YANKEES TRYING TO CHANGE THE NARRATIVE

Source: Rich Schultz/Getty Images North America

I liked the way the YES crew used the phrase "change the narrative" during Saturday evening's coverage of the Detroit Tigers vs. the New York Yankees. Truth be told,  they were using it in reference to Greg Bird, but I would say the line absolutely applies to the entire team.  And if things were moving in slow motion through the trade deadline on July 31st, it certainly picked up force heading into September as the Bombers made some moves for key components to ignite their pennant run, which ironically Pittsburgh Pirate Hall of Famer Willie Stargell said starts September 1st.

After Stargell's passing in 2001, his friend and colleague Joe Morgan said this of the ultimate optimist, "In the 40 years I knew Willie, he never said anything negative. And you couldn't say anything negative around him because he was such a positive person. No matter what, he was always able to turn negatives into positives." And that's exactly the narrative the Yankees are writing.  They know they are down without guys who are critical to their pennant race, but they want a different ending to a story that could be one without a playoff beth.

Source: Rich Schultz/Getty Images North America

In one swift, comprehensive move, Yankees GM Brian Cashman made some moves as the roster elevated to 40 men with the start of September. Clearly, the Yankees believe that Aaron Judge could be out through the end of September, which led to the strategic pick up of Andrew McCutchen.  Now, it is believed that Aroldis Chapman could be out even through the potential post-season, so Cashman created some depth in the bullpen with the call up of right-hander Stephen Tarpley who has been used as a multi-inning reliever with great impact in both Double and Triple-A.

Source: Rich Schultz/Getty Images North America

We will be relying on our Baby Bombers to get things done and certainly, Gleyber Torres and Miguel Andujar have answered the call.  We will need veterans Brett Gardner, Giancarlo Stanton, Didi Gregorius and newly acquired McCutchen to have a heck of September.  And the bullpen has to come back to life, a life most likely without Chapman.

Source: Paul J. Bereswill

If Chapman's replacement is Zach Britton, he has a lot to work to do. “I can’t have the mindset where not getting results is acceptable. That’s not the way I look at it,” Britton told The Post. “I want to be good every time. I’m honest with myself. I know where I’m at, physically and with a different role. I feel like I’m getting better, but it’s not good enough. I can throw strikes, but I need put-away pitches, too," the pitcher said as reported by the NY Post, after the Yankees near loss Friday night following Dellin Betances's abysmal performance on Thursday night.  Britton's quote is a far cry from cocky Sonny Gray's, who in my mind, has no role on the roster.  If the Yankees want to truly change the narrative, they need to consider getting Betances, David Robertson and Britton in a real grove to close out games.

Early Saturday morning, a fan texted me this, "Get mad on Sunday. You write too nice."  I guess I can't help but be positive when it comes to the Yankees. And now that they are in the midst of changing their narrative, even more reason to stay optimistic.

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

WHY ARE THE BASEBALL VOTERS WHINING?

I'm having a hard time with all of this.  You know me.  For quite a while now I've been one of the writers that have voiced my opinion about steroid users in baseball and how it's a terrible thing to see.  My reason was simple; as my children get older, they ask questions.  As my kids get older and I teach them about cheating and performance in baseball and sports and the right from wrong and all of that, it was getting more difficult to explain to them, especially my now 15 year old. It's hard to explain to a young baseball player that many athletes use steroids and HGH to get ahead in this game, but he cannot.  It's a hard thing to explain to a kid, because for far too long they were taught about NOT cheating... and now their heroes are doing exactly that.

Mike Groll/AP

This whole thing about Joe Morgan writing a letter to voters lobbying them to not vote in candidates tied to steroids is interesting. No... it's fascinating.  Because what I've seen over the past few days is some of the biggest cry babies in the baseball writing complaining.  And these writers are people that I have long respected.  Writers that... I don't know... think they deserve an apology or are "insulted" because a letter like that went out to them in the first place.

