IF THE YANKEES ONLY FIRE BOONE, IT DOESN'T FIX THE PROBLEM!

The "FIRE BOONE" chants are at an all-time high (as they should be). Even though BOONE PREDICTED TO BE TOAST BY SEPTEMBER would make most of Yankeeland happy when it happens....it's not enough. 

That should only be the start. I say should because I don't think Hal Steinbrenner will be smart enough to do what is REALLY needed to fix the organization. He just doesn't have the knowledge (or I would argue desire) to start a new legacy. Firing Baboonie is only step 1 in this gigantic mess of a franchise. The manager is only a small biproduct of the real problem.

Mickey Mouse could be the manager of this team and it wouldn't matter. Until Brian Cashman is gone the identity of the manager is irrelevant. Cashman is the puppet master and even if Aaron Boone is fired, Cashman is just going to bring in a clone of Baboonie. It will be someone else that Cashman can control. The reality is until the ENTIRE organization is stripped down and rebuilt from the top all the way down to the bottom nothing is going to change. I do mean everything. From the coaching staff, medical staff, training staff, scouts, analytics team and contributors in the front office. Burn the whole thing down and start over! As painful as that may sound to some people, it would not be an addition by subtraction.

Unless Cashman and his crazy ideas on how to construct this team are gone this team will not evolve or win. Cashman's ideas are crazy. The rosters he has built over the years are insanely stupid and some of the contracts he's given are certifiably stupid. Some of his most criticized moves include the signings of Jacoby Ellsbury, Kei Igawa, Carl Pavano, and the trade for Javier Vazquez. We can't forget about the extensions given to Aaron Hicks and Aroldis Chapman. I still think about all of these....and Giancarlo Stanton isn't going to be pretty when that is said and done. The list is quite lengthy, he's been screwing up since 1998.

It's painful to think about how we went from a real thinker in Gene Michael who understood that the farm system is meant to develop good talent to benefit the Yankees to Cashman who only values the farm for trade chips. He cant draft the best pieces for the Yankees to develop in the Bronx....they have to be used as trade chips. It hasn't worked out well for us considering we haven't won a championship since 2009.

If the Yankees miss the playoffs for the second time in three years firing Baboonie isn't enough. It's not even a band-aid fix. It's an embarrassment. It's time to strip it down. Time to fly the "Fire Boone" and "Fire Cashman" banners together!

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

A GREAT WAY TO GET JOEY GALLO OUT OF THE BRONX

I can't stand Joey Gallo. Quite simply, he needs to go.  But it's not that easy because he's so bad, he's literally untradeable.

But Philly's Joe Giglio of WIP has a great idea and I welcome it. Check this out:

"There’s no player with a track record lower than Gallo (.169 AVG, 79 OPS+) right now. His fit in New York has been a disaster, and will likely soon follow the Javier Vazquez/Sonny Gray Express...out of New York. If the Yankees are looking to dump Gallo for anything they can get before the trade deadline, the Phillies would be smart to look into it. Gallo’s light-tower power is real, and he comes with the ability to play center field. Worst case, it’s a flier on a guy that’s about to be a free agent. Best case? Gallo turns his career back around, and the Phillies can add huge power to both replace and pair with Harper as the season progresses.”

Giglio is smart to think this way. The Phillies are 7 games out in their division, it's a coin toss. Gallo could help them, and he may not but it's clear the Yankees DON'T need him.

I would hope someone's listening out there who can made these decisions. Hell, I'll personally drive Gallo to Philadelphia. 

STARTING PITCHING: A HISTORICAL YANKEE BLUNDER

Photo: New York Daily News

Okay, maybe not a blunder but it certainly hasn't been a "win" for the Yankees when it comes to recent free agent signings. It's certainly not exciting but it is accurate. Think about it...

The last time the Yankees decided to spend big money on starting pitching was the year we last won the World Series. Not to say that we need to spend big again on a starter or two to win, but we haven't made a big splash on a starter since.

Now do you miss the days of not only CC Sabathia but AJ Burnett? Yeah, there is a name you haven't heard in a while.

The Yankees haven't signed any big name starters since and have since signed one or two guys that they expected to make significant contributions to the rotation. Going back this far is going to sound like a history lesson but maybe it's an important one. Maybe the Yankees are about to do it again?

2009-10: Yankees acquire Javier Vazquez (again)
The Yankees reunited with Vazquez for a second time with Boone Logan after trading with the Braves. The Yankees were getting him back when his stock was high. Some baseball experts considered him to be one of the best starters in the game and was coming off one of his best seasons. It didn't continue with the Yankees though. I still remember the bad appearances, the 10-10 record with the bullpen demotion and the eventual release after the season ended.

