SPRINGER IS A CRY BABY & THE YANKEES HAVE BEEN HUMMING!

The Yankees are finally playing like the team they were supposed to be months ago. It’s the classic “better late than never” act, though let’s not kid ourselves—if Aaron Boone hadn’t managed the season like it was a science fair project gone wrong, this division would already be locked up. But here we are, tied atop the AL East, and it’s glorious to watch.

The supporting cast is actually supporting for once. José Caballero hustles like his paycheck depends on it, Cody Bellinger looks like a man who found the fountain of youth in pinstripes, Trent Grisham keeps delivering, and Aaron Judge? He’s casually redefining what “carrying a team” looks like. Oh, and Max Fried has been so good it’s starting to feel unfair.

Last night was the kind of night that shifts standings and rattles psyches. The Yankees took care of business while the Blue Jays tripped over the Red Sox, and George Springer responded by breaking out his tinfoil hat collection.

Springer smoked what looked like a game-changing double down the third-base line—only to have it called foul. Cue the meltdown. He waved his arms, barked at the universe, then struck out on the very next pitch. Afterward, he practically accused MLB of running a pro-Yankees script, whining, “If they want New York to win, just tell me and give it to them already.”

Yeah, George, because MLB is famous for giving the Yankees every break. Boone gets tossed so often he should rent office space in the umpire’s room, and the Yankees routinely eat bad calls like sunflower seeds. If there’s a pro-Yankee agenda, someone forgot to send it to the umpires.

Meanwhile, in the Bronx reality show that actually matters: Judge went nuclear. A three-run rocket for No. 50, a solo shot for No. 51, and the Jays’ loss meant the Yankees climbed into a tie for first. Suddenly, the team that couldn’t string together consistency is blazing toward the finish line.

So yes, Boone has made this harder than it ever needed to be. But the bats are alive, Judge is untouchable, and the Yankees are finally acting like division champs. Now it’s just about keeping the foot on the gas.

YANKEES SIGNED MARK LEITER JR. FOR ONE IMPORTANT PITCH

Great nugget in a Pete Caldera story today. That's why I will always love a legend like Pete. There is always something you take away from his stories that you do not get anywhere else.  

This story has to do with newly acquired Mark Leiter Jr. and his pitch that will be vital for him and the Yankees as we go down the stretch.

Caldera writes:

"Leiter Jr. first threw his version of a split-fingered fastball during a college game at NJIT.

The splitter became more refined during his past three seasons as a Chicago Cub, and it was on prominent display in Sunday’s 10-inning win against the Toronto Blue Jays.

After striking out Joey Loperfido on a splitter to end the ninth, Leiter Jr. fanned George Springer and Alejandro Kirk on splitters to finish a 4-3 victory at Yankee Stadium."

Boone made some stupid comment about Leiter and his split finger fastball and said that the Yankees went after him because of that pitch.  Like, give me a break.  Leiter is a solid all around pitcher.  Boone has a tendency to prop up the wrong things. Just a terrible communicator.

Anyway, Caldera has this stat too which I loved:

"According to MLB Statcast, batters are hitting just .076 against Leiter Jr.’s splitter in 2024, a pitch he throws 33.8 percent of the time, at an average speed of 84.3 mph."

I see great things for this young man.  I hope things pan out for him in the Bronx for sure.

CHASING THE DOLLAR NOT THE DREAM

Source: NJ.com

Aaron Judge. I am just beyond disappointed. Are you? Did you read our skipper's piece on Saturday: SELFISH JUDGE FEELS SNUBBED BY YANKEES & NO ONE CARES? If you haven't hit pause on this piece and go do it. PAUSE.

Now fans at the Stadium showed Judge how they felt when he was met with boos instead of his usual echoing applause. But it is not Judge's fault that he wants more. It is not his fault he is selfish. It is all the guys that came ahead of him, demanding the dollar instead living the dream. And it is enough to make any fan sick.