Let me say that Joe Morgan was a dynamic ballplayer.  He also happens to be Vice Chairman of the board of directors for the Hall of Fame. But here's another part of it;  He doesn't want the Hall tainted.  That comes from him being one of those old timers who doesn't like what he's seeing in this game either.  But here's the other significant part to this.... it's a request from Morgan. It's an opinion, just like opinions from you and I or any of these baseball writers out there that are lucky enough to cast votes and decide who belongs and who doesn't when it comes to the Hall of Fame.

Reading Joel Sherman of the New York Post who I have for a long time respected, made my mouth drop open.  Here's some of it:

"...The baseball Hall of Fame, more than every other Hall combined, is the most meaningful and cherished by its fans. The debate and furor surrounding who gets in and who doesn’t is more intense than most major political elections in this country. It means people care. It also means that, like everything else in this nation’s life now, it is polarizing.

There are no easy answers for how to cast a vote. The passion of those who line up on the side of 'just vote for the best players regardless of confessions or innuendo' is as powerful as those opposed. If you are a voter — and I am — you are going to be called an idiot and/or soulless by lots and lots of people. This is part of the deal now. If you can’t take it, don’t vote. I would rather have the fervor that shows how important this is to people than have indifference."

But what Sherman doesn't seem the realize is the voters aren't some elite class. They were allowed the duty of voting, and they should do exactly that.  And this is going to sound cruel... I DON'T CARE HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT BEING RIPPED AFTER YOU MAKE A VOTE. It's the role you were lucky enough to have. So while Sherman suggests that "if you can't take it, don't vote", he continues to complain about being ridiculed like he deserves a medal.  It's either one of the other Joel. I'm surprised by that. That being said, this too will pass. I'm disappointed in Joel, but I'll get over it.

And this Jeff Passan "I quit" garbage is laughable. Did you see this?

Joe Morgan’s letter convinced me of just one thing: As the Hall of Fame tries to warp the vote, it’s time for me to give up my ballot. Column: https://t.co/iNVQuaH4sM pic.twitter.com/T40S6ku0IP

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) November 23, 2017

That's right. He's doing something noble or something deciding to give up his vote. No one cares Jeff.  No one cares. Someone else will gladly take over. I'm not losing sleep, but I imagine you will one day regret that move.

I like Jeff.  I'm surprised he'd put down his sword so easily.  It shows weakness. It shows defeat.  These are writers that I've looked at for years for guidance and hints on how to perform and develop into a well read publication... and when it gets too hard, they wanna quit? THIS IS THE OCCUPATION YOU CHOSE. It's not all sunshine and rainbows and you know that. Not everyone will agree with you... where the hell are you running?

Tell me how to take over your duty of voting for the Baseball Hall of Fame, because I will gladly take it over.  This is something only fools do.  Stop it.

Joe Morgan can say whatever the hell he wants.  It's his opinion.  But what these whiny writers are forgetting is that for years their opinion, while many agree and many more don't meant something.  There was dialog! They sparked debate and they had some banter with their audience. And when it comes to the voting, they did what they thought was the right vote each season and while I would bitch and moan every single year... that's the game.  That's what the give-and-take is with baseball fans. We all know this. So complaining that it's HARD and that they CAN'T do it anymore is silly.

If I'm receiving that letter from Joe Morgan, I'm smarter than this. I'm sitting on it for a few days. Maybe I craft my own letter back to him appreciating his concerns and thanking him for starting this conversation in baseball once again.  But then... I'm moving on with my life.  Why? Because Morgan is entitled to his request. 

He's been around for a long, long time.  He's allowed to speak out... he's owed that.  But these writers? They forget just how much power they have in this game and especially with this exercise.  What they should have done was ignored this and moved on.  Instead, they're looking for sympathy from admirers like me, tying to put Morgan on blast publicly and you know what? I don't care.