2010-11: Yankees lose out on Cliff Lee
And now it doesn't seem so bad. At the time it sucked but the Yankees signed veteran pitchers Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia to minor league contracts but it paid off big. At the time Ivan Nova was a rookie and had an impressive year. The Yankees got results out of three unexpected arms that helped them win the division.

Photo: New York Daily News

2012-13: Aces and failures
Yankee fans were happy to have Andy Pettitte and Hiroki Kuroda return but even back then the Yankees were trying to get under the luxury tax so their pitching additions stopped there and so did their postseason success. The lack of depth with CC's struggles and Phil Hughes failures ultimately made the miss the postseason for the first time in five years. Pitching wins (or looses) ballgames. You can never have enough pitching.....

Photo: NJ.com

2015-16: A risky move
With no rotation improvements the Yankees try to bolster the bullpen to make up for their starting weakness. The idea of a super bullpen of Aroldis Chapman, Dellin Betances and Andrew Miller didn't work as hoped though. The lackluster performances of Nathan Eovaldi, Ivan Nova, Michael Pineda and Luis Severino's sophomore slump doomed the Yankees. The offense didn't score enough runs so the super bullpen fell flat and Chapman was traded. The Yankees also sat home in October for the third time in four years.

Photo: Getty Images

2016-17: Saving it for the end
Chapman came back to the Yankees as a free agent but once again the Yankees made improvements to the bullpen while the starting rotation was still in need of help. Finally in July they traded for Sonny Gray and Jaime Garcia which helped the Yankees get within one game of a World Series berth.

(Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire)

Garcia will be long gone, but Gray is back to see what this season will bring. If history teaches us anything it's that if we don't land a starter before spring training kicks off it's "normal" for the Yankees and it's not time to panic. There's still time though. Just like Cashman says the market could change and a deal can still be done.

Anything is possible, but if a deal doesn't happen the Yankees still have a long season and a lot of pieces to pull off a successful season. History doesn't scare me. We've still got this.

--Jeana Bellezza
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @nyprincessj

PLEASE DON'T BLOW THIS YEAR'S HOF VOTE

If you’re a member of the Baseball Writers Association of America and happen to be reading this, check your mailbox. Your 2016 Hall of Fame ballot was just mailed out.

And if you happen to be one of the many members who hasn’t covered or even watched a ballgame since Barry Bonds passed Babe Ruth on the home run list (nobody knows exactly how many of you there are because the BBWAA refuse to say), PLEASE do us a favor! 

Baseball Writers at Polo Grounds 1911. (Pach Brothers studio/National Baseball Hall of Fame Library)

Chuck your ballot in the trash along with your junk mail from AARP, Depends and Fixodent. It’s both a shame and ironic the organization created more than a century ago to professionalize the press box can’t do better by the players they rely on for their copy than a selection process little better than replacement level.

You see, there’s seven former Yankees -- Jorge Posada, Mike Mussina, Roger Clemens, Gary Sheffield, Tim Raines, Javier Vazquez and Lee Smith -- on the ballot this year. One homegrown, the rest adopted; all respected and appreciated by baseball fans everywhere. And we don’t want or need your old-school eye tests, your metric-phobia, your inability to access and analyze pertinent databases or even follow the sport via computer since the Sporting News went out of print, or any loyalties to old drinking buddies you used to “cover” throwing roadblocks in theirs or anyone else’s path to Cooperstown.

Because goodness knows the path is challenging enough just staying healthy long enough and playing well enough to even make it onto the ballot in the first place. Throw in the constraints of limited ballot slots, the narrow qualifying profile for voter eligibility and conflicts of interest associated with the designated voter pool, and the obstacles to induction resemble something akin to Bartolo Colon trying to leg out an inside-the-park homer on a hot steamy afternoon.

I’m not going to waste anyone's time or BYB’s space here laying out the pros and cons of anyone’s Hall of Fame bonafides. Far more knowledgeable and articulate baseball observers than I have already done so, and all you have to do is Google “Hall Of Fame Case” and peruse the players’ names and their work. Read up, revel in the diversity of the data that’s out there and howl with righteous indignation January 18th when the official tallies are announced. 

(Dean Rutz/The Seattle Times)

Your opinion is no more or less valid than a small group of baseball writers that won’t even tell you how many of them actually watch the sport or compel their members to publish their ballots. (Will the three drunken clowns who didn’t vote for Ken Griffey Jr. please stand up?)

I’ll just content myself with the knowledge that in the 80 years since the first Hall election, just 217 major leaguers have managed to crack the code for induction and 24 of them are wearing Yankee caps on their plaques. And this year, the Yankees have a half dozen players under consideration who have worn the pinstripes for all or part of their distinguished careers and did them proud.

