I'M HERE FOR DEVIN WILLIAMS & HIS RESILIENCE

Let me start with a confession: I love Luke Weaver. Love him. I want him riding in on a white horse in the ninth, mowing down hitters like it’s his divine mission. I want him as the closer, and I won’t apologize for it.

That said… I'm not blind. Devin Williams — yes, that Devin Williams, the one who was serving up ninth-inning heartburn earlier this season — might actually be figuring it out.

After a rough patch that saw him lose the closer gig and, frankly, a good chunk of our collective patience, Williams is clawing his way back into relevance. He’s rocking a 4.75 ERA with 11 saves, and while that stat line might not scream “dominance,” the trend is headed in the right direction. June’s been kind. He’s slowly lowering that ERA and, more importantly, he’s stopped talking about his beard like it’s Samson’s hair.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. The man has started calling his own pitches using PitchCom — a bold move that screams “let me cook.”

“I wasn’t comfortable with the way the game was being called,” Williams told the New York Daily News. “So instead of, I don’t know, trying to make other people see what I’m seeing, I took it into my own hands, and it’s been good since.”

I respect that. No more passive-aggressive vibes about catchers or coaches. Just, “Give me the controls, I’ll fly the plane.” That’s the kind of energy I can get behind — provided he doesn’t nosedive into another blown save.

And it looks like he's embracing the modern bullpen philosophy too:

“I feel like the bullpen works better when guys are going one inning,” he said via MLB.com.

Look, we’re not in the Goose Gossage three-inning save era anymore. We’re in the land of matchups, metrics, and max-effort bullets for one frame. If Williams can give us one clean inning — just one — that’s enough. And if he and Weaver can morph into some twisted reincarnation of Wetteland and Rivera? That’s the dream.

So, while I still want Luke Weaver slamming the door more often than not, I’m absolutely rooting for Devin Williams to rise to the occasion. Because if you can survive New York’s back pages, PitchCom drama, and a full-blown crisis of confidence — and still come out chucking gas — you’ve earned a shot.

Let’s get fierce. Let’s get filthy. And let’s hope one of these guys — or both — becomes a lockdown legend. Let’s go Yankees!

IF THE HUNGRY YANKEES ARE LOOKING TO DOMINATE DOWN THE STRETCH...

Why not upgrade on our closer situation?  

Sports Illustrated has a very interesting article about trying to get the closing role right for the Yankees... and it starts with a guy like Giovanny Gallegos. Check this out:

"...while the Yankees are hoping Holmes will rediscover his footing down the stretch, they could take a flier on an old friend in Giovanny Gallegos.

Gallegos was designated for assignment by the St. Louis Cardinals prior to the deadline, and the team was hoping to trade him prior to 6 p.m. on July 30. That didn't happen, which means if he goes unclaimed on waivers he will be released.

Should Gallegos hit the open market, the Yankees could attempt to bring back the former Cardinals' closer, who has lost his way. Gallegos had a 6.53 ERA in 20.2 innings in St. Louis this season. That said, he posted a 2.53 ERA in his final 10.2 innings with the Cardinals."

Great question and great idea? What would it hurt? After all, the Yankees offense has been incredible once again, and all we need to do is figure out what we need to get going when it comes to our pen and closing down the opponent.  I endorse this idea and love it.

Truth be told, I am a fan of Clay Holmes these days... but some games he just can't do the job.  Maybe having 2 closers could help, or at least throw some competition into the closer role. We have no idea how it would go, but I would suggest the Holmes / Gallegos combo could turn into a pretty significant Rivera / Wetteland combination.... and we all know how well that worked out.

Something to think about... Happy Sunday everyone.

WE'RE BEING MOCKED FOR VOLPE'S NON-WALK OFF HOME RUN. EVERYBODY CALM DOWN

Do ya'll realize that at this moment, 8:30am... VOLPE is trending? Not because he did anything spectacular in the ninth to walk-off the Yankees against the Red Sox last night. But instead, because he didn't.

The Yankees lost last night for the people playing at home that didn't watch the game.  We lost 3-2. The game was OK, but the Yankee bats couldn't do the job.  It happens.  But there was a "moment" if you want to call it that.  Volpe almost walked off.  Key word... almost.

But he didn't. Yet, YES Network tweeted this out which I found insanely odd:

Anthony Volpe came *this* close to a walk-off homer in his first career game against Boston. pic.twitter.com/E0O3NuHV50

— YES Network (@YESNetwork) June 10, 2023

And of course Boston fans love mocking us:

Yankees fans celebrating the Anthony Volpe walk off HR that never happened…
pic.twitter.com/e4h3nUkuKx

— Boston Strong (@BostonStrong_34) June 10, 2023

OK, OK, I'll give them that one. But here's the thing.  He didn't homer... he didn't walk off. We didn't win.

