"BAM BAM" MEULENS COULD MANAGE. WAYNE TOLLESON INTERVIEW'S NEXT!

I'm kidding about Tolleson.

You know I love joking about all these names that are popping up when it comes to the Yankee managerial search, but it almost sounds ridiculous at this point. It's like the 80's and 90's all over again!  The latest name is Hensley Meulens... gotta love it.

Chris Haft of MLB.com has this nugget:

"Meulens is expected to interview for the Yankees' vacancy later this week or early next week. He was a prospect with New York in the late 1980s and early '90s. A former infielder-outfielder, Meulens batted .221 with 12 homers and 46 RBIs in 159 games over five seasons with the Yankees (1989-93). He also played for Montreal in 1997 and Arizona in '98."

Does he have the experience? Yes, he totally does.  And not only that, I think he'd be perfect for a young Yankee team. Will they consider him? Well... he's gonna have to wow the Yankees, but I can see this as a big time possibility.

Then maybe they sign Wayne Tolleson as the third base coach.  I used to love that guy.

YANKEE SPRING STORYLINE 7: COULD 2017 BE DIDI'S BIG YEAR?

Source: SNY

I like the sound of our Spring Storyline 7.  Didi Gregorius is one of the most underrated ball players in action today.  And when he was chosen as the guy who would fill the shortstop void left by Derek Jeter, he was put in a difficult position, both physically and mentally.  But, he stepped in and did his job despite the steep hill in front of him.  Now, just about three years later, Gregorius is making his ability known worldwide and this time it is his bat who is doing the talking.

Source: Matt Roberts/Getty Images AsiaPac

According to the YES Network, "Didi Gregorius has quietly become one of the Yankees' most consistent and well-rounded players. He set career-highs in several offensive categories last season, and has started to put together an impressive highlight reel at the diamond's most crucial defensive position. Is 2017 the year Didi makes the jump to his first career All-Star game?" Maybe.  Hopefully. Now take a closer look at this body of work in the World Baseball Classic.

"Gregorius has been the Netherlands' designated hitter for four of the first five games in the tournament. He was 6-for-16 (.412) in the first four games, and he added a run-scoring double and a three-run home run in the first four innings against Israel," reported MLB.com last week.  Yes, that's right Didi's a DH.  He is playing on a team where there are two other premium shortstops ahead of him in the roster.  Los Angeles Angels short shop Andrelton Simmons and Boston Red Sox short stop Xander Bogaerts both better defensively than Gregorius but Didi's stick kept the Dutch in the Classic until they lost on Saturday night to Team Puerto Rico.

Gregorius, is a 27-year-old humble kid from Amsterdam, "but like many of his teammates, he lives in Curacao, an island in the Dutch Caribbean. Fourteen players on what is now formally called the Kingdom of the Netherlands team hail from Curacao, including (Dodgers' closer Kenley) Jansen and Angels shortstop Andrelton Simmons, as well as the 49-year-old Hensley Meulens, (the Netherlands' manager), a former utility man and the current hitting coach for the Giants," reports MLB.com.

Source: Yahoo Sports

 Gregorius credits his team in the Bronx for the opportunity of a lifetime. "The Yankees gave me a lot of experience," Gregorius said. "That's what actually helped me. Everything helps. Joe gave me a lot of opportunities. So I try to play my best every time I go out there. I'm just trying to learn the game, that's what I'm trying to do. It's just an honor for me to be there," reported MLB.com after the Netherlands loss in the World Baseball Classic on Saturday.

So, no matter who's the next guy in with the Yankees at short stop this season, Gregorius is making a lot of noise.  And if he keeps this up, he will be headed to Miami for the All Star Game this July.




--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

WHY BERNIE WILLIAMS STILL SWINGS FOR THE FENCES

(Photo credit : Bill Menzel)

This past Saturday night I had the privilege to attend the annual charity gala for the Hillside Food Outreach. I was a guest of one of Bleeding Yankee Blue’s faithful readers, Doc Haveron. This amazing organization helps our less fortunate neighbors in Westchester and Putnam Counties in New York and Fairfield County in Connecticut. This charity is special to one of our Yankee heroes, Bernie Williams. And let me tell you, Bernie isn’t just a famous face...Bernie is involved! And if it's important enough for Bernie, it should be important to the rest of us as well.

Of course Bernie brought along some of his friends such as former Yankees’, Jim Leyritz, Charlie Hayes, Hensley Meulens, Scott Kamieniecki, Chad Curtis, Roberto Kelly and Ralph Branca. This year’s guest of honor was Dodgers manager Don Mattingly.

(Photo credit : Bill Menzel)

WFAN’s Sweeny Murti hosted a little chat between Bernie and Donnie. The former teammates traded stories and talked about the respect each had for the other. Bernie admitted to being in awe the first time he met Mattingly (much like me.) Mattingly talked about Bernie’s laid-back approach to the game.

(Photo credit : Bill Menzel)

He also talked about what it's like managing the Dodgers and having Kelly and Meulens, who both are coaches for the San Francisco Giants, in the opposing dugout. (Meulens jokes around and Roberto Kelly is so focused, he doesn’t acknowledge Mattingly). I could’ve listened to the stories for hours. As a fan of all these guys when I was a kid, this was a dream come true. Even my wife who isn’t much of a baseball fan thought the whole experience was pretty great.

But back to the Cause. At the event, we we’re introduced to two people who have benefited from Hillside. These are people who live right in our communities and are struggling to make ends meet. With the help of others, Hillside makes sure these people don’t go hungry. For more information or to donate yourself, you can visit: http://hillsidefoodoutreach.org

(In Photo: Charlie Hayes, Lem Allen, Hensley Meulens)

The gala was a great night for an even greater cause. I was honored to have been a part of it. Kudos to Bernie and to Hillside Outreach. Still swinging for the fences while making us all open our eyes, and our wallets to help others in need.

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

WHY IT'S A BERNIE WILLIAMS EVENT YOU CAN'T MISS

I believe in important causes and when there is one I really like, I tell you about it. Most of the time it involves the New York Yankees, but sometimes it doesn’t. This one does and it’s going to be huge. Why? Because Bernie Williams is involved and the cause is something you should be apart of.

The event is called Neighbors Helping Neighbors Benefit by the Hillside Food Outreach and it’s being held at the Matrix Conference Center Saturday night in Danbury Connecticut. It's the 10th Anniversary of this special event. The official information is below:

In a nutshell, Hillside was created to help provide and deliver food for people in need in Westchester and Putnam counties near Bernie Williams home in New York.

This event has activities and auctions as well as Yankee superstars like Don Mattingly and Scott Kamieniecki and “Bam Bam” Meulens… remember him? Sounds like fun. Personally, that’s a pretty nice perk, especially for attending such an important cause. If you want to try to attend, tickets are still available. You need to call 914-747-0095 and hopefully you’ll be able snag some seats.

Look, I have no dog in this hunt. I’m not associated with this in any way, but I know a good thing when I see it and if Bernie’s attached, believe me, it’s a good thing. But the most important thing is the cause. If you believe in this cause and want to go and help people in need, contribute and meet some Yankee stars, please call and try to attend. No doubt you’ll have a real good time.

Please comment, we have DISQUS, it's easier than ever. Let me know what you think and follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook, just type it in.