Do your job... and in Jeff's situation, I guess you give up. Whatever ,man.  For a long, long time I admired the strength of these baseball writers / critics.  Now I see people like Morgan are weeding them out.  It's disappointing as an aspiring journalist, and it opens my eyes a lot.  The same folks who write opinion all day can't see the big picture; ultimately Morgan's concern is nothing more than an opinion.  Not a demand. Not an order... AN OPINION. Deceiver, guys... and stop whining.

In the end, being able to vote for the Hall of Fame is a very nice privilege.  But don't act like you're a God because of that duty. Instead, embrace it... and for the love of everything holy... take the responsibility and EVERYTHING THAT COMES WITH IT... and vote.

No one is gonna die, and fans like me always get over it.  Sure, some of us may not like who you vote in, but so what.  That's the responsibility of what you do.

And to Jeff Passan... seriously... if you don't want the duty any more, tell me who I need to talk to and I'll gladly take your spot.  Walking away is ridiculous and you of all people know that in the business you're in, this gimmick will only make you look smaller in the eyes of your critics and fans... and that's not you.

WHERE HAVE YOU GONE, MR. DAVID CONE...

Our rotation turns it’s lonely eyes to you.

This is not a panic post. Make no mistake, I am very confident that the Yankees are just starting to gel on many levels and I believe they will hit on all cylinders soon enough. What I am concerned about is the evolution of the starting pitcher…or regression in this case. It’s not just that the Bomber’s starting staff has already suffered injuries to Ivan Nova (Tommy John, done for 2014) and Michael Pineda (Back muscle strain, and stupidity), but it’s also the fact that aside from Masahiro Tanaka, the staff is fragile to put it gently.

CC Sabathia is doing his best to reinvent himself this season. He was smart enough to learn all he could from the War Horse we knew as Andy Pettitte. CC can’t reach back and find that 94-95 mph gas any longer. He works with what he has and keeps hitters of balance. It’s tough for the big man because he was born to be a power arm and now he has to be crafty. The thing that gets me is the lowered bar CC has had set for him. If he can keep the runs relatively low and go 6 innings Girardi and Rothchild seem overjoyed. I don’t get it. And I’m sure Sabathia doesn’t either.

I wasn’t a huge supporter of bringing back Hiroki Kuroda. I’ll admit it, I think he emptied the tank in August last year and is running on fumes now. But the Yankee Brass figured they’d roll the dice and hope he is the pitcher that was a CY Young candidate early last season. Much like CC, the coaching staff seems to baby Hiro a bit. I understand that they want to be sure not to overtax his arm too early, but he’s the team’s #2! I don’t understand the new formula. I think being over cautious with young arms is a recipe for disaster (see Joba and Phil) and coddling the veterans dulls their edge and puts too much strain on the bullpen.

When I think of an outstanding Yankee Starter David Cone instantly comes to mind. Sure, it’s partly because Coney is one of my all-time favorites, but its the he pitched that causes me to hold him in such high regard. Cone came into the league with the ability to blow hitters away with a great fastball that had late movement. When he signed with the Yanks, David still has an above average heater, but he added different pitches and arm angles to his repertoire remaining a dangerous big game pitcher. That kind of guy is sorely missed in this day and age. Cone stayed durable and wouldn’t consider 6 innings a “quality start” by any means. Number 36 was old school. He believed his job as the day’s starter was to go out and complete 9 innings. That was the mindset for so many pitchers not a decade ago and it’s changed now…for the worse in my opinion.

I got the chance to meet and talk with David Cone a few times in 2011. He is every bit a class act. He shared stories, thoughts on the game and it was clear to me that he would make an outstanding pitching coach if given the opportunity. The only loss would be to the YES broadcast team, because let’s face it; Coney, O’Neill and Leiter are outstanding color commentators. They are funny without trying and add great insight without seeming “Joe Morgan”.  Coney really was one of the last of a dying breed of Big League starters. They were guys who wanted the ball and found ways to grind out wins even when they didn’t have their best stuff. David was pitcher’s pitcher. He was the type of competitor who would glare into the dugout at a manager who dared to move toward the bullpen phone when the pitch count neared the century mark. The start was his responsibility and he took the hill as if to say to his friends in the pen, “Relax boys, I got this…even you, Mo. I’ll get it done.” 

