ROME?

It is just a fact of life. As “poetically illustrated” by Sick Boy in the cult classic Trainspotting; 

“First ya have it, then ya lose it…then it’s gone forever. All walks of life.”

Now Johnny Lee Miller (the actor that portrayed Sick Boy) was speaking about the career of Sean Connery, but the comparison can be made about the state of the New York Yankees as well. We are in the fall of Rome, gang. The Yanks are making the mistakes the once great empire made. They became lazy. They became complacent and uninspired. They lived off the glory of yesterday and thus lost the ability to fight for tomorrow. Sound familiar?

I’m a coach... one of my many hats. I work every day with outstanding student athletes looking to push themselves to new levels of strength and speed. It’s been amazing to see so many of them enjoy great successes. However, I always remind them to, “NEVER BUY A HOME IN YOUR COMFORT ZONE!” The Bronx Bombers have done just that! 

They are trying to stay the course in a game that has change so much since they last held the title of World Series Champions. Yankee Brass has made mistake after mistake, and they continue to speak down to the fan base; “We know what we’re doing.” 

CORRECTION! You KNEW what you were doing when then Stick Michael was at the wheel. Brian Cashman is not a great GM… never has been. That is a fact. He had a big checkbook and used it when the Boss allowed him too. The heart of his 2009 team was there and beating and Cash added some big free agent pieces to push the Yanks to number 27!  But let's face it. He hasn’t developed much… he hasn’t done much of anything. He does enough to keep his job. Hal ain’t George and Brian knows that.

The Great Emperor of the Bronx Coliseum is gone and like Commodus to George’s Marcus, Hal is weak and will skipper the fall of the Pinstripe Legion.

Everyone wants to hang this on Boone. It isn’t his fault in my opinion. However, I never thought he should’ve been named Manager and I like Boonie. The Yankees need a leader who knows how to make big contracts work like they are just up from the Bush Leagues! A baseball mind that knows intangibles! We had one in GI Joe in my opinion. Aaron is a great guy and was a heck of a ballplayer once upon a time, but now is the scapegoat and will be sent to fight gladiators to his demise! ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?!! We’ll watch the skipper get axed and NOTHING will change. NOTHING!! The fix is to allow it to fall and rebuild smarter, younger, faster!

The upside? Well, he patrols right field. There is a heart that has the same blood that pumped in the Dynasty years. #99 is a guy they can build from. He is a leader. He doesn’t like to lose. He takes guys under his immense wingspan. There are materials to get the Empire back to something we can cheer for. Will it happen? Your guess is as good as mine, folks. I know Cashman is dug in like a tick and Hal doesn’t know an ERA from an IRA. We will need new leadership, and at this point I’d let, THE YANKEE FAN SEATED IN SECTION 214, ROW J, SEAT 7 be the new GM. 

 Have a sense of humor…we’re gonna need it.

HEY! Eric Idle, take it away!

--Mike O'Hara

BYB Contributor

Twitter: @mikeyoh21

SMOKE & MIRRORS & THE KEVIN BROWN EFFECT

It's like the scene in "JAWS" when everyone is on Amity Beach enjoying a fun-filled summer day. Suddenly they're drawn into a nightmare when a pretty, young, hippie girl yells, "Sh-Shark! There's a SHARK IN THE POND!"

That's just like today in Yankee Fanland...except instead of yelling "Shark" she's yelling, "SLUMP!! THERE IN A SLUMP IN THE BRONX!" We stink as of late...like company that's overstayed their invite or 3 day old flounder you brought home in a doggy bag and forgot in the back of the fridge. 

But maybe...hear me out...maybe it's been a lot of smoke and mirrors? Look, Aaron Judge is ALL WORLD. He should be offered 300 million over 7 years, a player option on the 8th and name him Captain. That's the break wall. Just offer that. If he turns it down...well, I'd be disappointed but not shocked. He may know what many of us do and don't want to say out loud...this team isn't going anywhere. 

Stanton has been great...but never healthy. DJ has bounced back and is effective...but ain't gonna carry the club. We FLAT OUT overpaid and over valued Gerrit Cole. He is an ace...at times. When the planets are aligned, the weather is a comfortable 77 degrees, winds are moderate at 5 to 7mph and out of the south, south east and the Yanks are at home...playing Baltimore. 

Sevy? He's broken. Nestor? He's a great story and a 5th starter or long man in disguise. Jameson? I need at least 5 to 6 shots of Jameson watching him. Frankie? That's the Kevin Brown effect Cashman LOVES to pull. We didn't get you a Warrior on the bump like Schilling...HERE'S KEVIN BROWN!! Then he blows up like a gender reveal stunt in the ALCS!!

