DID JASSON DOMINGUEZ FALL VICTIM TO THE YANKEES OVERHYPE MACHINE?

The answer is yes, but please continue reading.

Why haven’t the New York Yankees won a World Series since 2009?

Because blaming the players alone is the laziest take in baseball—and also the wrong one.

Yes, players have to perform. If you wear a big-league uniform, excuses don’t come standard. But let’s stop pretending the Yankees’ long championship drought is just a matter of underachieving athletes. The common denominator here isn’t the clubhouse—it’s the front office. Specifically, the decision-makers who keep betting big on spreadsheets while ignoring the messy, inconvenient truth that baseball players are human beings.

We’ve seen this movie before. Bad casting, bad evaluations, and blind faith in numbers that look great in theory and crumble in reality. Joey Gallo wasn’t an accident. He was a front-office decision. And he wasn’t alone. These moves all trace back to the same source: Brian Cashman and the machine around him.

Back in 2007, Cashman famously said the Yankees had “three years” to rebuild the system and chase another title. Well, congratulations—the system got rebuilt. Multiple times. The championships? Still stuck in 2009, collecting dust next to the old DVDs.

What did thrive during that time was the hype machine.

Stephen Parello of Yanks Go Yard laid this out perfectly when he walked through the Yankees’ long history of prospect inflation. Remember when Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain, and Ian Kennedy were supposed to save the franchise? Or when Eric Duncan was untouchable? Then came Jesús Montero—anointed as the next superstar with mythical scouting grades and zero follow-through. Parello forgot to mention the killer B's in Manny Banuelos, Dellin Betances and Andrew Brackman, but he didn't really need to, it's more of the same.

But then the Yankees did finally win in 2009—and notice how that happened: by opening the vault for CC Sabathia, Mark Teixeira, and A.J. Burnett. Not hype. Not hope. Proven stars.

Fast-forward to now, and the pattern hasn’t changed—only the branding has. Today’s names are Anthony Volpe, Austin Wells, and Jasson Domínguez. The jerseys sell. The slogans hit. The expectations explode.

Domínguez is the clearest example. A talented kid, no doubt—but the Yankees slapped “The Martian” on him and let the marketing department turn him into something he never asked to be. Even Joel Sherman called it out, noting that the nickname alone created absurd comparisons to Mickey Mantle—comparisons no other organization actually believed. That wasn’t scouting hype. That was New York hype.

And here’s the uncomfortable truth: hype is profitable in the Bronx and you are all being fooled. If 100 fans buy a jersey, the team wins financially before the player ever takes a swing. If the kid struggles? He’s the problem. If he succeeds? The front office pats itself on the back and pretends it was genius all along.

Volpe might be the most glaring dilemma yet. Three years in, tons of merchandise sold, and very little return on the field. Internally, the Yankees know it. Publicly, they’re crossing their fingers and hoping surgery magically turns projections into production. But spreadsheets don’t heal players. And humans don’t reboot like software.

This isn’t “self-hating fandom.” This is realism—the same realism Bleeding Yankee Blue has preached for years. The Yankees’ definition of success has shifted. Second place is acceptable. “Almost” is good enough. As long as the money flows, urgency doesn’t exist.

That’s the real rot. So yes, players deserve blame when they fail. But who puts them there? Who overhypes them? Who markets dreams instead of building winners?

The front office.

And until that changes—until the GM is gone, Boone is shown the door, and the organization remembers that banners matter more than branding—the Yankees will keep selling hope instead of championships.

Don’t fall for it. This isn’t a dynasty in waiting.

It’s a business model built on “close enough.”

ARE THE YANKEES TRYING TO MOVE LUIS GIL?

And now the long winter of no baseball begins, so we officially start diving into the rumor mill and crazy conspiracy theories. We may have found our first one already....

It never takes long, but some years the crazy starts a little sooner than the others. This might be on of those years. There is already chatter about moving a starting pitcher, even though the YANKEES ALREADY HAVE STARTING PITCHING PROBLEMS FOR NEXT SEASON! There's a lot to figure out so could there be any real possibility of the Luis Gil rumors I am seeing on social media and media outlets, like HERE?

