IN DEFENSE OF CURT SCHILLING

You either saw the title of this post and clicked on the link immediately…or you took one look at the name mentioned and said to yourself, “Hard pass. Negative, Ghost Rider the pattern is full.”

Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury, I’m not going to dazzle you with smoke and mirrors today. There isn’t any surprise witness tucked away in a holding room waiting to shock you and the world. I will simply give you the side of this story that needs to be told. I will present facts and prove beyond the shadow of a doubt that Curt Schilling is an arrogant blowhard and deserving of the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Baseball Writers are an insanely overrated bunch. Yes, that is my opinion, but let’s look at the history of those like Heyman, Olney and the like. Objectivity is not a stat on the back of their baseball cards…in fact they don’t appear on any cards! Not a one. Topps, Fleer, Upper Deck…they have little use for these self-important “experts” in America’s National Pastime. Why? Why do they hold sway over the gateway to Cooperstown? Are they ever between the white lines? Did they stand on a bump 60’ 6” away from the plate, in a 3-2 count, runners at 2nd and 3rd, bottom of the ninth on a cold October Night in the Bronx…World Championship on the line? No. Are they athletes good enough to play in the show? No. No, they aren’t. They are wallflowers. They’re not even fans. They are jaded. The career politicians of Major League Baseball. Wouldn’t a council of player appointed former Big Leaguers, Umps, Managers and Scouts be better suited to decide who joins the legends enshrined in the Hall. To me that’s a NO BRAINER! 

Give me Mike Schmidt, Ozzie Smith, Joe Torre, Jimmy Joyce, Dan Iasogna and Mariano Rivera on the Inaugural HALL OF FAME COMMITTEE. No Baseball Writers need apply.

This brings me to Curt Schilling. Not one of my favorite guys. He is obnoxious. He is self-righteous, he is arrogant. He is politically outspoken…not anything he should be barred from doing mind you, but he looks for fights and often let’s his discord fall south of the Mendoza Line so to speak. 

Curt Schilling is a jerk. But he IS a Hall of Famer and the writers don’t like him…so he won’t make it in. This, ladies and gentlemen, is wrong. “Big Game Pitcher”? Check that box. World Champion? Yes…more than once with different teams. A guy most managers, if they are being honest, would want on the hill in a game 7? Indeed. Schilling was a gamer. He was a power pitcher with craft. He played for teams and made them better. 

Can Arizona get it done in 2001 without him? Nope. Boston reveres the imaginary curse lacking #38? NAWT A PRAYER, DOOD. Heck, even those Phight’n Phils may have been Champs in ’93 if the Wild Thing doesn’t spoil it with a gimme ball to Joe Carter…yeah, Schill was a big reason that rotation was a great one. It’s not just the numbers. Hall of Famers are guys that played the game at that next level when it was needed. They lead their teams. Curt Schilling did just that. 

But he’s a not well liked? So what?! I’m not putting him in the Hall of Fame because I like him. I don’t. I agree with many I’ve gotten to know and talk with in Baseball (names to be omitted) who said he was a lousy coworker and extraordinarily selfish. However, that’s not for the writers to decide. We have allowed these writers to take something that doesn’t belong to them. It’s not their game. It’s ours. It belongs to the fans and the players. It’s woven in the fabric of our country and these over-hyped former high school bench warmers are letting their own issues and personal feeling stop players who deserve to be recognized for the way they played baseball. That is a fact. For example…we all remember the writer who didn’t like Derek Jeter so he gave his vote to Armando Benitez…

I’ll close with this. In 2002 my father was flying back to Philly from a business trip in Phoenix. In the row in front of him on that US Airways flight was the reigning World Series Champ and Co-MVP Curt Schilling. While disembarking the aircraft my Dad, a diehard Yankee Fan, offered his congratulations and remarked, “You got my Yanks, but they’ll be back.” Schilling, instead of taking it all in stride and thanking my dad, turned quickly, nodded his head dismissively, and answered, “And we’ll kick their asses again.” 