You just don’t see that much anymore around Major League Baseball. Arms now come into the league with a owner’s manual and expiration date. BE SURE NEVER TO PITCH HIM AFTER A RAIN OUT. ONLY GO 6 INNINGS OR RISK INJURY. NEVER ASK HIM TO PITCH ON THE ROAD WHEN YOUR CLUB SPENT MORE THAN 2 HOURS ON A FLIGHT THE NIGHT BEFORE. It’s pretty outrageous and I don’t know about you, but I miss pitchers like David Cone. They set a very high bar and sadly, most pitchers today aren’t allowed to go near it.

I am encouraged that CC is aware of his limitations and never makes excuses. Through his years with Pettitte he has a connection to the days of Coney and other Yankee pitchers who simply found a way to get it done. I watch Sabathia’s starts very closely. He is searching for that thing that made David Cone so great. It was the ability to evolve from “Thrower” to pitcher.




 
--Mike O'Hara, 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!

BASEBALL-REFERENCE.COM: THE INTERVIEW

Millions of baseball fans and baseball "insiders" from around the world use Baseball-Reference.com as their source for statistics and everything else baseball related.  I know I do, and every time I write a post for you to read, I link to them. Baseball-Reference.com allows BleedingYankeeBlue.com to appear on the player's pages that we link to.  It's a nice little give and take and the brains behind it is a guy named Sean Forman.

I chatted with Sean a few years ago and I was always fascinated with the empire he created and I decided to reach out and ask him for an interview.  He agreed and I'm thrilled about it.  So, while it's not Yankee related, it's baseball related and applaud this guy, because he's done something pretty impressive.

So here it is, our interview with Baseball-Reference.com guy, Sean Forman. Enjoy this... I did...


BYB: Sean, hundreds of Baseball writers everywhere use Baseball-Reference.com as their source for stats of all players current and past... how the hell did this all happen for you? Break it down.

Sean Forman: It was really just me scratching my own itch 13+ years ago.  I had a website for minor leaguers called the Iowa Farm Report and thought that the web would be a great format for an encyclopedic site, so I built it using a database put out by Sean Lahman based on Pete Palmer's MLB data.  It wasn't really my intent to make it a business at the time, but within a year or two we were making some money and six years in I was able to do it full time.

BYB: I know you have Basketball, Football, Baseball-Reference among others.  Which was the first?  Take the BYB readers into your world. How many people work for you and how many reference sites are there? How does it work?

Sean Forman: The order was Baseball (2000), Football (late 2000, started by Doug Drinen), and then Basketball (2004, started by Justin Kubatko). We formed a company together in 2007 and then Hockey and Olympics in 2008, CFB and CBB in 2010 and probably a Q&A site and maybe a soccer site this year or next.

We have 4 employees.  We license most of the data, so we don't do a lot of data entry.  It's really mostly about programming, so we have 3 full-time programmers (myself included) and a user affairs coordinator who if you've e-mailed the site has answered your questions.  It's all pretty automated.  For instance, over the weekend, I didn't do anything other than check for my update text each morning, and since everything worked fine I didn't have to do anything.  I had to do some work for the All-Star game, but usually we are able to work on adding new features rather than maintaining what we have.

(In Photo: Jim Rice)
BYB: What's your favorite baseball team and why?

Sean Forman: I'm a Red Sox fan who grew up in Iowa in the mid-70's.  Looking back on it I think I'm a fan of the Sox due to Fenway Park's batting park factor.  I'd check the Sunday paper for the stats every week and see Dwight Evans, Jim Rice, Fred Lynn, Wade Boggs, etc. near the top of the batting stats and latched onto them.  I couldn't figure out why they could never find any pitching.

