MY SPECULATION IS ALEX BREGMAN IS TAINTED

Speculation continues in my world. It's true, when it comes to Alex Bregman’s free agency, many are wondering if the delay in his signing stems from his pursuit of a lucrative payday and lingering questions about his reputation of cheating. 

Bregman, the face of the Houston Astros' 2017 cheating scandal with Jose Altuve, became synonymous with the team’s infamous sign-stealing scheme when he delivered awkward, seemingly insincere apologies during the fallout. 

Now, at 30 years old and seeking a new, huge contract, some believe his association with the scandal is playing a significant role in the hesitation from teams to meet his likely lofty price tag. This is watercooler talk and believe me, I firmly believe this is why there is such a hold up. Reputation is a big thing.

Bregman remains a solid player with a consistent track record of high production during his nine-year career—all spent with the Astros. However, he’s not quite a superstar, and his performance has seen some decline in recent years. Represented by Scott Boras, known for pushing clients toward massive deals, Bregman is undoubtedly aiming high. But given his recent down year and the baggage of his past, Boras may find this negotiation particularly challenging in my opinion.

Rumors have linked several teams to Bregman, with the Chicago Cubs emerging as a potential landing spot. So do the Tigers. Meanwhile, the Yankees, once thought to be contenders for his services, now seem more focused on pursuing Carlos Correa, (Read A BIG CARLOS CORREA NUGGET JUST DROPPED IN MY LAP) who could potentially shift to third base if the fit works. Other teams reportedly in the mix include the Blue Jays, Tigers, and Red Sox.

For Bregman, the issue may not just be the financial figure he’s targeting but also the broader perception of his career post-2017. His association with the scandal casts a long shadow, and teams may be wary of investing heavily in a player carrying such baggage. If I'm Bregman I want to stay in Houston where I'm safe. But the Astros have yet to make a strong push to retain him, adding another layer of uncertainty.

In my view, Bregman’s best chance for stability lies in staying with the Astros, where his history and familiarity with the organization could work in his favor. For now, though, it appears he’s waiting by the phone—and the calls he’s hoping for may not be coming anytime soon.

My opinion of course and I could totally be wrong. But to me, reputation, character and integrity are important.  

REMEMBERING WHEN CODY BELLINGER WENT HARD ON THE ASTROS!

Yankee fans, rejoice! Not only is Cody Bellinger officially donning the pinstripes, but he’s also bringing the kind of fiery honesty and no-nonsense attitude that New York loves. We love the fighters here! 

Empire Sports Media deserves a standing ovation for unearthing this gem of a video clip from 2020, where Bellinger unapologetically called out the Houston Astros for their notorious cheating scandal. Let’s take a moment to bask in the glory of a guy who speaks his mind and hates the Astros as much as we do.

Back in 2020, Bellinger—then with the Los Angeles Dodgers—didn't mince words when asked about the Astros' feeble attempts at apology and MLB's handling of the scandal. Speaking before the Dodgers’ pitchers and catchers held their first official workout, Bellinger tore into Astros owner Jim Crane, calling his apology “weak.” He extended that label to MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred for granting immunity to the players involved.

“Those guys were cheating for three years,” Bellinger said, with the kind of passion that New Yorkers will eat up like a slice of Ray’s Pizza. “I think what people don’t realize is [Jose] Altuve stole an MVP from [Aaron] Judge in 2017. Everyone knows they stole the ring from us. But it’s over.”

Of course, Bellinger couldn’t resist bringing up one of the most baffling moments in baseball history: Altuve’s suspicious walk-off home run against Aroldis Chapman during the 2019 ALCS. “I don’t know what human hits a walk-off home run to send your team to the World Series and, one, has the thought to say, ‘Don’t rip my jersey off,’ but, two, goes into the tunnel, changes their shirt, and then comes out and does their interview. That makes no sense to me,” he said, leaving no stone unturned.

This clip is pure gold, a reminder that Bellinger has always been one of baseball’s real ones. And now he’s ours, Yankee fans. The man is fearless. Bold statements we need in the Bronx.