My dad relayed that story to me and said he was truly a nasty pr**k…but a World Champ and would one day earn the Hall. I agree with my Pop. I worked with Schilling on a episode of Baseball Tonight. He is arrogant. He isn’t overly friendly (though did sign a cap for my kid brother who, tragically, is a Sox Fan). I can’t say anything truly nice about this guy….but if only nice guys made the Hall it would be like a Ramada in Fort Lauderdale the week after Spring Break.

I ask that you look to strike down the will of baseball’s writers and see Mr. Schilling for what he is…a royal assh*** ... AND a Hall of Famer.

Thank you. The Defense rests.

** Boston once loved the guy...so the Murphys can serenade him. A loser....but only as a person. As a player? HOF ready** 

--Mike O'Hara

BYB Contributor

Twitter: @mikeyoh21

FREAKING HUGE!

That title above was actually my tweet when Dellin Betances struck out Edwin Encarnacion in the bottom of the 8th with the bases loaded, 2 out and the Toronto crowd going nuts!

Freaking HUGE!!! #BYB

— Robert Casey (@BleednYankeeBlu) September 23, 2015

I was going nuts too. By far... for me, the best moment of the night at that point. There was an atmosphere I haven't seen in Toronto since I saw Joe Carter circling the bases. 

That's great for the Toronto fans... but I'm a Yankee fan, and we needed this win tonight.  There was no other way around it.  If the Yankees were to lose, with Ivan Nova stumbling through tomorrow's start most likely, who knows where we'd be.  At least now we have a better shot at the division rather than the Wild Card.

I know, I know, you'll take the Wild Card.  I get that. But I like winning the division. After all, it's been 2 long years.  I want first place.  As fans, we want it and deserve it.  Tonight was a playoff type atmosphere.  It was crazy.  Even former BYB writer Chad MacDonald sent me a text:

"This ballgame. Whooof."

That's about right.  It was right around the 9th when I broke out the Fireball.  Apparently I wasn't the only one:

@BleednYankeeBlu So did I

— Phil Privitera (@PrivysTake) September 23, 2015

And that's what makes BYB and the Yankees so unique. We watch together... we interact together. Hell... we even drink together..where ever we are at that moment. We're family! You even wear BYB in a critical moment:

@BleednYankeeBlu Just for you bud...I didn't have any clean #Pirates shirts for tonight, so I broke this out... #BYB pic.twitter.com/yP52V3MLRa

— John Phillips (@PGHJohnPhillips) September 23, 2015

Thank you John!

Yanks won, and yes, that Betances strikeout was big... but ultimately it would be the Greg Bird 3 run home run in the 10th that would be bigger.  The Yankees won because of that, but hey, give guys like Luis Severino alot of credit.  6 innings pitched, allowed 3 hits and 2 runs.  The rest of the pen was outstanding as well. 

Sure, give Andrew Miller crap for giving up 2 home runs in a critical moment all you want, but you need to realize how huge the Jays are this season. Everyone knows it's not gonna be easy. Miller's walking through landmines out there and he did an outstanding job.

No real recap... I'm alittle drunk and I'm alittle pumped and I should go to bed.  But before I do, I will just tell you this;  The Yanks play the Jays again tomorrow night.  All the YES Network guys agree... Andrew Miller will not be out there tomorrow night.  I disagree.  You need to throw Miller if you have to.  Tonight was like the playoffs... it was HUGE. If it's a must win game, get Miller out there. No question he's gonna want the ball.  Give it to him!  We need to win 2 of 3 from the Jays... bottom line.

Yanks win tonight. Huge win.  Betances. Bird. Wins. Yankees.

Boom!

Final: Yankees 6 - Blue Jays 4

   

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CELEBRATING IS GREAT FOR BASEBALL. TAUNTS ARE NOT

There’s been a ton of chatter recently about good and bad sportsmanship in this great game of baseball. For several months, we've heard of different antics. You remember the Melky Cabrera crotch chop toward the Atlanta crowd when he was a San Francisco Giant and about Carlos Gomez when he flipped his bat last season?

That resulted in a brawl and a shiner on Travis Snider’s face and a lot of suspensions and Russell Martin wanting to fight the world.  Why did it really have to get that bad? We’re animals, aren’t we?