BYB: Growing up, what player, in any sport did you idolize the most and why?

Sean Forman: I was a big Rickey Henderson and Wade Boggs fan.  I'm very slow, but would steal as many bases as possible and drew a ton of walks.  I was a very patient hitter all of the way through high school.

BYB: Random question now, but something I picture you doing, being a man of statistics...  Have you ever played Stat-0-matic or Micro League Baseball from the 1980's? And a follow up... what made you interested in what you do?

Sean Forman: No, and it's probably for the best as I would have never gotten through high school or college most likely.  I was a very active fantasy player and that is how I got into all of this as I was in a very competitive ultra league (think entrance interview and deep minors selections), so I started tracking minor leaguers and started my minor league site.

I've always loved sports stats.  My dad is a high school football coach and as long as I can remember I would ask to see the stat book when he got home after the game on Friday nights and kept the tackle chart in elementary school and junior high before I could play for him.

BYB: OK, there are 3 athletes that you can meet, past and present. Who are they and what is the first question you ask each of them?

Sean Forman: Tough question.  I've never placed a lot of importance on interacting with the players.  I enjoy watching the games, but don't go out of my way to meet them or get autographs, etc.  I'll assume that my questions can be indelicate, and that the players wouldn't worry about being embarrassed about answering.

 

(In Photo: Collegiate Wrestler Larry Owings)

I'd ask Larry Owings if he ever wishes he hadn't beaten Dan Gable and Gable how often he still thinks about that match.  Does it eat him up or has he moved past it? (Read about Owings, Gable HERE)

I'd ask Joe Morgan what he believes are the reasons he was such a valuable player and tell him how stat-heads think he was a magnificent player.

(In Photo: Glenn Burke) I'd be curious to talk to Glenn Burke about what it was like being a gay ballplayer and how many other players were gay.

BYB: Hypothetical... Jon Heyman of CBS Sports or Buster Olney of ESPN... who would you rather have save you from a house fire and why? You have to pick one...Let's have alittle fun.

Sean Forman: Olney just looks a little bigger and stronger to me.  I'd also worry that Heyman would ask me to admit Miguel Cabrera was better than Mike Trout in 2012 before taking me out.

BYB: Who is your favorite baseball broadcaster of all time and why?

Sean Forman: I think Jon Miller is phenomenal.  I loved his book.  He has a great anecdote about he and Cal Ripken playing strat-o-matic on the team plane, beating Ripken and Ripken going over the scorecard with his dad to improve.  

And having baseball-reference.com mentioned by Vin Scully is probably the apex of my career.

BYB: Free plug, what would you like to promote right now?

Sean Forman: Try the play index!  Search through nearly 100 years of MLB game logs and 60 years of mlb play by play.  It will make you more powerful than the Elias Sporting Bureau.  http://bbref.com/play-index/

BYB: Final question... Luckily for us, we are linked daily on Baseball-Reference.com because you are nice enough to allow blogs to be apart of your success.  Have you ever laid eyes on BleedingYankeeBlue.com?  If so, what do you think?

Sean Forman: I've been there.  The writers are writers par excellence and additionally, they are devastatingly handsome.

Thanks bro... and thank you for taking the time to talk to us.  I always wanted to know how it all started for Sean Forman and I admire him for creating such a terrific source for so many of us.

I hope you guys enjoyed this interview and if you liked it, let Sean know... comment or send him an email!

 The Bleeding Yankee Blue store is opened! CLICK HERE TO START SHOPPING! Also, follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue (Official) on Facebook, just type it in.

WHO'S THE BEST YANKEE LEAD-OFF GUY?