There's a few different Gil scenarios floating around right now. One of them I found on the Athletic (subscription required) HERE talks about moving Gil from his starting role into the bullpen. On first impression, the idea of moving Gil to the bullpen sounds really stupid. Carlos Rodón had surgery on his elbow to remove loose bodies and shave down a bone spur which will delay the start of his season. Then there is uncertainty regarding what to expect from Gerrit Cole when he returns. Sure, he's rehabbing and throwing off a mound now but setbacks can and do happen. Oh and then it is very likely that the Yankees won't see Clarke Schmidt at all in 2026, so it seems the club should be adding to the rotation, not subtracting from it.

Let's not forget that he also struggled with an increase in walks this past season and his velocity was down, so why exactly would that translate better in the bullpen? If the Yankees moved Gil to the bullpen, he could work on his mechanics and possibly save some wear and tear to his arm and shoulder. He could become a high-leverage reliever and help solidify the backend of the bullpen, which was an Achilles heel for the Yankees this season. But what if it backfires? It is such a risky move, and if it doesn't work, we've got a new Joba Chamberlain situation on our hands and we have really complicated his future.

I don't like the idea of Gil as a reliever, he is much more valuable as a starter, especially right now. Gil already has a track record of success in that role. He was the 2024 Rookie of the Year after all. He did not crash and burn this season, he lost time with an injury so giving up on him now feels like a knee jerk reaction. Unless the Yankees are planning on adding more than one high quality starter, then it makes sense to keep him. Oh and if they were going to add high quality starters, they would be crazy to not explore trades because he's affordable and teams will love that he is under team control for three more years.

It's officially November....so let the crazy winter rumors fly. So unfortunately for Gil, it looks like he was the first of many to come.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

SOMETIMES THE YANKEE HAIR POLICY STRIPS THE BALLS FROM CERTAIN PLAYERS...

Let's hope it doesn't happen to Devin Williams.

The Yankees’ hair policy has been a topic of debate for years, and honestly, I’m all for it because I love tradition. The Yankees are baseball’s version of a classic black tuxedo—clean, sharp, timeless. No names on the back of the jerseys. No wild hair or unruly beards. Just a uniform, in every sense of the word. Some fans adore it, others despise it. And let’s be real—there are definitely players who can’t stand it either.

Now, here’s the thing: hair matters. You think it doesn’t, but it does. It’s psychological. Some guys wear their hair like a badge of honor, like it holds some kind of baseball superpower. When a player walks into Yankee Stadium with a full-on lumberjack beard and walks out looking like he just enlisted in the military, it does something to him. Maybe he doesn’t pitch the same. Maybe he doesn’t hit the same. Maybe he looks in the mirror and doesn’t even recognize himself. It’s like stripping Superman of his cape and telling him to get over it. That’s not how this works.

Take Brian Wilson, for example. His beard wasn’t just facial hair—it was a whole personality. It was a movement. The guy looked like he belonged in a biker gang, and it worked for him. When the Yankees considered signing him, Brian Cashman didn’t even hesitate: “You can cross him off the list.” Why? Because Wilson refused to shave. That’s how serious this policy is.

And then there’s Don Mattingly. In 1991, the Yankees actually fined and benched him until he cut his hair. Imagine that. A guy could be batting .400, but if his sideburns got a little too ambitious, he was riding the pine. Andrew McCutchen later admitted that the rule made him uncomfortable during his time with the Yankees. Joba Chamberlain, a Yankee from 2007 to 2013, straight-up said he got kicked out of the dugout once and told to go shave.

So here we are, and history repeats itself. Enter Williams, the latest player to take on the Yankees’ razor-wielding tradition. He showed up to spring training with a beard, looking like his normal self. And then? Poof. By the time he started throwing, he was clean-shaven and looking like a different guy entirely. “I feel naked,” he admitted, according to Randy Miller of the Newark Star-Ledger. And honestly, I believe him.

But here’s what worries me: Williams will play ball, but what I don’t want is for him to lose his power. You know what I mean? The Yankees front office will roll their eyes and say, “It’s just superstition, get over it.” But that’s the thing—players are superstitious. They believe in this stuff. And when you strip them of something that makes them feel like themselves, you risk messing with their confidence, their swagger, their mojo.

Look, I get the tradition. I respect it. But baseball is a game built on rituals, weird habits, and unexplained magic. Some guys eat the same meal before every game. Some won’t step on the foul line. Some swear their batting gloves have good luck. And some? Some believe their hair is part of what makes them great. Sometimes, even the Yankees need to bend a little. Otherwise, what happens when a guy loses his beard and takes the mound feeling like a shell of his former self? That’s a risk no team should want to take.

