HEY REMY! THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS "BASEBALL LANGUAGE"

Well well....Tuesday was quite an opinionated day, wasn't it? Nothing like ex-MLB players sharing their controversial or even some say racially charged opinions. It's actually a Public Relations nightmare now that numerous apologies have been made.

Photo: Getty Images

Just hours after Phillies legend Mike Schmidt said that Odubel Herrera would not be able to be a leader for his team thanks to his language barrier, Red Sox former player now announcer Jerry Remy made an even bigger controversial statement on NESN's broadcast coverage on the Red Sox - Yankees game and said that Masahiro Tanaka needs to learn "baseball language." In case you have not heard the audio yet, take a listen below.

Ok, so we get it Remy.....if it were up to you translators would be banned.

Personally, I really like that Dave O'Brien asked an open-ended question to find out exactly what Remy didn't like about the use of interpreters. Just like any other aspect in life Baseball is full of different theories and opinions. One thing that really stood out to me about Remy's answer was the delayed response. There was a little dead air between O'Brien's question....and Remy's answer. I interpreted that as him acknowledging that his opinion was going to be controversial, and he was trying to find a way to answer that without rustling too many feathers.

And I do think he tried to, but he failed. I believe that O'Brien disagreed with his opinion and not to mention a lot of baseball fans also. Since then social media and beat writers around the country have shared their own opinions. It just goes to show you that this is now bigger than the typical Yankees-Red Sox rivalry.

Since Remy's statement NESN has tried to distance themselves from the controversy and issued their own statement: "Relative to last night's NESN telecast from New York, NESN does not agree with any such views expressed by Jerry Remy and we know from talking to Jerry that he regrets making them. The network sincerely apologizes to anyone who was offended by Jerry's comments."

Remy certainly has put himself in the hot seat. I can't say that I understand his stance against using translators or his explanation that Tanaka should speak "baseball language." MLB has allowed on-field interpreters since 2013 and as recently has last season, baseball has required that all teams now employ full-time Spanish interpreters. Remy's opinion has angered some, and although I am not particularly "angered" by his statement I find it extremely odd.

So Remy wants Tanaka to speak "baseball language" but what does that mean? Baseball has grown and expanded so much over the years that players from many different countries are coming into the game and with that comes new cultural influence. There is no universal baseball language. If you want to be technical, Tanaka speaks two different baseball languages. Just look at some of the differences between baseball in Japan and here in the United States. He has his roots in Japan and now he plays for us. He's not new to this. He's been a Yankee since 2014, and he has been successful (granted not lately) so I would say he speaks fluent baseball....probably more than Remy actually. He has been removed from the immediate action since 1984.

And if we dig even deeper research from the Institute for Ethics and Diversity in Sport shows that this year the baseball started with almost 30% of all active players were born outside of the United States with significant increases in both Latino and Asian players. Clearly the game is attracting new cultures which means the game and the "language" will constantly change. Maybe Remy is so disconnected from all of it now that he just can't understand.

I get the overwhelming response to Remy and his colorful commentary. It does rub some people the wrong way and while I am not outraged by his broadcast the other night I would agree that it if nothing else his opinion is ignorant. Some people may be angry, but I am not. He has apologized already and he can keep apologizing but it won't change my mind. I will just remind myself in the future if I have to be stuck with a NESN broadcast I can at least hit the mute button until the day comes when he is no longer broadcast and no one asks his opinions anymore. That day comes for everyone, eventually.

For the record, our Chief, Robert Casey loves Jerry Remy.  But this is what's great about Bleeding Yankee Blue. All views are expressed.  We are censorship free here.  Gotta love what we've created here.... thanks boss.

--Jeana Bellezza
BYB Managing Editor
Follow me on Twitter: @NYPrincessJ

DON'T TANK THE SEASON FOR TANAKA, JOE

(Rich Schultz | Getty Images)

It was only a matter of time before rotation weakness posed a serious threat to derail this promising season. That the first man to crumble is Masahiro Tanaka is full of irony, but then what part of this team and season isn't?

At the beginning of this season I wrote the weakest spot on the lineup card may well be the guy signing it. When I wrote that, I explained I thought the success of this rebuilding year -- and never forget that's what it is, playoffs or no playoffs   --  would come down to whether Joe could conquer his predisposition for sticking with the bigger contract over the better arm in the rotation when things got sticky.

That moment is at hand.