Undeniably, the leadoff guy of any ball club is key.  And it doesn't truly matter how he gets on base as long as he does, often.  Sure, we would like a hit or even an extra base hit every now and again, absolutely, but that's not essential.  "Plenty of evidence suggests that a talented everyday leadoff hitter can improve a lineup. Veteran outfielder Marlon Byrd said that finding a consistent everyday on-base threat at the top of the order "is the best thing for a lineup," according to an article in The Wall Street Journal last week (HERE).  Teams that have leadoff woes lose more ball games because their heavy hitters later in the lineup can't jack up the RBIs for which they are bred.  By way of illustration, since Jose Reyes departure from the Mets, the organization has .441 winning percentage.  With Reyes, "third baseman David Wright averaged 112 RBIs per season over that span-and only 82 in the four full seasons since (though injuries limited him to 102 games in 2011)," stated the same article. 

So I ask you Yankee fans, who are the best leadoff guys historically for the Yankees?  I have a few favorites who have lead us to winning seasons.  Let's check them out! 

Now, I know that in the early days, before my time, we had some good ones.  I will not overlook them but they did not necessarily play for the Yankees, at least not right away.  According to the ESPN article (HERE) "We're in a golden age for leadoff hitters" the first golden age for this very specific, patient, skillful hitter, was 1965 when we saw the likes of Joe Morgan, Pete Rose and Lou Brock.  A notable Yankee favorite around that time and into the seventies was Roy White, a very calm, collected hitter who set up some greats holding a career OBP of .360.  By the way, in mid-seventies we saw our very own Kenny Singleton take on the role of leadoff hitter for our rival team Baltimore Orioles.  I prefer his role now, much better since he hurt us too much as a great hitter for the Birds. 

I personally loved Mick "the Quick" Rivers who set up the likes of Willie Randolph, Graig Nettles and our very own Mr. October Reggie Jackson.  His average OBP during the 1976-1978 post season was .331 (he hit his best in 1978 post season).  I loved the way he stepped up to the plate and spun the bat in between pitches.  Very entertaining for a 9-year-old to watch. 

According to the same ESPN article,  "If there was a golden era before 2013, it looks like that 1990-1992 period, which featured leadoff hitters such as (Rickey) Henderson, (Paul) Molitor, Lenny Dykstra, Wade Boggs, Tony Phillips, Bip Roberts, Butler, Delino DeShields, Raines, Biggio, Brady Anderson and Devon White."

Probably the most under appreciated leadoff hitter was Rickey Henderson, whose speed and skill upped even his very respectable career OBP, which was one of the best at .401. "I don't think I ever got proper credit about being smart about the game," stated Henderson. During his four year stint with the Yankees in the late eighties, Rickey "Man of Steal" Henderson set a franchise record for steals (326) and he had his career best OBP in 1987 (.423).  He was fast and furious down the line, giving any team he played for an additional advantage in the late innings. I loved to watch him play and set up our Hit Man Donnie Baseball. 

Today, we have two of the finest leadoff batters on our club in Derek Jeter and Brett Gardner (career .382 and .354 respectively).  Incidentally, Jeter's OBP in 2009 was .406. We are fortunate to have both of them playing for us.  Gardner, right now, is one of the best in the league along with Mike Trout, Nate McCloud, Shin-Soo Choo (who started the year for ailing Jose Reyes), Austin Jackson, Alex Gordon, Ian Kinsler, and Carl Crawford.

We can agree, that the leadoff batter who needs to have an OBP of at least .300 to even be considered to hold the helm at the top of the order, gives any team an advantage. And we have looked at some good ones.  But, as always, we are interested in yours as well, so following this article, we will open a poll on this site and ask you to vote for your favorites.  Tell us who you think is the best leadoff hitter for the Yankees since 1965!  We want to know!

--Suzie Pinstripe, BYB Opinion Columnist
Twitter: @suzieprof




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.

"SEE YA, WOULDN'T WANNA BE YA!"