Let's see what happens.

THE RISE OF THE ANTHEM STANDOFF & HOW TRULY RIDICULOUS IT IS

Baseball is a sport steeped in tradition, from the seventh-inning stretch to the ceremonial first pitch. Yet, among the plethora of time-honored practices, one stands out for its sheer absurdity and humorous defiance: the anthem standoff. This peculiar tradition, where players from opposing teams refuse to be the first to leave the field after the national anthem, has become a beloved spectacle. But where did it all begin? And why do so many teams indulge in this ludicrous showdown? Let's take a hilariously detailed journey through the history and notable instances of anthem standoffs in baseball.

The origins of the anthem standoff are shrouded in mystery, much like the exact recipe for the perfect ballpark hot dog. While there isn't a definitive answer to when and where the first anthem standoff occurred, the practice gained prominence in the early 2000s. One of the earliest recorded instances was a minor league game in 2003, involving players from the New Haven Ravens and the Binghamton Mets. The players stood their ground post-anthem, much to the amusement of fans and confusion of umpires. The standoff lasted several minutes, setting the stage for what would become a quirky tradition in the sport.

At its core, the anthem standoff is a battle of wills, a test of endurance, and a showcase of playful competitiveness. It's a way for players to engage in light-hearted rivalry and entertain the crowd. The standoff symbolizes a team's determination to outlast the opposition, even if it means standing perfectly still for an extended period. Plus, it's a harmless bit of fun that adds an element of unpredictability to the pre-game proceedings.

Let's explore some of the most memorable anthem standoffs that have graced baseball fields, each with its unique blend of humor and competitive spirit and sourced from MLB.com.

1. 2014: Milwaukee Brewers vs. Pittsburgh Pirates

   • During the regular season, the Brewers' Carlos Gomez and the Pirates' Travis Snider engaged in a standoff that saw both players rooted to their spots for over six minutes. The crowd roared as teammates tried (and failed) to coax them off the field.

2. 2015: Kansas City Royals vs. Oakland Athletics

   • The Royals' Jarrod Dyson and the A's Brett Lawrie took the standoff to new heights with their exaggerated salutes and stoic poses. The standoff ended when Dyson's teammate Salvador Perez hilariously tackled him, bringing the fun to a close.

3. 2016: San Francisco Giants vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

   • In a standoff between two of baseball's oldest rivals, the Giants' Hunter Pence and the Dodgers' Yasiel Puig stood firm. The duel ended when Pence broke into a spontaneous dance, much to Puig's amusement and the crowd's cheer.

4. 2017: Chicago Cubs vs. Washington Nationals

   • The Cubs' Anthony Rizzo and the Nationals' Bryce Harper took the standoff to a theatrical level, with Rizzo mimicking a statue and Harper pretending to adjust his invisible tie. The antics ended in a draw, but the fans were the real winners.

5. 2018: Colorado Rockies vs. Arizona Diamondbacks

   • The Rockies' Charlie Blackmon and the D-backs' Paul Goldschmidt stood their ground in a memorable standoff. The spectacle ended when the grounds crew started setting up around them, drawing laughter from the crowd.

6. 2019: New York Mets vs. Philadelphia Phillies

   • The Mets' Pete Alonso and the Phillies' Rhys Hoskins engaged in a standoff that saw both players showing off their best game faces. The standoff ended when Alonso's hat flew off in the wind, causing both players to break character and laugh.

7. 2020: Minnesota Twins vs. Cleveland Indians

   • The Twins' Miguel Sano and the Indians' Francisco Lindor stood firm in a socially-distanced standoff. The pandemic protocols added a unique twist, with both players eventually giving a respectful nod to end the standoff.

8. 2021: Los Angeles Angels vs. Seattle Mariners

   • The Angels' Shohei Ohtani and the Mariners' Kyle Seager stood their ground in an international showdown. The standoff ended when Seager's son, watching from the stands, started cheering for his dad, causing both players to break into smiles.

The Yankees-Reds Anthem Standoff: July 4, 2024

On July 4, 2024, Yankee Stadium witnessed an epic anthem standoff between the Yankees' Ian Hamilton and Cody Poteet, and the Cincinnati Reds' pitchers Graham Ashcraft and Carson Spiers. The crowd was electric as the four players remained rooted to their spots after the national anthem, refusing to be the first to retreat.  The tension was palpable as the players stood their ground, engaging in a battle of wills that lasted for ten minutes. Fans cheered on their favorites, eagerly waiting to see who would give in first. The anticipation built with each passing second, turning the pre-game ceremony into an unforgettable spectacle.