The rest of the roster is O-K to poor. Donaldson is not going to cut it. He may run into one here and there but he's been Clint Frazier playing the infield. 

I-K-F is a W-T-F. What was Cashman thinking there? Go get Didi. It's a move sideways and he's loved in the clubhouse. I love Benny as a pickup. He is a solid player and is a major upgrade from Joey (so no harm no foul there). He looks the part of a Yankee and it drives the Massholes mad.

Aaron Hicks gets his own paragraph for all the WRONG reasons. This guy sucks. No sugar coating on this one. He was a bum in Minnesota and an often injured bum here. He should be selling pretzels in the
centerfield concessions stands not playing on the field. The BEST centerfielder they have in the big fella wearing #99. (when healthy it should be Benny, Judge, Stanton Left to Right...EVERYDAY!). Hicks is killing this team. 

He is an automatic out and it's time for him to go to the land of forgettable Yankees with the likes of Pavano, Brown, Gallo and Maas. Cashman's ego may be holding on to him...Brian is WRONG.

The rest of this club is just like the others. We have two closers...one a once great one on his way out and one a pickup from Pittsburgh that was over his skis in the first half. The Pen is taxed already and the stretch won't be kind to them.

At it's core I believe, like so many clubs, the Yankees have WAY over hyped their farm. For every Aaron Judge who pans out there is a full bus load of bushers that never will. But we hold onto them and miss out on trigger pulls The Boss wouldn't have ever allowed. Yes, George almost pissed away Mo and Jeter, but he wouldn't have let Soto go to save Volpe. We got Frankie we NEEDED Luis. We traded Monty...again, it won't kill us but he was more reliable than Tallion!

The Yankees got a lot of breaks early on. The Two Towers were ranking (Judge still is). The staff looked strong, but you could see the strings and tape if you looked closely. They are better constructed

over in Queens...kills me to say that but it's a fact.

I don't blame the skipper...I blame Brian Cashman. 

He has the checkbook and means to always be competitive...but not the real baseball sense to make better moves. He was lauded at the deadline for being active...but c'mon his act was a cover band. It was a D+. Benny was a good move, but not enough to make up for Hicks on this team or Stanton being hurt...again.

The 2022 Yankees are a front...a put on. The Pinstripes are sharpie'd on this year. There is no true backbone.

My fear isn't the Yankees not winning the series...no. My fear is the 2023 Yankees lose Judge and return a team of older, overpaid, overhyped, overvalued players....and it's 1985 for the next 10 seasons...and Stick Michael ain't here to save us.


Tell 'em Pete...

--Mike O'Hara

BYB Contributor

Twitter: @mikeyoh21

IF IT'S ABOUT DEREK JETER'S LIFE, MAKE IT THAT

I have had my beef with Derek Jeter over the years. Not with his playing ability. For that I always considered him one of the greatest.  It had to do with his demeanor off the field and how he treated my kid at an event that once really ticked me off. I'm not gonna rehash, but you can read about it in SOMETIMES YOU GOTTA SMILE AND DEAL WITH IT, DEREK!

But Derek Jeter is forgiven, because as my kid reaches his 20th birthday and Jeter has been removed from the game, he's also gone from the Marlins, and now on social media. Derek Jeter is showing off his personality (finally). Dare I say, I really like this guy and his personality more than I ever thought I would.

Last night after the Home Run Derby, The Captain Episode 1 ran on ESPN.  It was great to see how this guy evolved with the Yankees through out the set backs of the team back then as well as his errors and sometimes doubt to make it in pinstripes.

One thing bothered me about Episode 1. The long, drawn out explanation of the feud between George Steinbrenner and Dave Winfield.  Now, as an adult, I remember that feud and the newspapers well.  It was a mess between George and Dave. But in the world of Derek Jeter, that 5 minute, off-track side story just didn't belong. It was just enough to almost lose me entirely. In short, it's not what I wanted to see.

For Randy Wilkins the director, it could have simply been a moment where he could have written a few sentences about how Jeter's idol was Winfield, how George and Dave butted heads, and that's what lead to George being forced out for a bit. Instead? It went to news packages, soundbites and for what I thought was a while, it wasn't even a Jeter documentary... it was a Steinbrenner doc... totally off track.