I'm not sure how many people caught yesterday's broadcast on YES, but one conversation between Paul O'Neill and Michael Kay was FANTASTIC. YES ran some video of people buying "SEE YA" t-shirts. For those who don't know, "See Ya" is Michael Kay's home run call. This lead to Paul O'Neill asking Kay about the origin of his catchphrase.

Kay replied, "20 years ago when I was getting into the business, I was dating a lovely young woman. Whenever I would drop her off, she would always say 'see ya, wouldn't wanna be ya'. So I can thank her." Hey, I love that story bro.

Now, I'm not going to hate on Michael Kay, like most people. He's got his thing and it works. I'll also give him some credit for realizing the audience isn't stupid. He was honest, something his radio counterparts can't seem to do.

Don't know what I mean? How about the so called "Voice of the New York Yankees". He continues to stick to the story and all of his nicknames and other schtick just "comes to him" in the moment. Oh please. I'm not buying that for a second. I think we're all convinced he's stayed up for days writing the perfect nickname, right John? Just be honest with us Mr. Sterling. The audience will appreciate you more, just like Kay and his story about "See ya, wouldn't wanna be ya."

And while we're on the topic of home run calls, how insufferable has Home Run Derby become on ESPN? Chris Berman is such a one trick pony. "Back Back Back, Oooooooooo" Oooooooooo? I'd rather do a Vincent Van Gogh to myself than listen to that ever again.

What worked in early 90's isn't still working 20 years later Chris. Get some new material. ESPN was smart to dump Jon Miller & Joe Morgan from Sunday Night Baseball. PLEASE do us all a favor and dump Berman from Home Run Derby.

Latest word from Bristol is that Berman will be teaming up with Trent Dilfer to call the second Monday Night Football game on opening weekend. I'll be opting for the radio that night. Thanks.

--Lem Allen, BYB Contributor

Email me at: bybcurmudgeon@gmail.com

ORDER A BYB SHIRT NOW, DROB WEARS ONE! Also, 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.

WHY HE'S STILL JOHNNY BRAVO

Being a Yankee fan, I was always envious of any team that had Johnny Damon. Before the Red Sox had him, I thought for sure the Yankees were going to snag him. I think it was around the time when he was with the Oakland Athletics. I always loved the way Damon worked, his speed and his grit in the field. It was clear to me he wanted a win more than anyone out there.

When he came to the Yankees, it was beautiful the way it unfolded, taking him away from the evil Red Sox, and the New York sports media rubbed it in the Boston fans faces nicely with terrific headlines, but the reality was, it was quite a few years later and who really knew if Damon would contribute successfully in pinstripes. Well, he did, and I loved him as a New York Yankee and for him to get a championship with us in 2009, it was icing on the cake.

So,2 nights ago when Johnny Damon slid into second base, he stole his 400^th base. 400 isn’t easy. It proves 2 things, he’s old as dirt and has been around for a long time (that’s a bad joke), and he’s still got the speed, a valuable tool in baseball. Stolen bases have always been my thing. I remember growing up in awe of Rickey Henderson and Tim Raines as they dominated back in the 80’s and all I wanted to do in Little League was break the stolen base record and hold up second base like Rickey did. Little did I know that Little League did not compile stolen base stats at the age of 9 back then. It was however fun to compile them in my head. The point is, speed fascinated me because if players like Rickey, or Brett Gardner or Johnny Damon are able to get on base, eventually they could get around to score. I knew that because I did and I learned from the best.

Damon is now on the list of players that have compiled 400 stolen bases and 200 home runs in 1 career. Let's be honest, I didn't know they had such a list but I like that they do. Damon currently has 229 home runs. The list includes players like Joe Morgan, Craig Biggio, Rickey Henderson, Roberto Alomar, Marquis Grissom, Paul Moliter, Barry Bonds and Bobby Bonds. Pretty nice company.

This post is to congratulate a great player and a great Yankee. Congrats Johnny Bravo. Keep going pal, keep going.

Please comment and 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.