Just as it seemed the standoff might continue indefinitely, Yankees manager Aaron Boone ordered his players to take their positions. Boone's intervention was met with a chorus of boos from the crowd, who were thoroughly enjoying the playful rivalry. The fans' disappointment was clear, with one spectator overheard saying, "Way to go, Boone, you just ruined a perfectly good standoff."

This standoff has already become part of baseball lore, highlighting the sport's lighter side and the spirit of friendly competition. It serves as a reminder that sometimes, the most memorable moments in baseball aren't about the game itself but about the unexpected, lighthearted events that bring fans and players closer together.

Despite occasional interruptions by overzealous managers, the anthem standoff remains a beloved tradition in baseball. It's a harmless way for players to engage in friendly rivalry, entertain fans, and add a touch of whimsy to the game. The standoff has become a symbol of the sport's lighter side, a reminder that, at its heart, baseball is about fun and camaraderie.

The anthem standoff is one of baseball's most amusing traditions, blending competitive spirit with playful antics. From its mysterious beginnings to its memorable showdowns, the standoff has carved out a unique niche in the sport's history. And while some managers might not appreciate the spectacle (we're looking at you, Aaron Boone), fans and players alike will continue to revel in the absurdity of the anthem standoff. So next time you're at a game, keep an eye out for those steadfast players refusing to budge, and join in the fun of baseball's silliest tradition.

--Alvin Izzo
BYB Yankee History Contributor

YANKEES TEASE A "TIMEOUT" COMING FOR LUIS GIL!

Thank the baseball gods so far this season for Luis Gil! He has been on a tear this season, but there is still a long way to go. He's in his first year back after Tommy John surgery and the Yankees will err on the side of caution and look for ways to limit his workload as we approach the midpoint of the season.

Sounds a lot like an innings limit, but the Yankees won't call it an innings limit. In fact, back in March the Yankees said Gil would have no innings restrictions, read more HERE but now the Yankees are back peddling to this. Is anyone surprised?

We shouldn't be. All of us want nothing more than to watch Gil pitch effectively for the rest of the season and stay healthy. The Yankees have their own ideas (historically bad ones), and you can feel free to throw in the Joba Chamberlain reference starting now. The Yankees ruined Joba. We all hope they learned their lesson with that but I'm skeptical.

A lot has changed since the Joba days, even Matt Blake admits it. Back in March, The Post wrote "Blake noted all the tools that now exist to measure strength and flexibility between starts and if a pitcher is, for example, lowering his arm angle during a game, as a way to assess red flags." So baseball today is more advanced, you can do more than just limit innings. You can actually see more meaningful data that helps a team understand how a pitcher is handling their current workload.

But even with that insight, Blake says Gil still might get a "timeout" or spend some time in the bullpen. So basically, the routine Gil has now likely won't be what he has in the near future. Needless to say, I am not a fan of the Yankees tactic, based on what Blake described. It just sounds like another mistake waiting to happen.

We all know pitchers THRIVE on routine. Starters structure their daily activities so they are ready to take the ball every fifth day. They have other routines they follow between starts. Not for nothin, after watching Gil's last start against the Dodgers on Sunday I don't want to change a single thing he is doing right now. As the saying goes, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." He's on a tear, let him stay on his current course!

I'm not a fan of Blake's "timeout" idea or the idea of moving him to the bullpen. A relief pitcher has a completely different routine and if the Yankees bounce Gil around like they did Joba they will burn him out and he will get hurt again. 

Gil has pitched 75 innings already this season. Bouncing him to the bullpen is not the answer to limit his workload. The Yankees need to be smarter than this and learn from their mistakes. The only person who needs a "timeout" is Blake for his stupid suggestion.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

JOBA & WELLS SPEAK OUT ON THE YANKEES HORRIBLE SEASON!

Joba Chamberlain is the recent Yankee hero in my mind.  He says that the fans have a right to be pissed off about the Yankees ridiculous season.  Meanwhile David Wells is shouting that it's not Brian Cashman or Aaron Boone, but instead the players who need to step up and do their job. 