What the hell are we holding on to... what didn't happen?  Look, we are Yankee fans. We expect to win alot of games this year, but we're just not gonna do that.  But these moments of "almost" aren't gonna cut it either. Volpe is a good player.  Did the Yankees bring him up too quickly? I can't answer that. I kind of like his energy however. I kind of like that he's got a decent team surrounding him allowing him to figure it all out.  Is Volpe a major leaguer? I'd say yes. There have been worse players called up and have done a worse job that have figured it out over time. Maybe on the Tigers, Volpe finds his way more than on the Yankees because the Yankees are so prestigious and us fans expect perfection. But for the most part, Volpe will be OK in pinstripes.

I was disappointed to hear from this Keith McPherson dude suggesting Volpe's overmatched. I think that's a provocative stretch and ridiculous.  McPherson said this:

"The kid is overmatched. He’s not ready to be in the lineup every day at the MLB level."... He says the Yankees themselves didn’t do Volpe any favors with how they held him up heading into the season, while also shuffling him up and down the lineup.

"...he’s a kid.... They did him a disservice. They tried to have him lead off, then they had him at seventh, then ninth. It’s tough to swim in those waters at 22 years old doing it for the first time."

And while McPherson said he's gonna be fine, don't say they did him a disservice. Then don't say he's overmatched.  Don't say any of it.  Just shut up.  

The Yanks have tried this before.  They tried it with Derek Jeter.  They tried it with Mariano Rivera... first setting up Wetteland, then giving him a chance at the closer role and seeing how it worked. At one point they wanted to trade Bernie after things weren't going right for him.  

My point is there is so much that goes into these decisions, but the biggest one is patience.  The New York Yankees right now are in a great place to experiment with Anthony Volpe.  And you want to talk about overmatched? It sounds like McPherson's opinions are silly and overmatched compared to much of his competition. Maybe he needs to do better at being provocative.

But in the end, whether Volpe is ready or not, one thing is clear.... Us Yankee fans need to start worrying about rooting hard for our team no matter what.  If we stink, we need to still be there. If they're great, we need to keep rooting hard... and if they ALMOST walk off... maybe we just need to accept that part where they DIDN'T do it and just move on.

Today's a new day... maybe we scratch out a win today.  We have guys like Jake Bauers, Billy McKinney trying their best and a pretty solid group of guys in that lineup every day.  I mean sure, we're not gonna win 162 games this year, but that's not the goal, right? The goals to win each series.  And then win a championship.

Let's go game by game.  We got this!

Let's go Yanks!

RE-TOOLING THE YANKEE BULLPEN

There are a lot of unknowns heading into next season. Pitching remains a big priority and I think the Yankees could get really creative with making the back of that bullpen really strong again.

Andrew Miller is gone, and although there are rumors of Aroldis Chapman being a Yankee target again there are other possibilities out there. In fact, one in particular intrigues me.

I still believe that Luis Severino has a place on this team. I am not type casting him into any specific role yet but one thing was clear to me this season...Severino has a much different mindset as a reliever than as a starter and his numbers show that. As a starter, Severino was 0-8 with an 8.50 ERA. After being sent back down to AAA he was recalled back as a reliever and pitched to a 3-0 record with a 0.36 ERA. The numbers don't lie. Maybe....just maybe Severino has a story similar to the great Mariano Rivera and he's not a starter after all.

Sure, it's too early to tell at this point but it is a theory and it has some support to back it up. I am not saying I am ready to give up on him as a starter, but either way he has something to offer this team and maybe he can continue to be as dominant next season as a reliever.

Another tweek I think the Yankees could make would be to move Dellin Betances back as a set up man. We have always supported Betances here but we are unsure on the timing, read DELLIN BETANCES MAY JUST NOT BE READY for more. I think that he eventually could be the next closer but he just isn't ready yet. He's still young and maybe he's not ready for that pressure yet and there is still plenty of time for that. After all, even Mariano Rivera started out as a setup man for John Wetteland and that turned out better than any of us expected.

If the Yankees want to have a lights out bullpen again they need another starter. The Yankees could look to bring back Aroldis Chapman again and that would be an easy transition. He already knows the team and he understands how to succeed here. The Yankees are rumored to want him back and if the Yankees are going to spend the money on a dominant closer, he fits the bill. With money coming off of the books this season, the Yankees could look to throw him a bigger contract to help lure him back.