With all of this in mind, let’s talk about the offseason. If anyone out there seriously thinks the Yankees should go after Alex Bregman, let’s pause for a reality check. Bregman was a central figure in that cheating scandal, and bringing him to New York would be sacrilegious. We don’t need his baggage when we’ve got a straight-shooter like Bellinger to help us write the next chapter of Yankees greatness.

So, here’s to Cody Bellinger, a true Yankee at heart even before he joined the squad. Let’s go, Yankees! And let’s keep hating the Astros together.

YANKEES SWEEP OUT THE TRASH!

What a great ending to a Easter holiday weekend! A three-game sweep is hard enough, but we just watched the Yankees sweep a four-game series against the team I hate the most. Now I want to see this team stay hungry and carry that into Arizona.

It's a small sample size, but the Yankees are doing better than I thought they would. Last year the Yankees would be lucky to split a four-game series....and I do mean lucky. Maybe this team is hungrier than I thought. Maybe the ASSTROS are struggling with their new identity. Let's face it, Dusty Baker was an energizer to that team... and now he's gone.

Meantime, the Yankees have a new spark. We all knew Juan Soto was going to add steady offense that this team was lacking, but he exceeded almost everyone's expectations with his 9-for-17 in the series, a double, home run, four RBIs and three walks and add in two game winning hits. Aaron Judge was a cool 2-for-16 in the series, but he started similarly in 2022 and he still finished with an American League record of 62 home runs. I am imagining what it looks like if Soto and Judge go on an offensive run at the same time.

It's no secret, I HATE the ASSTROS and their owner Jim Crane. I think they are the dirtiest team in baseball and their returning cheaters Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman and Justin Verlander are disgraceful lowlifes. We've owed the ASSTROS a punch in the face for a long time. We gave them four in a row, and now I hope Verlander is healthy when we play them at home in May so we can smack him around, too. That would make this even sweeter for me.

I'm trying not to get overly excited here, because I know we just barely got started but I am liking what I see so far. The Yankees are headed to Arizona, and I will be at Tuesday's game, so I hope they bring this momentum with them, and sucker punch the Diamondbacks also. Last time they came here, we didn't play well and my husband who supports the Diamondbacks for his NL team wouldn't let me hear the end of it.

Don't let me down boys!

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

MISSION MEN

The Yankees are proving the doubters wrong.  The doubters are people like me.  It's refreshing.  

It's what a competitor does.  Let's hope it continues because I am loving every minute of it.  

And just to be clear; My beef is not with the players. My beef is with the Yankees front office that are not giving this team what they need to deliver.  I am eating crow right now, but that's the name of the game with you're a critic.  But the truth is 2 games don't make a World Series team, but these 2 games do prove that these players will not quit. I appreciate it, love it, admire it.  

Empire Sports Media writes:

"The New York Yankees have won their first two games of the regular season against the Houston Astros... flying under the radar is the impact of Oswaldo Cabrera, their super-utility man who barely even cracked the roster after a disappointing spring training. Cabrera, 25, hit .213/.302/.362 this spring, including two homers and three RBIs over 20 games. "

Who knows why it's guys like Cabrera that are red hot.  I really don't care, as long as the Astros are destroyed.

The other part of this game that made sense to me? Capitalizing on mistakes from their opponent and playing small ball. Two things the Yankees rarely were able to execute last season. In other words, the Yankees aren't playing like the Yankees, they're playing like a small market team... or a team under someone like Bruce Bochy... or a team that typically is not managed by Aaron Boone. The Yankees are actually playing baseball.

The Houston Chronicle writes:

" Jeremy Peña fielded a slow bleeder from New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe in the eighth inning, his next decision came a millisecond too late. He tossed to Jose Altuve... but the toss was far behind the veteran infielder.... The error allowed Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo, who had singled at the top of the frame, to score from second, and Alex Verdugo to bypass second easily and advance to third. Volpe reached first to put runners at the corners."

"The second domino to fall in that eighth inning occurred after Yankees catcher Austin Wells laid a bunt on a safety squeeze to Astros reliever Parker Mushinski, who misfired to first and allowed Verdugo to score from third. Oswaldo Cabrera followed with a two-run single adding the third and fourth runs of the inning before the Astros called Brandon Bielak out of the bullpen. "

When in the past do we read about the Yankees doing the little things?  Think about it? This is a great start.