The New York Post writes:

“Everyone’s blaming Cashman, they’re blaming Aaron Boone,” Wells said during an appearance on “Don’t @ Me with Dan Dakich.” “… So to me, it’s a matter of if the players don’t produce, send them a message, and I don’t care how much money they’re making. Send them down, and let them sit in the minor leagues for a bit.

“Yeah, they got guaranteed contracts, but they’re not getting the publicity that they want in a big-league stadium. Go to a minor-league stadium. It’s not fun when you’re in the big leagues and you go back down, because it’s humiliating when you get sent down. But do your job, and that’s what they gotta do.”

Let me tell you something. Both guys are right.  But when it comes to the fans, they take it personally.  There is no question that Cashman brought in players that did not do their job.  But we're rehashing alot of garbage now.  

Guys like Montas, Rodon just didn't work. Trading Montgomery for Bader proved to be stupid.  Not signing Harper when the Yankees should have bit the Yankees in the ass.  All this is true.  Wells can complain all he wants about how the players needed to do their job, but who can forget the time Wells didn't do his job when the Yankees needed him.

October 2003.  In the first inning against the Marlins, David Wells was pulled from the mound when we needed him most... for... back spasms.  ESPN writes:

"Back spasms forced New York Yankees pitcher David Wells from his start in Game 5 of the World Series against the Florida Marlins after only one inning Thursday...Florida went on to win 6-4, taking a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series."

David Wells didn't do his job that day. We lost the series. What's my point? I hate when guys can spew their mouth about crap and forget what they didn't accomplish on the field for us fans for merely the same thing.  Say what you will about the players doing their job, but at the end of the day if comes down to the talent on the field and what they can do on any given day. And these players were brought in by YOU GUESSED IT... Brian Cashman.  Cashman thought he was putting the best guys on the field, like Wells, like Stanton or Rodon... but those players failed.  Let me say this again... Cashman brought them in.

Wells is loyal to Cashman because Cashman defended Wells after that 2003 game. That's all it came down to:

"He is as big a competitor as you can find and he fights through a lot of stuff, but today he couldn't get through it," Cashman said."

Joba has stepped up finally to say that fans deserve better, and they have the right to be critical. Great job Yanks Go Yard with this interview!  (34:22)

He said that the fans should be mad and that's all us fans really want. Us fans want to see change. We're the ones that pay a ton of money to see the players that Cashman puts on the field compete.  And when they don't, we want Cashman's head. It's pretty simple. When the Yankees lose, we lose money. When the Yankees win, we feel satisfied because we spent a $1000 bucks on the game that day, money to get tickets, to park and to buy food for our family.  It's pretty simple and to be honest, obscene.  

The prices at the stadium are outrageous... do pardon us fans for not being happy when Cashman gets us Rodon and he lays an egg 5 games straight.  The front office picked Rodon because Rodon was supposed to be good. Analytics, top office guys made that decision and Cashman was in on it.  But at the end of the day, they picked the wrong player.  And so, that's why fans are mad.  And Joba gets that. 

Look, The Yankees will get through this, but only if they make changes.  Wells is a good dude with great opinions... Joba too.  I just love how to players have different perspectives on this situation. It's fascinating to me.

Anyway... Happy Sunday!

YANKEES TALK ABOUT INNINGS LIMITS WITH NASTY NESTOR & I'M GONNA LOSE MY MIND!

There's a fine line between "protecting" a player and coddling him....and I don't think the Yankees know the difference. Even if they do know the difference, I worry that they will still screw it up.

And that's a real possibility when it comes to Nestor Cortes, read more HERE. We are heading into June, and there are already headlines about innings limits. The Yankees are going to come up with some crazy science experiment to make sure Cortes still pitches enough to help the team get to the playoffs without overworking him before they get there.

That's where Matt Blake comes in....and some more Yankees analytics. Because we all know how much the Yankees love to throw analytics into everything, and Blake is already babbling about it.

"The historical way to do it was just to look at innings totals and go up 20 or 30 percent," pitching coach Matt Blake said. "That’s not fair to guys because all innings come in different ways with pitch counts and stress. You can look at their body, performance in the weight room and training numbers and then track that as the year goes on," Blake said. "You add subjective and qualitative feedback from the players, who can tell us how they’re feeling physically and mentally and see if there are any trends positive or negative."

The historical way has been used for a long time. Teams have analyzed strengths and weaknesses throughout spring training and made adjustments throughout the regular season as needed. But what about when you have a short spring training and a pitcher that hasn't pitched more than 119 professional innings?