As MLB.com wrote, "When you look at the list of highest average annual values and say that the proposed $30.5 million -- the highest in Yankees history -- would be “only” 12th, it’s worth noting how many of those ahead of him signed earlier in their 20s -- or, in the case of Max Scherzer, for only three years. Just last year, George Springer, then 31 and comparable to Judge in terms of accomplishments, received six years and $150 million from the Blue Jays. Teams have made it exceptionally clear how much they value youth."

Source: The San Diego Union-Tribune

And by youth, they mean 30 and younger. Big dollars have been flashed in young players' eyes—eager, greedy eyes. It is like they forget how they got there or that they should be paid for getting here. But once you cross over to the 30+ bucket, your value drops as with Judge. Plus Judge's trips to the IL have been frequent. In 2018 and 2019 he played 112, and 102 games respectively. He played half the 60 games in 2020. Last year was the first time he crossed over 140 games since 2017. He is a crowd pleaser and runs maker when he is hot and in the lineup. When he is not, he is a dud. And the Yankees want to pay him for his past and future service based on what they have seen and what they believe he can provide. Nothing wrong with that. 

Source: New York Daily News

Brian Cashman told us exactly what the Yankees were willing to pay, ahead of Judge's deadline of Opening Day. The Yankees "had offered seven years and $213.5 million atop the $17 million it offered for the 2022 season -- making the entire package eight years and approximately $230 million." Fair deal, right? But Judge simply turned his snobby nose up at it and declined. I would love your take on this line from Casey's piece yesterday,  "Judge came back to the media and said “I’m not afraid of searching for a job.’’ In the days of George, that statement will get you traded." I would love to see that through some sort of simulation—Boss George would have sat Aaron Judge's ass right down and said, "we don't do that here at the Yankees."

Source: NBC Sports

"If it sounds like we think Judge will have a hard time topping this offer on the open market, we do, because teams have made it increasingly clear that deals stretching a decade or more are reserved for the youngest stars (like Wander Franco, 20; Fernando Tatis Jr., 22; Manny Machado and Bryce Harper, each 26), since deals that long for players already in their 30s (like Albert Pujols, at 32, or Miguel Cabrera, at 31) have generally been poor investments for team success. (For the team, anyway; they were well-deserved rewards for superstar players.)," reported MLB.com.

No one is indispensible. As a Yankee fan, I worried about what the Yankees would do without anchor and Hit Man, Donnie Baseball. Guess what, they survived. Derek Jeter, same thing. The Yankees kept growing, kept moving forward and so did we as fans. I mean we can go all the way back to Joe DiMaggio who by the way would NOT be snubbing his nose at any opportunity to play or even throw out a first pitch. Check out this piece, APRIL 9, YANKEE STADIUM OR BUST,  earlier this spring about Joe D and his love of the game. 

Source: Clutch Points

Anthony Rizzo said something about Judge and contract extensions more broadly earlier this week which I have not been able to get passed. I am paraphrasing here, but he said, there is no loyalty in baseball. You just don't know what is going to happen. Sometimes you do. In Judge's case, there is loyalty. The Yankees met Judge's deadline with an offer. Judge publicly stated he wanted to stay a Yankee. But his actions are contradictory. Was there loyalty when Freddie Freeman left Atlanta for dollar signs in Los Angeles? And Freeman at least brought a championship to the Braves. Has Judge brought one to NY? I think you know that answer.

Does Judge deserve more? No. He's lucky that he got what he did. He is one step away from an injury, unfortunately. We all are. Take what you are offered, and stay a Yankee or go and get another job and hope you can be what you have been to New York, and its fans somewhere else. Good luck with that.

The grass is always greener as they say. But is it? You have a good thing, Judge. Too bad all you see are dollar signs instead of the tremendous gift you have been given just to be a baseball player, playing for the best sports franchise in the world. 

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @suzieprof

GARDY MAY GO YARDY IN TORONTO

Source: ClutchPoints

The rivalry between the New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays just got more fierce. Word on the street is that the Jays are eyeing up the Yankees currently most tenured player who they failed to sign. Brett Gardner could fly the coop right over the Canadian border and it is not sitting well with me.