The latest comes from Junior Lake of the Cubs just the other day.  He hit a monster home run for the Cubs, down 6-0 against the Marlins. But then he watched it, and then he flipped his bat, and then, as he was rounding third, he looked in the Marlins dugout and told them to "shhhhh". That didn't go over too well. Here's the video:




A taunt. Kind of classless, and the bench clearing that followed... well, it's kind of expected with that behavior, isn't it?

Look, I love the celebration, but here’s what I hate; I hate when players crank one and are standing in the batter’s box just watching it sail away. To me, as your opponent, that's a showboat and I will go high and tight on you.  I hated when Melky Cabrera crotch chopped in Atlanta. It showed his immaturity. Hell, this isn't even a "celebration" but to this day, I still think that throwing Don Zimmer to the ground, no matter how crazy that old man seemed in that moment, was totally out of line. When you are in the moment, you really need to NOT let your emotions get the best of you. Be a ballplayer, show respect, show class.  Know the line when having your celebration, you know what I mean?

Celebrating in baseball has been going on for decades, and there is nothing better than true excitement sometimes. Seeing Joe Carter jumping up and down when the Blue Jays won is legit, justified, genuine and amazing for this great game.

I can even fall in love with the Rafael Soriano “Untuck”.  It’s the “Game over, we won  and I’m going home” razzing that I can get on board with. That's because these examples have essentially "ended" the competition.  If we didn’t have that type of celebrating, how much fun would baseball be? How much fun would any sport be for that matter?

Look at Ali and boxing for example. Muhammad Ali was a trash talker, but he put his money where his mouth was.  He intimidated his opponent. He taunted them, but he backed it up and yes, he was the greatest.  Fernando Rodney’s arrow in the air after a win and a save? Hey, I don’t personally like it, but it should be allowed... it's in the "Untuck" category.

You want to dance in the end zone after a big touchdown, I say go for it. But if you're pointing at your opponent, maybe giving him the “I’m gonna slit your throat” symbol, well, that’s gangsta shit.  Don’t do that. You will get your ass kicked.  Junior Lake and his "shhhhh" goes into that category... it's the same thing.

Celebrating in sports, in baseball… well, there’s a fine line. If you’re not threatening anyone, be it a fan, opposing team, go for it.  The moment you’re in someone’s face telling them you’re “gonna kick their ass" or taunting... it's just bad sportsmanship. It's JV.

That's why you  gotta love Jeet.  He was all class. I’m a fan of the fist pump. It's classic.  Derek Jeter did it a lot. It’s contained, meaning, it’s the feeling of celebration without shoving it in the face of the opponent. It’s a team achievement, maybe a personal one.  It's a stepping stone… one game at a time.  By the time the championship is over, go nuts. But if you're crotch chopping toward the other dugout, "shhhing" the other team to make an empty point, well... you’re an idiot.  In a championship, many times there are sad faces in the loser’s dugout. Some refuse to watch the celebration. Others will stare at it, sad, annoyed and wondering what went wrong.  But those guys know, that’s the game, especially after it's over.

We are baseball fans. We are savages, but we understand the game of baseball and what competition is.  We love our characters, but we also respect the game.  What started out as a bat flip from Carlos Gomez last year turned into a mess. It didn’t have to be.  Next time Junior Lake homers... let's hope he remembers to respect the game and respect the opponent, or I'm pretty sure he'll get one between the numbers.

Celebration is fine. It's the arrogance, the taunt that I just don't get.

I don't know... I just needed to get that off my chest I guess.

 


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THE ROAD AHEAD

The Yankees showed signs of life in recent days. Maybe it was having the players of yesteryear assembled to honor Joe Torre that made them examine themselves in the clubhouse mirror and say, “LET’S GO! THIS IS RIDICULOUS!”