It's the perfect storm for a lot of shenanigans yet to come. I'm calling it now. Cortes is the real deal, we can see it. Is he going to pitch 200+ innings? Probably not due to a bunch of factors....but I don't like the idea of Blake and Aaron Boone already talking about this. We've seen the Yankees experiments go wrong already. Deivi Garcia is the most recent experiment....and what about Joba Chamberlain back in the day?

Do we want Cortes to pitch to the point of dead arm? Of course not, but the Yankees have proven they don't know how to identify or prevent that either. Just let him pitch! The league will eventually get more intel and make some adjustments to try and be more successful against him. It's a natural part of the game. He wants to pitch and help his team, let him do it! He's not a flame thrower, the 100+ mph fastball isn't in the equation here. There's a difference between playing smart and conditioning properly and a science experiment.....but the Yankees can't identify this.

The Yankees better think long and hard about shutting Cortes down early....it didn't help Stephen Strasburg or the Nationals back in 2012. There's no reason to think it will help us either. Stop the coddling or knee jerk reactions and let the man pitch using logic!

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

THE YANKEES SECOND CHANCE ROTATION

Source: The New York Post

As always, I try to stay positive and focused as the Yankees head to spring training in just a few weeks. I am hopeful they have done enough to make the starting rotation an emerging one, one that will come together and gel within a few weeks in Tampa. But you look at the numbers and playing time among the potential rotation and you have to scratch your head a bit. The Yankees went out and built a rotation around their ace Gerrit Cole with second chance pitchers.

Famed sports writer Mike Lupica from MLB.com wrote, "So here are pitchers behind Cole who, by the way, was everything the Yankees could have hoped for last October, all the way to Game 5 of the American League Division Series vs. the Rays:

Corey Kluber: One inning pitched last season.

Luis Severino (if and when he is healthy again): No innings pitched last season.

Jameson Taillon: No innings pitched last season.

Domingo Germán: No innings pitched last season." 

Source: MLB.com

Lupica quite frankly took the wind out of my sails. I respect the heck out of the guy and he makes up some good points, ones I have contemplated myself. But, the Yankees made some risky moves to fill the rotation and yes, are taking a chance on some guys who have had fallen on some tough times either through injury or bad decisions. Yet, as Lupica states, the "Yanks attempting bold new pitching approach." 

"The last time the Yankees did win it all, their starting rotation was CC Sabathia, Andy Pettitte (then 37), A.J. Burnett and Joba Chamberlain, the only pitchers on the team to make more than nine starts," says Lupica. When you put it that way, Cole, Kluber, Severino, Taillon and German don't sound that bad. And mix in Jordan Montgomery and Deivi Garcia and the Yankees could be on to a great formula. 

Kluber, Severino, Montgomery and Taillon all are coming off injuries, with Taillon having had Tommy John surgery twice. The Yankees need to be careful with these guys who need an intentional regiment aligned to their needs and recovery protocols. 

Taillon is fired up, ready to go and anxious to make the most of his second chance. I gather that the rest of the bunch are just as excited and are looking forward to the best spring training and subsequent season of their lives. Let's hope so. Let's hope they take every ounce of that second chance out for a spin and make of the most of this opportunity to win with the Yankees in 2021. 

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

IN THE MIDST OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, WE REACHED 7 MILLION STRONG

These days, every single day is like a blur to me. I mean sure, we do our 'work from home' routine, exercise and in some cases help our kids with their school work, but this "Stay at Home" stuff is for the birds.  Does it save lives? It does. Is it working? It is, but it's amazing. Never if my life have I ever seen such an incredible thing in my world. Never, ever.

But in the midst of this tragedy, a glow of light.  Bleeding Yankee Blue has done it again. We have reached a new milestone, something to be proud of. We have reached 7 million views on our pages, and that is all because of people like you!

Over 7 million views is not only historic, it makes me all fuzzy inside. That means that since September of 2010, we have built an audience and found a way to deliver news and information to our audience in a unique way. And I say unique, because there were already so many Yankee blogs out there. But we do it differently. We are honest.

We don't kiss the ass of the New York Yankees. I mean yes, we are fans first, but if someone in the Yankee clubhouse is blowing it or saying the wrong thing, we're gonna tell it to you straight.  We've done it over the years and continue too... even when it comes to guys like Sonny Gray or Giancarlo Stanton or even Joe Girardi. Whomever. That's one. 2... our writers don't need to agree with each other to make a solid product. Look at the spats between Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa and Mike O'Hara when it comes to a player like Mark Teixeira for example. One loves him... the other... not so much.