And whether any or all of their Hall credentials are ultimately deemed extraordinary enough to warrant induction or not, as a fan of this ball club I get to watch some pretty extraordinary players make history every year, and I've got Monument Park. 

Trust me... that's good enough for me.

 --Barry Millman
BYB Writer
Follow me on Twitter:  @nyyankeefanfore

  

PRAISE FOR BRIAN CASHMAN?

The tile of  "General Manager" is probably the toughest job title to hold on to in baseball and in all sports, no question. It's an occupation where to achieve rewards certain risks must be taken, yet no decision made is promising nor a guarantee. When you're Brian Cashman the General Manager of the New York Yankees you pretty much have the toughest GM job in all of baseball. The bar of expectation is set at a height only few can reach.

Cashman over the years has made some not so favorable moves. Guys like Hideki Irabu, Randy Johnson, Carl Pavano, and Javier Vasquez to name a few. We still have the Jesus Montero trade for Michael Pineda to figure out. We will in due time. Then there are the moves that did work in the past like, Bobby Abreu back in 2006. Or picking up Xavier Nady, and Damaso Marte, but Nady later dealt with an injury and ultimately forced the hand of Cashman to find another potential right fielder. Nick Swisher, remember him? Or, how about the Raul Ibanez pick up? You know how that turned out later last season for us. Yes, Cashman is quite the unpredictable guy when he is at the negotiating table. In the end it's decisions based on what is best for the team, not the fans. We, just have to wait for the results to be revealed whether they are good or bad.

But, how about this year? You can look at what he didn't do. For a moment it was frustrating. We already knew Alex Rodriguez wasn't going to be on the Opening Day roster. We knew that a decision had to be made with Nick Swisher, even though we already knew what it was. So we waited, and hoped to see some kind of movement from not just Cashman but the Steinbrenners themselves. It pretty much was a stall throughout the off season. Rafael Soriano went to the Nationals, Swisher went to Cleveland, and Raul went back to Seattle for a  third go around as a Mariner. Yet no movement of any kind to acknowledge the voids opening up as former Yankees were finding new homes. It was becoming clear the Yankees were not looking to open the wallet, and had plans to work with what we already had in both the Bronx and down at the farm. I know it was frustrating to watch him play standstill.

We also know he wasn't aware of what would become of the Yankees injuries at the beginning of the season. Kevin Youkilis was brought in to be the replacement for Alex Rodriguez, Travis Hafner was brought in to help in the DH role. Later on, he made the move to bring in Vernon Wells from the Angels.

When Lyle Overbay was released from Boston, and Cashmann went and brought him in to help in the first baseman spot in the absence of Mark Texiera after getting hurt in batting practice in preparation for the WBC. All small low risk moves. Cashman's plan was to bring in players who could HELP. Not to be the face of the franchise, or hope a new Core 4 was to emerge from the newly acquired stockpile. The plan was to get guys who can play and give quality effort in making this team stay afloat in the division and in maybe the American League. So far, it's working we are neck and neck with Boston in the standings. We are 11 games above .500, and we are winning games in the latter innings with key hits and runners in scoring position. It's a fight and might be similar to what we saw back in '98, well sort of.

Most of the players brought in have helped out in big ways. Lyle Overbay is doing a great job at first, and Hafner has hit in clutch situation coming off the bench. Vernon Wells is hitting the ball well too.

Cashman has also done his homework by bringing up minor leaguers who have been essential to the team's run to this point. Kids like David Adams, Corban Joseph, Vidal Nuno, got a taste of the majors, and they are making a case to stick around or be future considerations to come back up later in the season.

Give Cashman his due. This formula is working and we are seeing a team that wins and they are productive. When they lose they dust it off, and work to get back on the winning side of things. The formula of mixing some seasoned veterans with up and coming youngsters headlined by one reputable Robinson Cano is gelling. So, before you decide to question Cashman's motives or ask for his head on the chopping block know that he always has something up his sleeve. We just have to be patient, because sometimes it really does pay off.


 
Rudy Laurens

BYB Writer

Facebook: House of Champions

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PRIOR, VAZQUEZ, MATSUZAKA & KATE UPTON

Let's face it, there isn't a ton of news reading about Mark Prior, Javier and Daisuke Matsuzada, but there are some good nuggets... plus, Kate Upton's been up to some stuff too.  Can't leave her out...

Mark Prior: Prior is in the best shape of his life.  Thank God.  According to Comcast Sportsnet Chicago, He wants one more shot.  Read about it HERE.

Javier Vazquez: The Nationals like Vazquez, but Vazquez isn't sure if the Nationals is for him.  That comes from the Washington Post, read HERE. Yankee fans are hoping Vazquez is NOT on the radar for the Yankees.  BYB wrote WILL THE YANKEES REUNITE WITH JAVIER VAZQUEZ? and we've been getting a lot of concern from Yankee fans about it.  