For whatever reason -- undiagnosed or hidden injury, messed-up mechanics, psychological jonesing for a pet catcher or sub par "baseball vocabulary" (looking at you, Jerry Remy) -- the Yankees' ace has melted into a puddle of smouldering s'mores, bubbling and oozing over the smoky ashes of every scorecard Joe puts his name on now.

(Photo: NY Post / Paul Bereswill)

He's sporting the highest ERA in the league among qualified starters (6.55) and lost five straight starts; a streak during which he's thrown to a 10.72 ERA and served up a gopher ball roughly every other inning over a 22-inning stretch.

And it hasn't been for lack of trying by the Yankee bats, which have been backing him with the 11th best run support of all pitchers in the league at 5.42 per 9 innings he's out there on the rubber -- including at least 4 or more runs in all but one of the games during his recent smouldering s'mores streak.

For a little more perspective, two years ago, his worst since becoming a Yankee, he  gave up 25 homers in 24 starts. That tied him with three other guys for ninth place on that dubious list.

But this year, in 12 starts he's already air-mailed  17 souvenirs to the fans in the cheap seats-- only one behind the top spot.

In short, until he's fixed, he's become an automatic loss. If he was a prospect making the league minimum, he would've been sent back down weeks ago. If he'd been a spring training invite signed to a major league league contract on Opening Day, he'd be designated for assignment by now.

Unfortunately for both the team's playoff chances this year  and the future of some of its young pitchers of the future, though, the Steinbrenners are locked into him and his partially torn ulnar collateral ligament for the next three years to the tune of $67 million -- and the likelihood anyone will tempt him to exercise his opt-out this winter with a better offer is an impossible dream.

Photo: Getty Images

Joe made a lot of  noise throughout spring training that his pitching competition would be all about the best arms winning the spots.  Now it's put up or shut up time, and the stakes are high: The future of an expensive arm, a potential playoff spot this season and, perhaps most importantly, an instructive lesson for the new faces of the franchise on whether the manager they've been dealt is the kind willing to crash into walls going for it all like they are for the next five to six years-- or not.

After Tanaka's latest meltdown Tuesday,  Joe was busy  building stone walls, repeating his now familiar refrain Tanaka is fine ("He says he feels good." -- Joe, NJ.com ) and just needs to pitch MORE if you can believe it.

"It’s just getting him to consistently repeat," said Joe, according to the NY Post. That’s the bottom line. Larry knows what’s going on, but it’s getting him to consistently repeat it.”

Larry, though, doesn't sound like he's too familiar with "what's going on" other than his part in Joe's script where he agrees there are no plans to shut down Tanaka or even skip his turn.

(June 5, 2017 - Source: Mike Stobe/Getty Images North America)

Per NJ.com: "For now, Tanaka is staying in the Yankees' starting rotation and scheduled to make his next start on Sunday at Yankee Stadium against the Baltimore Orioles. When asked if skipping Tanaka a turn was an option, pitching coach Larry Rothschild answered, "No. Not right now."

"However, it appears as if the Yankees may be weighing the possibility of pushing back Tanaka until Monday when the Yankees open a West Coast trip in Anaheim against the Los Angeles Angels.

"Why do that? Tanaka was hit hard by the Orioles last week in Baltimore (5.2 IP, 7 runs), so he could miss facing them again to pitch against an Angels' club that is without injured superstar center fielder Mike Trout.

"There are different things that we talk about," manager Joe Girardi said. "I'm not ready to share anything with you yet. You know? So that's the bottom line. Let's just put it that way." If the Yankees push Tanaka back a day, long reliever Chad Green likely would make a spot start on Sunday against Baltimore. "We could possibly back (Tanaka) up until Monday, try to get everybody more rest," Rothschild said. "But we'll have to see where we go with that and discuss that."

You know what Joe and Larry? It's no secret your ace is broken and it's no sin to admit we're stuck with him.  But it's suicide in the standings and the bullpen to keep sending him out there in the hope he fixes himself so he can be shopped for the sake of Hal and his quest to get under the luxury tax threshold.

Better idea: He's still young, smart and gifted so treat him like the long-term, costly and potentially valuable asset he is. Stick him on the disabled list, send him to Tampa to do a full work-up on him (no matter how he says he feels),  identify whatever is and isn't  physically ailing him,  and then do whatever is required to repair and rehab what's broken.

Do it now and the absolute worst case scenario is we lose him for the rest of this and  next season,  and then get him back for two big beautiful final seasons after the team's rebuild is completed and already banging on all eight cylinders.  Or, if nothing is found to be truly wrong with him after the workup, have him stay and work out his problems down there until he's recognizable as a major league pitcher before bringing him back up again. He's worse than useless as he is right now.