I tweeted that and this guy, clearly thought I was 16. This is what I wrote July 19, 2022 on Twitter: The Winfield/Steinbrenner Segway smack in the middle of this Jeter doc is truly bizarre. Almost lost me. #TheCaptain

You know the deal. It allowed Stick to build the farm and not trade them like George did in the 80s….hence 1995-1996….

— Lee W (@lee_w18) July 19, 2022

He’s 21. pic.twitter.com/HXylWYcDQo

— Lee W (@lee_w18) July 19, 2022

But it is - it’s how that team was built. George would have traded some of the young guys like posada Williams Mo and maybe even Derek. They don’t have the dynasty If Stick isn’t running things

— Lee W (@lee_w18) July 19, 2022

Or they could simply written something like:

"Dave Winfield and George Steinbrenner did not see eye to eye, to the point where George Steinbrenner did his own snooping around Winfield, hiring gambler Howard Spira to dig up dirt on him. The plot would backfire on George however. On July 30, 1990, Steinbrenner was banned permanently from day-to-day management, but not ownership of the Yankees by Commissioner Fay Vincent after George's plot was revealed and invesigated by the MLB.  But this would be a blessing for the Yankees, who would turn the Gene Michael, who believed in young talent, and patience."

There's your bridge. No bells, not whistles, facts without going off the reservation. The other way? It was disjointed... awkward.

Now in the end, I guess it's subjective, right? It's Wilkins doc... he could do it any way he wants, but Jeter's doc needed to be Jeter. Those moments before the segway were riveting. His upbringing, his dream. Hearing Steinbrenner getting booted for his ridiculous antics with Winfield, while newsworthy back then, we're pretty insignificant when I watched last night. Sure, it's a bridge to seeing Stick build the Yankees farm system, but it's a mention and move on like my script above... keeping Jeter and the Cour Four (plus Bernie) in the spotlight more.

Hey, my opinion. Ultimately, I'm loving this documentary so far. That one moment, it's one word... Subjective.

I hope you all get to watch it. Its very good. 

BUILD SMARTLY & CARRY A SMART STICK

Photo: Getty Images

Someone once told me that a person isn't judged by success alone, we are also measured by the things we do and the positive way we impact people.  This past week the Yankee Family lost a man that was truly an all around success story. 

(National Baseball Hall of Fame Library)

Gene "Stick" Michael did just about everything he could do for the Yankees.  As a player he wasn't a Hall of Famer, but he gave it his all at the professional level and was a beloved teammate in the Bomber's Clubhouse. 

Gene was a manager in the Bronx and help bring the Yankee Way to the players he skippered.  However it was his years as General Manager that really set "The Stick" a part from the crowd.  A brilliant baseball mind, Gene Michael was the chief architect behind the last Yankee Dynasty. 

He was responsible for things like hanging on to young talent with names like Williams, Posada, Rivera, Pettitte...oh and some kid from Kalamazoo who turned out alright I guess.  The Stick also traded for a struggling, Irish head-case named O'Neill. 

He went out and landed David Cone and Daryl Strawberry.  In short, this Yoda of Baseball was using the force to build one of the greatest teams ever to take the field while holding the trigger happy Boss at bay.  Sure, Mr. Steinbrenner had been suspended, but Michael never shied away from going nose to nose with King George if he felt strongly about the moves the club NEEDED to make.

I think it is more than fair to say that Gene Michael influenced more GM's in Baseball than Bill Walsh did in the NFL.  If you asked the likes of Beane, Epstein, Shapiro and our own wunderkind Brian Cashman, they'd ABSOLUTELY say they'd stolen a page or 10 from Stick's playbook.  The man knew baseball and how to build winners.  He made calls using his eyes and the numbers...but Stick also stuck to his gut.  Whether it was rookie that hadn't hit his stride yet or a well placed veteran with some pop left, Gene Michael knew how to find pieces that worked.  He not only changed the New York Yankee team, he changed the New York Yankee culture.

I didn't know Mr. Michael.  I'd only seen him at Old Timer's Day or sitting near the dugout at the odd Spring Training game.  I'm not sure I'd have noticed him if he were in front of me in the 12 Items or Less line at Stop 'n Shop...but most of the most important people we'll ever know aren't the ones who garner fame and fortune.  They are usually behind the scenes people.  They are a coach, teacher or friend that does the little things that make our lives better.  From what I've read, that was The Stick...and he'll be missed.

Thank you, Gene Stick Michael.  We won't ever forget ya.

** Thank you, Stick. Truly The Man of the Hour **

 
  --Mike O'Hara
BYB Contributor
Follow me on Twitter: @mikeyoh21