More to come today and hopefully a sweep.  I applaud these players... but don't think for a second that I'm not still annoyed at the Yankees front office for dragging their feet on pitching this offseason. I never forget.

Go Yanks.

HOW DOES THAT "ALEX BREGMAN TO YANKEES" STORY MAKE YOU FEEL?

We're used to the Yankees being linked to every free agent on the planet. We're also used to Brian Cashman bringing in old leftovers looking for lightening in a bottle. We're also used to gross trade rumors that make our skin crawl. I found one that makes me violently ill.

Leave it to MLB.com to come up with some outlandish ideas. In case you missed it over your long holiday weekend, THIS one definitely meets up to the outlandish part. I'm not sure what Anthony Castrovince at MLB.com is smoking, but he definitely does not get to speak for every Yankee fan, especially not this one.

So, Anthony's bizarre idea involves a four-team trade that sends Jasson Dominguez to the White Sox and cheating ASSTRO Alex Bregman to the Yankees. Why? Lots of moving parts to a four-team trade but, to make it super simplified the ASSTROS hypothetically won't have enough money to give extensions to elf Jose Altuve and Bregman and Altuve would be top priority. So if they can't keep both, trade Bregman to help replenish their farm while bolstering the infield for the Yankees.

This whole idea is so far-fetched it's laughable to me BUT let's be crazy and say these talks are actually happening for the hell of it. Do we really think the Yankees are okay with moving Dominguez? If they were, they'd be right to ask for the moon and more for him. He made quite the impression in his short time in the majors last season and the Yankees have been high on him since they drafted him. He's young, got a high ceiling and has moved his way up the ranks quickly for a 20-year-old kid who will be part of a dangerous outfield in the future. The Yankees are not looking to move Dominguez, and certainly not for Bregman and other pieces.

Now let's tackle the whole "Yankees fans will get over that 2017 stuff when Bregman is banging out dingers and doubles, improving the club’s on-base ability and making the Bronx Bombers way less Aaron Judge-dependent" argument. Sorry Castrovince, you don't get to speak for all of us. Bregman is a cheater and a tool who isn't deserving to wear pinstripes. That would cheapen the Yankees brand and I will say it and think it every day while I am on this planet. He's not fit for the uniform no matter how many dingers and doubles he can hit even when he isn't cheating.

Integrity means everything to me. Bregman has none. He disgraced the game he claims to love and make millions off of. He got caught and wasn't even sorry about it. His apology press conference was a slap in the face to every baseball fan. He is a piss poor human being and not fit to wear the pinstripes. This kind of trash should stay in the environment it has thrived in. It's thrived there because the organization and owner Jim Crane have no morals. That "2017 stuff" as Castrovince likes to put it, was a dark time in baseball and the Yankees already have enough shenanigans going on within the organization. The Yankees have a culture problem with the way they think and execute.....adding Bregman just adds fuel to the fire. Let's just anger fans and possibly Yankee players more. Brilliant!

This whole idea is one of the dumbest stories I have ever read. Thank goodness this trade scenario is too far-fetched and stupid to ever really happen. I wouldn't be able to stand it. 

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

THE TEXAS PRETENDERS

Source: CNN

 Many of you who read my posts here at Bleeding Yankee Blue know that I have been fed up with the Yankees for some time. I think once Aaron Judge ran into the concrete fence in Dodger Stadium my usual growth mindset gradually moved to a fixed one. Then I said that the 2023 playoffs were exciting and it was likely nursing my Yankee hangover because I adopted the Texas Rangers and I liked what I was seeing. But after Friday night's debacle, where the Rangers dished Jose Altuve a gift—allowing him to launch a three-run home run and take the lead for good—I am back to nursing that hangover again. The Texas Rangers may in fact be the Texas Pretenders and that is no good for us Yankee fans.

Source: USA Today

Now, I can't full credit for the title "The Texas Pretenders." I have to give some of it to @hammersiny—a diehard Yankee fan who often texts me to ensure I still have a pulse after some of the losses we have had over the last few seasons. The game on Friday night was a pivotal moment in this ALCS, one we as Yankee fans, are all too familiar.