Photo: Getty Images

Meanwhile, Chad Green is right on schedule rotation-wise to replace Tanaka in the rotation, can easily go  six innings or more -- and most assuredly deserves first crack at the spot.

Why? Because in case you didn't notice like I did back during Joe's  spring  dog and pony rotation competition, the winner WAS Chad Green. Although you may not recall because he was the first one in the contest sent packing after just two starts because Joe had already  pre-determined his fate would be relief fodder, he was the ONLY pitcher in the contest who didn't allow a single run to score in two starts.

And if he doesn't work out for some reason, he should be sent down to replace next-in-line Chance Adams and stay stretched and keep developing his game there.  Because bullpen arms are a dime a dozen and healthy, viable starters of any age are a precious commodity -- and between expected innings limits and unexpected injuries, we're going to be losing more pitchers in this rotation before this season's over,  you can bank on it.

We're already down one starter already.

Only the guy who signs the scorecard doesn't see it that way.

--Barry Millman
BYB Writer
Twitter: @nyyankeefanfore

TWO FORMER PLAYERS I ADMIRE

I'm a baseball freak.  I am a huge card collector, I love to find out new information about players, not only Yankees, but across this great game.  I have baseball cards that go back to the 1900's.

No, they're not mint and NOT perfectly preserved PSA casing like above... but it's my own collection and I do it my way. I find the cards I like, I buy them and I give them a home.  Over time, these cards will be passed down to my children... and they will do the same.  That's the deal... that's my love. Yup, besides my family and BYB... I have a passion for keeping baseball preserved my way... and I'm proud of what I've compiled over the years.

With that, I wanted to mention 2 guys that I read about over the past 48 hours that I remember playing and watching and appreciating... these stories are real and I wanted to share them on BYB.

Tim Flannery played for the Padres in the 80's. He was a solid ball player, and now, years later he's in a band called "Lunatic Fringe."  Well, he presented a check for $96,000 to the Stow family.  The money is to go toward Bryan Stow's care.

Stow was the fan who was beaten at a Giants-Dodgers game a few years ago.  A sad story, but a truly kind gesture by Tim Flannery and his band.  According to NBC Sports, Flannery said, "'That was, for me, kind of a gamble. People always say, `Well, why don't you just write a check?' I always say, `Well, I only hit nine home runs in my 10-year career, I can't just write a big check,' Flannery said by phone Monday. 'I did write a check, I wrote a check that produced a new record. ... I'm just playing the music. I'm doing the same thing I always do. For people to come and just continue the love, it's a great, great honor.'

As part of the large donation presented Saturday night, Giants reliever Jeremy Affeldt contributed $25,000 to match Flannery's initial total and former Giants great turned instructor Will Clark wrote a $10,000 check."

You wanna guy Flannery's new CD and help too? Click on his website, timflannery.com.

Next is a guy named Jerry Remy.  Remdog was a hardnosed pest for the Boston Red Sox for years.  I remember hating him, only because I loved watching him play.  Anyway, Remy had lung cancer and was trying to recover. Meanwhile, last year his son Jared was charged with murdering his girlfriend.  At that time, Remy had left the broadcast booth, obviously to deal with family matters. You need to respect that as a man and human being. You need to admire his strength, because that type of double whammy doesn't happen to many.  Remy, who spoke to WEEI.com said he believes he'll be retuning to broadcasting, something his family and wife urged him to do:

"It was really three friends of mine and my wife that got me off the schneid because I had been trying to tell my family that we have to move on in some capacity and live our lives, yet I was one that was resisting that. I think it’€™s up to me to set an example to go on and live my life. Unfortunately — well, fortunately or unfortunately — it’€™s in the public eye, and it makes it a little bit different than some other things."

Now, in fairness, that above quote is a small portion of a very large statement (HERE) read my Remy. I encourage you all to read it. It's emotional and it makes you realize just how strong this man is.

Anyway ladies and gentlemen... I wanted to bring this to you. I know this isn't the Yankees... but it's humanity, and it's kindness and strength and love.  Every once in a while you need to stop and look around.  I did and I wanted to share these stories today.  They'll be unpublicized because they'd be considered "not sexy" enough for reader consumption. Well, they are here on BYB...

Enjoy your day. Do something big today.

Thank you to all the Bleeding Yankee Blue readers for continued success.  You've made BYB the fasted growing Yankees fan site in the history of Yankees fandom.  Thanks for reading, sharing and enjoying. Follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue (Official) on Facebook, just type it in.