But, perhaps the more intriguing option here would be to sign Kenley Jansen. He has done well for the Dodgers with a 2.20 ERA in 189 save opportunities so he is used to performing under a bright spotlight. He would be a cheaper option than Chapman and he has an interesting cutter. Sure, it's not like Mo's but he can throw it. I can see him fitting in well with the team. I like the idea of Jansen because he is a gamer. In the last game of the ALDS against the San Francisco Giants you could tell he was getting tired. He threw 51 pitches before being taken out of the game. He knew how important the game was and even though he struggled, he didn't give up. He has guts and we need that.

Now if the Yankees really wanted to take a walk on the wild side they could look to sign both of them. Sure, it might be unrealistic but that would reinvent the three headed monster that the Yankees once had. It's definitely an exciting idea. If the Yankees have their way, they will have another big time bullpen. I can't wait to see what happens this off-season. Big things are happening folks....I can feel it!

 --Jeana Bellezza, BYB Senior Writer & Editor
  Follow me on Twitter: @NYPrincessJ




 

LOVING WADE BOGGS

Every Yankees fan alive in 1996 will forever remember the Yankees first World Series win in almost two decades. Many will remember Jim Leyritz’s huge game tying home run in Game 4 in Atlanta. Many remember John Wetteland jumping into Joe Girardi’s arms following the final out.
 

But everyone surely remembers Wade Boggs riding on the back of the police horse as they did a victory lap around the perimeter of Yankee Stadium after he earned his much deserved, and only, World Series ring.

The YES Network and one of BYB’s favorites, Nancy Newman, recently did a story on Wade Boggs for Yankees Magazine and what he is currently up to with his life as part of their year-long 20th anniversary of the 1996 Championship.



Boggs is the baseball coach at Wharton High School in Tampa, Florida. As he said in the YES Network piece, he joined the coaching staff in 2002, leaving his job as the Tampa Bay Rays hitting coach, when his son entered high school and loved it so much he never left.

But what stands out to us Yankees fans is the undeniable contribution he had on the 1996 World Series team, and the years prior to that, as the Yankees went from bottom dwellers to champions.

We all know that Wade Boggs signed with the Yankees prior to the 1993 season after playing for the arch rival Boston Red Sox from 1982-1992. The Red Sox are honoring Boggs this summer by retiring his number, just the tenth number to be retired in Red Sox history. But don’t worry Wade, we don’t hold being on the Red Sox against you. You deserve the honor of having your number forever retired.

While with the Yankees, Boggs was one of the cornerstones of the lineup. While he never hit for a lot of power, Boggs was a hits and on base machine. He batted .311 with a .383 OBP during the Championship season and finished his career with .328 average and a .415 OBP while joining the exclusive 3,000 hit club. During his tenure with the Yankees, Boggs also won two gold gloves and made a diving stab I’ll always remember seeing in person during Jim Abbott’s no-hitter, keeping the no-no intact.

Beyond what he did on the field, one of his greatest attributes was what he did in the clubhouse. Boggs was revered for his leadership qualities and his approach at the plate was an everyday lesson for the younger Yankees as they began their climb to greatness. Boggs was named to his 12th-straight All-Star Game in 1996 as well.

I remember Boggs for his great, patience at-bats and terrific defense over the years. I was just a youngster when Boggs was with the Yankees, but as a fellow lefty, I always admired his ability to go deep into counts and hit the ball the other way. He and Tony Gwynn are two of the hitters that I remember being very controlled and simple with their approach. Boggs is a player you should want to emulate your game after.

Who knows if the Yankees would have achieved their late 1990’s success if it weren’t for Boggs being a clubhouse leader from 1993-1997. Luckily we never have to ask that question. Boggs was a great Yankee, a great Red Sox player and I’m sure a great baseball coach.

If it weren’t for him, Paul O’Neill, David Cone and the other vets, the Yankees may never have developed the team, from the clubhouse to the field, that won them four World Series Championships over just six seasons.

Wade Boggs was truly one of the great players and baseball people of his generation and watching him win the World Series while in pinstripes in something none of us will ever forget.



 --Dan Lucia
BYB Senior Writer
Twitter: @DManLucia


   




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BULLPENS RULE THE ROOST IN TODAY'S GAME

With the acquisition of Aroldis Chapman, the New York Yankees have placed themselves on MLB's bullpens' A-list for the 2016 season.  According to our post CHAPMAN COMPLETES THE ULTIMATE BULLPEN, "This trade is huge, giving the Yankees Chapman, Dellin Betances, and Andrew Miller as what is arguably the best back end of the bullpen in all of baseball. The best part of the trade is the Yankees did not give up any top-ranked “untouchable” rookies in the process." Shortly after our post hit Twitter, my inbox was filled with fans' opinions on Chapman's addition to the squad.