Daisuke Matsuzada:  According to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.com, Matsuzada has just signed a minor league deal with the Cleveland Indians.  You can read Jon HERE.

Kate Upton: Upton has done it again.  She is appearing on her second Sports Illustrated swimsuit cover, back to back... read HERE.  Photo above.  This past year she's been all over the place, including Bleeding Yankee Blue.  Congrats to Upton, and well... there are a lot of men happy with the choice I'm sure.

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WILL THE YANKEES REUNITE WITH JAVIER VAZQUEZ?

Hal Steinbrenner has come out and said "We aren't done yet" and hearing that made me feel better.....well at least a little bit. I keep sitting back and waiting for a move to make me do a Derek Jeter style fist pump, and that hasn't happened. I keep clinging on to hope. As I read more and more reports from the scouts and beat writers I am REALLY not doing the fist pump.

In case you missed it, Javier Vazquez is back in the news. I was fine with that until I saw the Yankees attached to his name and I started to feel sick. It's the not so nice kind of Deja vu. The tossing and turning and nausea started to set in. I just have too many bad memories still. It's a work in progress right now. I remember watching games with one of my friends Chris back in 2010. He would defend him until he was blue in the face and I would stare at my television in disbelief and disagree with him. No offense to Vazquez, but I am not ready for a third go around and I am really hoping that the Yankees aren't either.

It was reported on Twitter HERE by Bob Nightengale that Vazquez is not only throwing well in Winter Leagues, but he has been impressing scouts. When I saw this show up on my Twitter feed I did a double take. Actually, more like a triple take. I don't know if he was eating special Wheaties, but this is the same guy that would throw about 88-92mph in 2010. He didn't exactly make any radar guns dance with joy in 2011 either with the Marlins. So now suddenly he is throwing 95mph and teams are starting to go crazy. OK, so maybe saying the Yankees are going crazy is a little far-fetched but they have noticed.

If taking a year off has given him new mechanics and a new groove to his game then I am truly happy for him. I just really don't think the Yankees should go back to this idea again. We tried the Vazquez experiment twice now, and both times it didn't deliver the best  results. I am sure some fans don't want to remember, but before anyone jumps for joy over his latest velocity spike, let's look at the numbers: 

2004: 14-10 in 32 games, 4.91 ERA, 198.0 IP, 195 H, 114 R, 108 ER, 33 HR, 60 BB

2010: 10-10 in 31 games, 5.32 ERA, 157.1 IP, 155 H, 96 R, 93 ER, 32 HR, 65 BB

Am I intrigued by the spike in velocity? I would be lying if I said "no." I want to know HOW, and I want to know WHERE that was when he pitched for us! Even if Vazquez has come up with some new magical method for his recent success, I look at the stats above and tell myself THAT is the real Vazquez, and this new phenomenon is going to be short lived. It won't take long for that to come to light. I know the old saying goes, "you can never have too much pitching..." and if that is the case, let's give a shot to one of the kids on the farm. You are taking the same risk; you are still rolling the dice. The big difference here is we won't be spending a lot of money that we clearly don't have.

I am not mentally prepared for another Vazquez reunion. To be quite honest, I am sitting here twitching just thinking about it. I know the Yankees say they are still shopping and I believe they are. I just don't think Vazquez is going to be that game changer that scouts seem to be impressed by. As far as the Yankees are concerned, we have other pressing needs. So please, Hal....if you are reading this I know sometimes I give you a hard time but, I think you would really help me sleep better at night if you passed on this one. Let one of the other 29 teams out there sign him!

What do you think? Is Vazquez worth another shot? Tell us what you think!

--Jeana Bellezza, BYB Writer and Editor

Twitter: @NyPrincessJ






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RED SOX LOOKING AT MORE FORMER YANKEES

 (In Photo: Javier Vazquez)
First Bobby Abreu (Read BOBBY ABREU COULD SIGN WITH THE RED SOX?), now Javier Vazquez...seriously.

According to Victor Ramos of Solo Beisbol HERE, and translation below, the Red Sox checked out Vazquez who is looking to get back to a contender in the major leagues.

"EXCLUSIVE INFO << --- On Friday will be the "scouts" of the # RedSox and # Nationals Javier Vazquez seeing right at # SolaMorales."

You have to appreciate what the Red Sox are doing.  It's more about former Yankee players.  They signed some big free agents and now are filling the holes with veteran experience.  Who knows what will happen to Vazquez. It has been reported however that the Sox are unlikely to sign Abreu and the "look in" was merely for "background work", whatever that means... read HERE.

I appreciate the aggressiveness of the Sox right now...it's much more than the Yanks, you have to admit.

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