Source: Associated Press

The Yankees have said that they have other more viable options in the outfield, choosing to bypass Gardner despite his deep commitment to the only major league team he has called home. "The Blue Jays have a heavily righty hitting lineup. They would like to add a spare lefty-hitting outfielder with plate patience — an asset of Gardner’s throughout his career. If Gardner is interested in playing somewhere besides the Yankees, multiple executives told The Post they believe he could get a major league contract somewhere because he can still run, defend and is viewed as a hard-working clubhouse leader," reported the New York Post.

I'll tell you what, that quote could not be more true—hard-working clubhouse leader who can run, defend and adds dimension to any lineup. The Blue Jays have already stacked their team with winners including their newest first baseman Matt Chapman. 

Source: New York Times

According to the New York Times, "Among the reinforcements brought in for 2022: starting pitcher Kevin Gausman (whose breakout 2021 season with the San Francisco Giants, with a 2.81 E.R.A., earned him an All-Star spot and a five-year, $115 million deal) and starting pitcher Yusei Kikuchi (who had a 4.41 E.R.A. last year as the Mariners’ lone All-Star). And, of course, there is Chapman, who arrived on Thursday from the Athletics’ spring training site in Arizona and was in the Blue Jays’ clubhouse at 5:55 a.m. on Friday." And could Brett Gardner be the next piece the contending team adds to their arsenal that includes Bo Bichette, George Springer, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and starting pitcher and Cy Young winner Robbie Ray?

Source: Sports Illustrated

According to the Post, "Gardner’s representatives has said the veteran intends to play a 15th season. But clubs that could be interested wonder if Gardner, 38, is so aligned with the Yankees that if he cannot latch on with them he just retires." The Blue Jays have engaged Gardner's representatives just in case he just decides to play out his career on a new team, in a different country but in the same division as his beloved Yankees.

So, we have not seen the last of Gardner. And I believe he is more than ready to contend, more so than his younger peers. I wish it was in New York, but I have to say, if he goes to Toronto, he may very well have an exciting final year, which could see a Jays-Mets World Series. And his Yankees go home empty-handed again.

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

IS GEORGE SPRINGER A GAME CHANGER FOR THE BLUE JAYS?

This just got more entertaining for me. The AL East just got a little more interesting now that George Springer is a Toronto Blue Jay. It took the Blue Jays a long time to finally get a big name, but now does it make them more of a contender?

Last season I was concerned about the Blue Jays. There were times where they were heating up and winning while we were blowing some games. They made it interesting for a while, they made it a race for second place in the division which I didn't like. They looked good last season, so with Springer they can be even better....maybe.

Personally, I think the Blue Jays overpaid for Springer. In full disclosure, I wasn't a huge fan BEFORE we all found out he was a cheating ASSTRO. The year the Astros stole the World Series he hit 29 doubles and has a .283 BA. In 2019 he hit 39 home runs and had a .293 BA but the rest of his numbers are outliers. He hasn't been consistent. No batting titles, he hasn't had a 100 RBI season or 200 hits in a season. I don't see how he is worth 6 years and $150 million, but I guess if you are the Blue Jays you have to spend big to attract the big names.

The Blue Jays did well without him, so I think he will help improve the team overall....but there's one thing Springer can't fix and that's the rotation. Just like the Yankees needed some rotation help and still due despite signing Corey Kluber, the Jays are relying on Hyun-jin Ryu to continue to stay healthy and pitch effectively. They are also counting on a bounce-back season from Robbie Ray which is a gamble.

While I don't feel comfortable with our current rotation, I don't think the Jays is any better than ours. So is Springer a game changer? Maybe a little, but unless he is going to pitch too they also have more work to do.

It's going to be an interesting season and I can't wait to see what happens when we see Springer. We all know the Yankees have overpaid before but it's nice to see the Blue Jays do it instead. 

  --Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

     BYB Managing Editor

    Twitter: @nyprincessj

I LOVE WHEN MICHAEL KAY GETS ANGRY!

Source: Twitter

The NY Post headline "Francisco Lindor trade makes Michael Kay finally lose patience with Yankees" had me hooked. I mean, I miss baseball terribly and with the loss of another baseball icon in Tommy Lasorda, this void is even deeper. But Michael Kay getting impatient about the Yankees feet dragging is something I can get behind.