@snydesn2 said: "I was surprised (about Chapman); Yanks had back end of pen stabilized with Miller and Bet."  

@GreedyStripes said: "Betances is more valuable in 6th or 7th believe it or not." @suzieprof (me), "Like people are saying, starters only last five innings." 

Followed by @snydesn2: "If things stay status quo and you keep all 3, it's a five inning game for sure."

Welcome to winning in baseball in 2016, folks!

According to MLB's Bryan Hoch, "Chapman is set to join left-hander Andrew Miller and right-hander Dellin Betances in the late innings, giving the Yankees the top three strikeout relievers in the Majors and setting up a trio that could significantly shorten games next season." Yankee GM Brian Cashman is boasting a more exciting bullpen than last year.  Is Cashman actually being innovative? Not entirely. We may just being going back to the formula we created back in the late 1990s. Yet, this time, it's just a little bit different. This next generation of pitching is poised to preserve starters because of their high price tags and pitch counts in order to create a monster bullpen to carry teams into the later innings.

"Whether the responsibility is to cover the seventh inning or the ninth, or to induce a ground ball or retire left-handed slugger, today's bullpens are full of relievers who are assigned roles that come into play multiple times throughout every week of the long season," stated Mark Bowman in a piece for MLB.com back in 2009.  His point is well taken as today's game of specialists in the bullpen continues to evolve.

Although scouting and the acquisition of at least one left-handed bullpen specialist has been common for multiple years, the demands placed upon relievers on a nightly basis have consistently increased.  Gone are the days when Hall of Famers Bruce Sutter and Rich "Goose" Gossage made multi-inning saves.  Now we call on closers to force three or four outs.

Joe Torre stated that "in '96 with the Yankees, that was like not managing at all with [Mariano] Rivera and [John] Wetteland. Years ago, you didn't have a setup man."  You didn't need one when you had guys like Goose waiting in the wings so to speak.  But, not always.  Later in Goose's career you had a different formula evolving into the one we have now.  

According to a NY Times article in 2000, "Few teams can afford to pay top dollars for a closer and two setup men, the way the Yankees have (with the Mike Stanton-Jeff Nelson-Mariano Rivera combo). Sparky Lyle could not coexist with Goose Gossage in the late 1970's, the team of Gossage and Ron Davis broke apart in the early 1980's, and the dynamic Cincinnati Reds trio of Randy Myers, Rob Dibble and Norm Charlton -- the Nasty Boys -- fractured after one incredible season in 1990.

Mel Stottlemyre, the Yankees' pitching coach, said the relievers in the Yankees' bullpen have shaped personal goals into ''the team concept."  'We really have that, probably much more than any team I've been associated with, because they take a lot of pride in their roles','' Stottlemyre said in the same NY Times article.

With multiple options in their bullpens and access to data on match ups, many managers attempt to take advantage of situations that play into their relievers' strengths. And this is what the Yankees hope to do with their next generation of pen dwellers Betances-Chapman-Miller.  Or will it be Chapman-Betances-Miller or will it be.... who knows.  What we do know is that bullpens rule the roost in today's game and we will do whatever works for us as we move into the next generation of pitching in 2016.

--Suzie Pinstripe, BYB Senior Staff Writer
BYB Hot Stove Columnist
Twitter: @suzieprof

SERIOUSLY? PEDRO MARTINEZ WANTED TO BE A YANKEE?

I can't let this one go.  It's bothering me.  I may not be able to sleep tonight with visions of Pedro Martinez beating up on Don Zimmer dancing in my head.  According to the New York Daily News, Pedro Martinez admitted that he always wanted to be a Yankee.  I mean, my first reaction is, of course you did, who wouldn't want to be a Yankee?  But then, after it sunk in, I started to get angry and now it is just not sitting right in my gut.

"I was almost traded to New York more than once. A lot of people don't know that. I wanted the trade to happen. I wanted out of Montreal. I wanted to go to the best team out there," Martinez told the Daily News during a December interview in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, when he attended David Ortiz's charity golf event. "I saw John Wetteland, Marquis Grissom, Larry Walker go to different teams. But the one that ended up winning most of the time was the Yankees."