Whatever the reason, the Yanks have strung together some wins. Yes, the came at the expense of the lowly Chicago White Sox, but YOU MUST beat the teams you are supposed to beat to play in October. Early in the home stand they dropped 2 to an Astros team that somehow has their number this year…that can’t happen. The club now heads out on the most important road trip of the 2014 season. Every game is a must win at this point, but this trip they will see teams in the playoff hunt. Can they show the same heart and sweep the Motown Cats in Detroit? Well, they better. The Tigers have a thorn in their paw and are limping around lately. They are more prey than predator all of a sudden and the Yankees could move ever closer to that 2nd Wildcard spot…oh yeah, the Monday game against a young and hungry KC team was a nice warm up. The Royals are all grown up it seems. 8-1 last night? Yup... I'll take that.

After a few days in the Midwest enjoying Arthur Bryant’s’ BBQ and some Smokey Robinson songs the Bombers will head to the Great White North and see if that can’t put the Jays to sleep for good. I haven’t understood how Toronto always seems to fade.

They have big bats and the pitching isn’t terrible…and yet…Oh Canada, Joe Carter doesn’t live here anymore. The Yankees HAVE to clip some wings and make them long for some Maple Leaf Hockey. There is nothing else to say.

Brian McCann’s (arguably signature moment as a Yankee) walk off dinger last Sunday could be the wave that turns the tide. Maybe they realize the braces on their “Magic Legs” are breaking off and they can “Run like the wind blows” to steal from the ever poetic Forrest Gump.

This is the time to go, gentlemen. The road is there. Walk the walk. Get it done. Like Captain Jeter has always said, “It’s not the best team that gets it done. It’s the team that plays the best baseball at that right time.” I think every Yankee fan would welcome seeing your best baseball…because that brand hasn’t been on display thus far this season. What do you say, boys? LET’S RUN!!

**I don’t usually play soft rock songs…but when I do I play Jackson Browne…you too? Super. "Let’s GO YANK EES!!”

--Mike O'Hara
Senior "Features" Writer
MLB Fan Cave Host, Season 1
Twitter: @mikeyoh21
   "Paulie was always my favorite player."

 
You've made BYB the fastest growing Yankees fan site in history. Now shop at the Bleeding Yankee Blue store!  Follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and LIKE Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook! 

HEY BAUTISTA... ACT LIKE YOU'VE BEEN THERE BEFORE!

What's special in baseball? To everyone, there 1 or 2 or 3 things that are very special in this great game. Is it hitting a home run? Maybe having your team win the World Series? How about watching another player perform well?  Do you tip your cap if you are a peer in the game and see greatness on the other side of the diamond? Or, do you say something to the press that will no doubt cause a stir? If you're Jose Bautista, you choose that one, just because you don't want to give another club, and in this case, the Yankees, too much credit.  That's what I think happened recently with Jose Bautista. Don't know what I mean? Keep reading...

Brendan Kuty of The Star Ledger has the story and writes: " The saga didn't ensnare at least several players with Toronto, where Tanaka's expected to make his first big-league start April 4. Count slugger Jose Bautista among them. 'I mean, it's just a different pitcher for me,' the right fielder said Sunday after the Blue Jays' 4-3 win over the Yankees at George M. Steinbrenner Field. 'Other than him coming from Japan and having some good seasons over there, I don't think there's that much special about it. It's just another opponent.... I can't tell you much about him until I see him,' he said. 'All I heard is he's had some pretty good years in Japan and that he throws a split and that's it.'"

Translation; "Had some pretty good years in Japan" insinuates Tanaka's been around for a while. "He throws a split and that's it" indicates that Bautista isn't reading the same papers that we're reading about Tanaka. He sounds arrogant.  He sounds pompous...to me at least.

Now look, this story isn't getting much traction in the Internet world because it's not that interesting, and neither is Jose Bautista.  But it's clear to me, a Yankee fan, that this is sour grapes. This is a guy stuck in Toronto and Lord knows it hasn't been easy up there if you're a fan of the Blue Jays. Every year the Jays claim to have a "contending team", only to not.  It must be frustrating if you're a Jays fan.

I do feel for them because I remember the Joe Carter years and they were great for them.  Jose Bautista in turn, probably feels for the fans and he's taken the "I don't really care" approach when it comes to Tanaka. You know... Masahiro is not "that much special."