Source: NY Post

"I’ve always been very, very honest when people were saying, ‘Why aren’t they signing LeMahieu?’ I said, ‘Well, what’s the rush? The great (free agent) players are still out there. Trevor Bauer hasn’t signed. George Springer hasn’t signed. J.T. Realmuto hasn’t signed. And DJ hasn’t signed.’ Very slow-moving market. But if this slow-moving game of chicken that the Yankees and LeMahieu are playing with each other cost them the chance at Lindor, that’s a bad job,” said Kay on his radio show on Thursday via the New York Post. 

He's absolutely right. Francisco Lindor was Plan B for the Yankees and now that this plan is no longer relevant thanks to cross-town rivals the New York Mets, the Yankees have to move quickly before, well you know. 

“You can’t sit here until February and allow DJ LeMahieu to make a decision,” said Kay, who started his Thursday show an hour early to discuss the breaking Lindor news. “And if you’re DJ LeMahieu, you can’t sit there and let the Yankees play their game. They both have to come together: ‘What’s your best offer for me right now?’ reported the New York Post. 

Source: Corey Sipkin

The Yankees and LeMahieu are about 25 million dollars apart as Joel Sherman of the Post shared back in mid-December. He went further to say, "If LeMahieu wants to go, teams like the Blue Jays, Dodgers, Giants and so many more will line up. He can play three positions well, hit like a batting champion and provide zero headaches in a clubhouse. Add that all up and why in the hell would the Yankees let go a player who has finished fourth and third in the AL MVP voting in his two years with the team? Money," Yep, drop the mike! 

Bottom line, does Kay getting fired up do anything for us as fans? Yes. What about the Yankee front office? Maybe. And LeMahieu? Eh. This game of you want and we want needs to end. The Yankees need to sign LeMahieu. Them's the facts. Let's see if they can get this done by mid-week. 

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

DID THE RAYS MAKE TRADES THAT BENEFIT THE YANKEES?

Now this could make for a good debate.

I came across an interesting piece from Dan Martin at the New York Post HERE, and I can't say that I feel the same way necessarily. I always look for the positives in life but I don't share in this enthusiasm. I don't like complacency at all so I don't get excited by his theory that the Yankees "get better" due to the Rays trading away Blake Snell and Charlie Morton signing with the Braves. I can't get excited that the Yankees improve only because the Rays got rid of their big game pitchers. The Yankees only improve when they make changes that take the team to the next level. In this case they did nothing.

And what about this thought:
"The Yankees, if they bring DJ LeMahieu back, seem set to go with a similar roster to the one they had last season, which wasn’t good enough to get past the Rays in the playoffs, but looks more formidable compared to how Tampa Bay is currently constructed."

IF the Yankees bring DJ back they look more formidable to the NEW Rays team as it stands. That's a big IF at this point because the Yankees and DJ are still pretty far apart in their negotiations. So IF we get him back, we keep our best bat in the lineup against their weaker rotation which again doesn't make me confident or excite me. 

And let's not lose sight of the rest of the division. Even the New York Post mentions them:
"And perhaps Toronto will make one of the significant moves they’ve been tied to — from stealing LeMahieu away from the Yankees to signing Trevor Bauer or George Springer. So far, though, the Blue Jays have been quiet."

Yes, the Rays won the division last year and made it to the World Series - but that doesn't mean they are the only competition. They might be a pain in our side again, or they may not be. I don't think the Yankees should disregard any team at this point, especially when the Blue Jays are anxious to spend some money. I think Toronto is going to be very good this year. They gave us a run for our money towards the end of the season and there's no reason to believe they can't do it again, especially if they make significant moves.

There's a lot of time left for any team to make changes. The AL East might not look so tough right now, but a lot will change between now and the start of the season. The Yankees won't get better by doing nothing. We have some holes to fill. 

We only get better when we make improvements. Once we do that, then we can really debate about if we are in a better place in the division.