We started after a bad game back in 2010. BYB built from there.  Our first interview was with Steve Karsay. That was in 2011. It was awesome and helped put us on the map. (Read EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: STEVE KARSAY).

Years later, our first podcast interview was with Ty Hensley. He gave us stability and there will be more podcast interviews as we move forward. (Check out A BYB PODCAST INTERVIEW EXCLUSIVE WITH TY HENSLEY ). We love this dude and let me be honest... we were the ONLY blog that was consistently following him throughout everything he's been through. And now he's back on top on the verge of signing with a Major League club again.

My point is, Bleeding Yankee Blue has evolved for our audience, because our audience is the foundation to this entire process.

💚 GREEN I 💚 It’s my favorite color and the color of revitalization and rebirth. Hopefully, after this passes we will be better as a partner, mom, sister, friend, human being and we appreciate even more how important it is to be healthy. 💚 pic.twitter.com/QlMdSjbgVE

— Laura Posada (@PosadaLifeCoach) April 10, 2020

We've met and got the know many people over the years.  Laura and Jorge Posada. Clay Rapada. Marci Hensley, Joba Chamberlain, Pete Caldera of the Bergen Record and others.  They are loyal to us... we are loyal to them.

My writers don't stop. I mean some do, but my staple Managing Editors do not. Suzie and Jeana are unstoppable and unique and important to our brand.  We need them on the pages of Bleeding Yankee Blue, and love them very much here.

And finally to our readers, our freaks, our friends, our loves and our loyal crew.

We do this every day for you because you come to us for information, smiles and news when it comes to the New York Yankees and of course the despicable Houston Astros, which, if you know us, has been incorporated into our daily routine.  We fight for justice, and the Astros need to be buried for what they did to this great game.

But you, our readers are our base and our rock and our voice of reason if you agree or disagree with what we put out.  You are the reason we exist.

Thank you. Thank all of you for being there and for supporting Bleeding Yankee Blue.

Wow... 7 million views of our pages.  More than 10,000 stories on our website since it all began in 2010.  That means something. That means we are relevant.

We appreciate you being with us on our journey. Let's continue to blossom.... together.

--Robert Casey
BYB Chief & Head Writer
Twitter: @BleednYankeeBlu

NO ONE BETTER THAN O'HARA WHEN IT COMES TO YANKEE BASEBALL

I can talk to Mike O'Hara about baseball for hours.  He's just that knowledgeable and fun.  He and I are the same age, and so we can talk about 70's and 80's baseball like it was going out of style. We like similar players, we followed them growing up in our living rooms where ever we were at that time.  And when we chat, it just brings us back to a much simpler time, where there was no responsibly.

Only Yankee baseball on WPIX, and baseball cards and fun.

These days Mike and I are grown men, with families and plenty of responsibilities. We're in charge of making things run correctly in our respective households, or at least that's what our wives tell us.  But when it comes to the Yankees.... we'll always be kids and we'll always be in our happy place... and I think that's why O'Hara and I are so tight. We get each other... we have for a long time.

Mike reached out to me around 2011 when BYB was relatively new. He was working and hosting at the MLB Fan "CAGE" as he calls it and I was a fan of his before I even knew he was a fan of Bleeding Yankee Blue.  We started chatting it up and before I knew it, Mike was a staple in the BYB Family, writing unique stuff for our pages.  While Mike doesn't write as much anymore, he still does when he can. And let's not get it twisted... with the Coronavirus lingering, I think it's safe to say that he, and many have a lot more free time on their hands. And so, Mike wrote for us the other day to rekindle his connection with the BYB audience, and I decided that I needed to interview him for the BYB Media Podcast like I did with Suzie Pinstripe (HERE) and Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa (HERE). 


Loyalty runs deep with me... you know this by now.  And Mike? Mike's loyal and like a brother to me.

So give this interview a listen. We talked about everything, from COVID19, actor Bill Hader... to Goose Gossage to Reggie Jackson to the stupid Astros.

We talked Joba Chamberlain, David Ortiz and even Rob Manfred and George Springer.  This guy's real and honest and one of the best when it comes to talking baseball.

Let me know what you think.

And Mike? I love ya buddy. Thanks for taking the time.