Although Martinez states his admiration of The Boss, I still don't like him.  "It was a mutual respect between the two of us," said Martinez of Steinbrenner. "Actually, more than anything, admiration, because I knew how George went about his (job) to try to win for New York, for the fans."

That's it.  I know he did great things in Boston and I know he is going to be voted to the Hall of Fame, but he beat up Don Zimmer, his appearance on the field was always sort of cranky and I am glad he never made it to the Bronx, although he did have a brief stint in Flushing.

Anyway, that's my nugget for today.  Go on with your life now...go ahead, go on.

--Suzie Pinstripe, BYB Senior Staff Writer
BYB Hot Stove Columnist
Twitter: @suzieprof

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BETANCES SHOULD BE OUR NEXT CLOSER

I make it no secret that I believe in Dellin Betances. The kid from New York that grew up to live every kids dream... playing for the New York Yankees. I feel a sense of pride that someone like me made it, and I give him serious props. From the very beginning of the 2014 season I called him THE NEXT HOMETOWN HERO. The kid is incredibly talented, and you can't help but rally behind him.

This season he got the chance to play set-up for David Robertson. Between Betances' 90 innings and 135 strike outs, and Robertson's 39 saves, it was very much like watching the Mariano Rivera, John Wetteland combination of the 90's.  Now with that Robertson has found a new home with a new team, and we've got Andrew Miller, I've got to say it! Let Betances close!

I'm not the only one that thinks this is a good idea. Rivera recently said that Betances has "Showed he's capable of doing it" (HERE). That's a pretty heavy endorsement. And as always, Mo knows his stuff. Betances had an All-Star season in 2014. Of his 90 innings pitched, Betances only had 14 earned runs. Really, he put on a Mariano-like performance. Betances is willing to contribute to the team. "Whatever it is to help the team win, I'm all for it," Betances told the New York Daily News. "Whatever they want me to do. I just want to win. I just want to be able to help the team win."

I know the acquisition of Miller was so that we have a stronger bullpen. There are no set roles just yet, and maybe it won't be decided on until after the season starts. Maybe both Miller and Betances share the role. But the truth is, Betances deserves the role. He's the only member of our bullpen to be taught by both Mo and Robertson. He's clearly dedicated to getting the team wins. And while it is a little bias, the New York boy deserves a chance.

Look, I don't expect him to be perfect. He'll blow saves, and Yankees fans will call for the days of Mariano. But he will never become the closer that he can be if he isn't given the opportunity. So often the Yankees search for older talent instead of nurturing the talent he already have, and our younger players get dismissed and discarded. But Betances has the ability, and determination to be a great closer for the team. Mariano himself seems to think that he's capable. I'm not going to knock Miller before he even have his first spring training practice with the team, but Betances should be our closer. He's earned the chance to at least try.

--Erica Morales BYB Senior Writer 

Twitter: @e_morales1804

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DELLIN BETANCES "LIVING EVERY KID'S DREAM"

I'm not even going to try to downplay it... I out right LOVE Dellin Betances. He is easily my new favorite, and I really want this kid to succeed. Like... I am full on pom pom waving, Betances jersey wearing, loudly cheering, crazed fan.

Back in April I wrote that Betances was THE NEXT HOME TOWN HERO and I still believe it. Back then, I was told that I was projecting too soon... expecting too much without evidence that he wouldn't be just another fad. "Wait until the end of the season," someone told me. Okay, the season has ended, and he did fantastic. May I gush now?

There is no doubt that he is talented. I truly believe that he could be an incredible closer. In October, I wrote that he may be THE FUTURE OF YANKEE CLOSERS. He and David Robertson were an incredible one two punch combo for the team. It brought back memories of Mariano Rivera and John Wetteland.

Dellin made an appearance on YES Hot Stove on Monday, and to get us interested, they posted this to their YouTube page:

Have I mentioned that I love this kid? Seriously!

Look, I'm a bit bias, I will admit. Growing up playing baseball, and living in New York City, I wanted to play for the Yankees. Of course as a female, that dream never came to fruition. But I knew plenty of boys that played baseball with me that dreamed of playing along side Derek Jeter. These guys would practice the throw that Jeter made famous from his position at short stop. They all wanted it so badly, but Dellin... he made it happen. It's not just a dream to him. It's his reality. I dig that! He didn't just dream, he achieved. He really is living every kid's dream.

Hey Dellin, BYB has got your back. We truly do believe that you will be the next home town hero. Grind it! And maybe when you're free, we can sit down for a chat.

--Erica Morales BYB Senior Writer 

Twitter: @e_morales1804

 

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