  --Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

     BYB Managing Editor

    Twitter: @nyprincessj

THE ASSTROS: GROTESQUE ARROGANCE & WHY NONE OF THIS MATTERS

Let's not forget where the Astros came from. They are a bunch of cheaters.  They are trash.

I have written about this extensively on Bleeding Yankee Blue and this post will be no different.  Has clown Carlos Correa forgotten that he was part of a huge cheating scandal or does he just want to act like it never happened? Does Josh Reddick and George Springer and Alex Bregman really think it's over and that they've paid their dues? Let me tell you something. SMOKE AND MIRRORS WILL NOT MAKE ME FORGET THAT THESE GUYS ARE ALL PIECES OF SHIT.

I've expressed my anger for this fake, manufactured season all year. I can't stand it. I thought I was gonna love a short season, but what's happened to me is every time I watch, it's fun for a moment, and then I realize that there really isn't much energy in these ballparks. That's because the fans supply that.  And that brings me back to the Astros. 

Get all excited all you want, Carlos Correa. Act like you deserve to be there. Everyone knows you're not.  Now couple that with you guys actually winning without detection devices and you're acting like this season actually matters.   It does not.

We can fake our way through this season all we want. If the fans can't be present, if Rob Manfred wants to act like the Astros have been punished enough for a scandal that should have rocked the entire baseball world, but didn't because he didn't want chaos... then I'm not interested.  

I don't know what will happen with the Astros and Rays in the next game.  I know what should happen. But say the Astros win. Who cares. WHO FUCKING CARES. There are no heroes on that team.  

The media can sit there and act like these players are back in the fold all they want.  Buster Olney may be the dumbest of them all... feeling sorry for Jose Altuve because he suddenly can't throw. Well... karma's a bitch and the day the Astros stripped the innocence of baseball from the game was the day the Houston Astros lost me as a fan of true baseball players.

That's because the Astros deserve darkness. The Astros deserve a kick in the crotch, a true reprimand, a punch in the jaw and to sit down quietly.

Fake seasons don't put the Astros back in baseball's good graces. Write that down.  

Fake seasons like this are made because fans needed an outlet to watch professional sports in a pandemic.  It doesn't mean anything.  Correa can act like this is their road to the top all he wants, but it is nothing more than a dog and pony show for a bunch of losers who disrespected the game and then got off easy.

F the Astros. You cheated your fans and screwed baseball.  And now you act like it's over?  Nope. For me and for many, the Houston Astros, playing fairly or not, will always be under the microscope of skepticism because of their elaborate, well orchestrated scheme to cheat and win games. They should never have been allowed to play in 2020. I have news for you... the whole bunch should have been banned from baseball for life.

I am disappointed for what baseball has allowed the Astros to do, to act like and to forget. They forgot they were punished. They forgot they were under a microscope of suspicion. They need to be reminded pretty quickly and they should be humbled for a long, long time.

F Correa.

F Bregman.

F Altuve.

F Springer.

F Manfred.

Go Rays!

PRESSURE BUILDING ON THE ASTROS... EVEN IN A SHORT SEASON WITH NO FANS

Ballplayers may be loyal to each other, but when it comes to cheating, I mean REALLY cheating like the Astros did... stealing signs and stealing a championship, I am relieved to see that the players don't forget.  

I think it's also refreshing because there are no fans in the ballparks.  So, it's essentially man to man. Peers settling the score on the field, be it with pitchers head hunting or just snide comments to the dopey Astros in the press.  It's the way it should be. Hell, they didn't get punished, and so the punishment really needs to be a good razzing and an uncomfortable career moving forward, orchestrated by their peers. Fellow teams settling the score. That's Manfred's fault. F them.

Joe Kelly did it knowing good and well he'd be suspended, a ridiculous rule Manfred put in place when Dusty Baker became the Astros new manager.  Here's the problem with that.... Rob Manfred is NOT a leader.  You can't sit there and not punish a team for cheating the league out of the biggest trophy and then nit-pick about punishment for players who throw at the Astros. 

He's a terrible leader... P.S., that asshole still owes me a phone call after I called his office about it. Still waiting. 

Joe Kelly threw at Bregman and Correa the other night and should have. Again,  F them.  