Meanwhile, what is special to Jose Bautista? Social networks I guess. That ridiculous #FaceofMLB contest was a joke by Major League Baseball, and partially because Jose Bautista whored himself to the fans, begging for votes and would "follow back" fans who voted for him on Twitter. Really?

The best part was he lost to Eric Sogard of the A's. Guess who voted for Sogard... all of Oakland... and most of New York!  Boom!

So, Is Bautista still bitter? Does he really just doesn't care? Hey Jose, can you see? How about maybe giving props where props is warranted? The Yankees made a move because Tanaka was talented.  How about good sportsmanship?

Look, Bautista is a dynamic power hitter. Many love him. I'm sure Masahiro Tanaka respects him and assuming Tanaka pitches in Toronto next week, which seems to be the plan,  it's gonna be interesting, don't you think?

Now look, it's true that we here at BYB seem to care about this "non-controversy" more than Bautista, Tanaka and many of you do.  But I need to be honest with you; Being a pro ball player is hard work.  We all can agree. Personally, for me, I applaud all these guys that make it to the pros.  I wonder though... why couldn't Bautista just say something pleasant like, "I hear Tanaka's got a nasty split, I can't wait to face him". Wouldn't that sound more competitive, maybe more complimentary instead of sour grapes?

Who knows. I do know this... "Special" for Bautista means what's good for him. To be the #FaceofMLB rather than actually earning it legitimately.  Let's face it, Tanaka earned his role with the Yanks through talent.  Some can say he's been over paid and "not all that", but I say the jury is still out on that. In the meantime, can't we all get along?

I leave you with this, the answer I was looking for in a leader like Jose Bautista, but didn't get. This came from Edwin Encarnacion who clearly understands good sportsmanship and competition... minus the trash talk. Edwin said:  "There's going to be a lot of Japanese people in the stadium... and in Japan, they'll be watching, too. So, I would like to face a Japanese pitcher."

That's fun... competitive and exciting for baseball. Am I right? Bautista needs to wipe the scowl off his face. Act like you've been there before!

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THE BIRDS

The Toronto Blue Jays and the Baltimore Orioles are out to change the order of the American League Eastern Division. Good for them. Doesn't matter to me and my Yankees...Why? Because at the end of the day, the Yanks know they need to go out and win 1 day at a time no matter who they're playing. Will the Yankees make moves?  Well, Randy Levine says the Yankees have "an off-season plan" and it's very quiet in Yankeeland... It seems like something big could be in the works... or at least that's my hope.

The latest in Toronto is that they just inked a 2 year deal with Melky Cabrera worth $16 million, read HERE. Good for him, a clean slate and a new city. Now let's see how he does playing clean.

The Blockbuster trade with the Miami Marlins is up for review with Bud Selig, HERE, but if it goes through, they are building a team to compete hard against the Yanks and presumably the Red Sox too, who will be better now that Bobby Valentine is gone.

The Orioles will make a few moves and improve their great team of nobodies. They played great ball behind Buck Showalter who will be thinking about that ALCS loss all winter and come back better than last season, trust me. The Yankees just need to be better...that's it.

Will the Yankees make moves? They will, but what you will now see in Yankeeland is cranky fans who just want to start seeing shiny new toys wearing Yankee uniforms...anyone. I don't like to just pick anyone to soothe my addiction of big spending. The big question is who will they go after and can they do it without disrupting their plan to keep costs low?

We've given plenty of smart options here on Bleeding Yankee Blue... Shin-Soo Choo, Hiroki Kuroda, Dan Haren, Giancarlo Stanton, Logan Morrison, Ichiro Suzuki, Nick Swisher, Justin Upton, Raul Ibanez and so on and so forth.

Guys are out there, deals can be made... But Brian Cashman's job is getting harder now with major competition coming out of Toronto and Balitmore. Geez... It used to only be Boston and Tamps Bay we were worried about.

My, how times have changed....it feels like the early 90's again.  I wonder... Is Joe Carter next for Toronto?

The Yanks need to make a move and they need to make it now...Just sayin'.

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.