Orel Hershiser, the Dodgers pride and joy made a comment about Jose Altuve the other night as well.   I guess Preston Wilson didn't like it and attempted to take a shot on Twitter.

I faced Orel when he pitched for the Mets and everyone knew the way his pitches moved was not normal. Our whole team knew it so does he. The worst part was he had the audacity to send bibles over to clubhouse (autographed if I remember correctly). Maybe not the best messenger. https://t.co/iynNQKVnzF

— Preston Wilson (@PrestonWilson44) July 30, 2020

Look, autographed bibles are a little weird, but let's get back to the story at hand, tiny Altuve sucks without his garbage can.  And let me be more specific about this. Most of the Astros are solid hitters. They are in the major leagues, that's pretty much a solid overview. They are good players. The problem? 

They fell into the trap of depending on a garbage can to determine how they hit. Couple that with them afraid they're gonna lose their head in the batter's box, and suddenly they need to reinvent themselves and they can't do it fast enough. That's why you see more strikeouts, more uncomfortable dancing in the box. In other words, they did this to themselves, and now they have to live with it.   Well too bad.

Dusty Baker followed up with more from Joe Kelly the other night when he got into a spat with bitch Carlos Correa. Bleacher Report says:

" Houston manager Dusty Baker said Kelly, the L.A. reliever, shouted at shortstop Carlos Correa after a strikeout, causing both teams to come running onto the field.

After throwing near Correa's head earlier in the sixth-inning at-bat, Kelly came back with a knuckle-curve that sent him flailing for strike three to end the frame. Baker said Kelly shouted, "Nice swing, b---h," at the shortstop while walking off the mound, clearing out the benches."

So? Hey Dusty, do you think these ballplayers are happy about how the Astros presented themselves? You think they like the arrogance of them? After all, they cheated their way to a championship and got caught AND DIDN'T GET PUNISHED. If anything they need to be apologetic, not arrogant.  No once cares. Correa is a piece of garbage anyway.

We're starting to see cracks in the porcelain. These Astros players cannot sustain the pressure of fan hate and opponents coming down on them. George Springer may have hit a homer the other day, but that was his only hit all season. And now, suddenly he's "a little sore" after making a catch in the outfield, so he's getting a day off... IN A 60 GAME SEASON. Really Loser? No, the truth is the dude was in a slump because he's waiting for a garbage can to bang to determine what pitch to swing at. A 1-21 slump. Dummy.

MLB writes: "Mired in a 1-for-21 slump to start the season -- and nursing a sore knee -- Astros leadoff hitter George Springer was out of the starting lineup for Wednesday’s series finale against the Dodgers. Springer banged up one of his knees when he ran into the wall making a catch to rob José Marmolejos of a hit in the first inning Sunday against the Mariners."

Oh... poor baby. Bitch.

What's the point of this post? Pressure. Uncertainty. Keep it on them and they will eventually go away.

The Astros did this to themselves, and they and some of their ridiculous fans better get used to the new normal of feeling really uncomfortable in the batter's box moving forward. Because when it comes to baseball and getting something legitimately... players and true fans take that seriously.   These Asstros players are gonna have a hard time moving forward and it's a good thing, because maybe, just maybe it will clean up the game for the better.

I leave you with this idiot.

@NYYCarrie33 You need to fuck off dude. Seriously. Does that mask go over your entire face? You should be grateful the Asstros aren’t banned for life. Keep clinging to those losers. Real Great for your image. Align yourself with failure. Nice work.

— Robert Casey (@BleednYankeeBlu) July 30, 2020

Sorry.... I couldn't sit quietly.

 

THE ASSTROS TRASH CAN CUTOUT SEEN 'ROUND THE WORLD

You gotta love how the Astros have fallen. You gotta love how they can't take it either. They are a pathetic bunch.  You want to know why I know them cheating has destroyed their reputation? Look at a kid like my son. A 17 year old working his ass off legitimately so he can play baseball in college.  He was a huge Correa and Altuve fan. He raved about Bregman and Springer for quite a few years.  Once the scandal was revealed... it's turned to disappointment and he thinks they are absolute garbage now.  That's a fan, folks. That's a fan that got burned.  And it's that simple folks.  So just think about how thousands upon thousands of fans feel. They are terrible people. 

Again...strip the title, they're losers.

I love this story by our gal, hottie Jessica Kleinschmidt about 1 baseball fan that has had enough.

"The A’s were scheduled to do a bleacher tribute giveaway while the Houston Astros were in town. But one fan wanted to make sure that wasn’t forgotten...

Bryan Johansen, of San Jose, is one of the fans who proudly creates detailed banners to support his favorite team, but when A’s president Dave Kaval invited the crew to hang some of these creations in their respective homes, Johansen noticed something.

Well, @SandLot408 wasn’t sure the A’s would actually print this, but apparently they did. pic.twitter.com/BkmdOhAoBs

— Jessica Kleinschmidt (@KleinschmidtJD) July 25, 2020

In one of the seats, sandwiched between two variations of Ramón Laureano, Johansen’s favorite A’s player, was Astros’ mascot Orbit … in a trash can. That was compliments of Johansen himself, who told NBC Sports California he didn’t think the A’s would actually print it out and display it...

The photos of his cutouts created a viral sensation."

Bottom line... we need more of stuff like this.  As far as I'm concerned this season, even though we can't actually be there to troll them... we need to continue to put pressure on the Asstros. They're pathetic.  They really are.

Love this dude for doing what he did.  I'm glad.  Keep it going.

A 60 GAME SEASON MEANS THE ASTROS WILL GET THE WRATH OF TRUE BASEBALL FANS!

I hold grudges... and I don't forget. And when something is robbed from me as a person, I get angry. I will never forget how ridiculous the Astros were.  I can't stand Carlos Correa... Jose Altuve… Alex Bregman... George Springer... they're clowns.   

I'll never forget how Justin Verlander was silent when his team cheated their way to their 2017 championship and Jeff Lunhow and AJ Hinch should just go away for ever.  Jim Crane is a loser too.  That whole operation just needs to fold as far as I'm concerned. And as a fan... I will never forget it.  

They were banking on COVID-19, the death of George Floyd would give their scandal some separation.  For me and hundreds of other fans and even pro players... it has not.  

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, a huge Dodgers fan is annoyed. He just said this on an interview with David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports: 

"I’m still angry about the World Series in 2017. We don’t have to talk about that, because I’m going to maybe throw something through the window. They probably should’ve won the World Series; either them or the Yankees. Being cheated out of it really burns you.”

For the Win has a great article about resetting outselves after all the tragedy in the US... about getting back in baseball mode, fan mode and start crushing the Astros again... most filled with amazing Twitter memes.

The Astros realizing baseball is back / realizing they're about to get beaned all 60 games pic.twitter.com/3qEzJauhtX

— Conor Ryan (@ConorRyan_93) June 24, 2020

Beanball season is almost upon you, Astros! pic.twitter.com/4nmVORZUWc

— Clint Pasillas (FRG) (@realFRG) June 23, 2020

That moment you realize you only have a week to get in shape before the beginning of Astros camp pic.twitter.com/OMjg2lryts

— Korked Bats (@korkedbats) June 24, 2020

In other words,  as a true baseball fan... how the hell can you not forget and now torment these midgets for having a fully orchestrated and strategic operation to win the entire championship in 2017.  

And Astros and Astros fans will come back at us and say, "Well, they were cleared."  We were NOT cleared. The Yankees were... the Asstros were not. 

The Astros made a deal, they were forced to apologize as to not put a black eye on Major League Baseball... and that is almost as worse as the act itself. Because not only did it expose the wrong doing... it made it clear that something happened.  

The Astros franchise is a joke. Fans should never forgive and I'll give you more... Wins for the Astros won't matter because no one will believe the win was legit anymore. 

They will be the brunt of garbage can banging jokes for the rest of their lives... they should get thrown at, mocked... they should all retire... because I have news for you.  True fans? We don't forget getting robbed.

We're coming for you Springer... Bregman... Correa... tiny Altuve… You're finished.