"Both benches cleared as tempers flared in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series (ALCS) between the Houston Astros and the Texas Rangers on Friday. The game got heated in the eighth inning when Texas’ Adolis García was struck on the shoulder by a 98.9 mph fastball from Bryan Abreu," reported CNN. Now, what happened before that might have provoked the pitch that was nowhere near the strike zone or the batter's box for that matter.

"Two innings earlier, García hit a three-run homer that gave his Texas Rangers a two-run lead and celebrated emphatically, walking halfway up the first-base line and slamming his bat onto the Globe Life Field turf before making his way around the bases. Less than three months before that, García and Maldonado had jawed at each other at home plate in another benches-clearing incident. It all raced through García's mind in a split second," reported ESPN. 

The beef between the Rangers and the Astros almost reminds me of our ALCS days against Houston. And I got really fired up watching the emotions among the players and the two very experienced managers who were not having the "nonsense" that only got in the way of the game being played. Which all ended abruptly with the Altuve home run. 

Source: CBS Sports

The Texas Rangers have never won a World Series whereas the Yankees have won 27. And the Rangers appeared to be the real thing this year, but have they surfaced their weakness? Are they too emotional to win? Are they not locked in whereas Houston simply is? Does Houston play dirty? Yes. We know that all too well. But if Texas is going to persevere, they have to get out of their heads and into the game- keep focused on the game, and how to win. Don't let Houston's little tactics throw you. With Garcia out of the game, it removed him from being available later when the team needed him. With the time it took to the umpires to reset, it took the momentum away from the Rangers and placed it right in the hands of Houston. Which was likely their plan all along. 

The Texas Rangers need to stop pretending and take Houston's momentum away. If they want the chance to battle Philly or Arizona, and in many ways, help us as Yankee fans cope with the fact that we are not playing, then they need to get out of their own way and win. Stop pretending, stop emoting and start winning!

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Senior Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

CARLOS CORREA IS DAMAGED GOODS - DODGERS ARE OUT!

Carlos Correa wants to continue to play ball, but it seems like some of the big teams don't want the guy.  The Yankees have been connected to him, but only because they are a big market team and have a ton of money to spend. So are the Dodgers, although there is a new development and the Dodgers are out of the Correa sweepstakes... and it comes down to his reputation! 

Fansided writes:

"According to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, the Dodgers are not pursuing Correa "in part out of concern that a sizable portion of their fan base would not welcome the move." That is due to the fact, as Rosenthal says, that Correa was "the most outspoken member" of the 2017 Houston Astros team that was found guilty of illegally stealing signs. That Astros team, of course, beat the Dodgers in that year's World Series.

Prior to the 2020 season, when the league released their findings in Houston's sign stealing-scandal, Correa was the most combative member of the team. He publicly fought back against those who said their World Series title wasn't legitimate. Perhaps most notably, he bashed then-Dodgers outfielder Cody Bellinger, after he called the Astros' punishment "weak" and that Jose Altuve stole the AL MVP in 2017 from Judge."

I guess a shitty attitude and being part of a cheating team really damaged Correa, and I'm happy about that. This used to be a franchise player, but his biggest mistake was thinking he could get a payday outside of Jim Crane's Asstros team. He would have been better off staying there and being insulated and safe. 

And I love how the Dodgers handled it. They actually took a moment and didn't think about a potential championship by adding Correa, they thought about the fan base.  That's pretty special in this day and age, kind of like how Hal Steinbrenner did what he needed to do to keep Aaron Judge.

This is a great story folks, I hope more publications pick it up. Nice job, Scott Rogust.

THE ASTROS OWNER & FRONT OFFICE ARE BAD PEOPLE

You knew it would come out.  We all knew it was bad, but the MLB's slap on the wrist was just not enough.  People should have been fired, banned, removed forever!! But the relationship between Rob Manfred and Jim Crane was too much make the banning a real life thing, and so MLB and Manfred made a fairy tale about how they were wrong, but they will apologize and MLB will move on.  It was all bullshit, and we all knew it. But we the fans have no control over that. We will never stop going to games and never stop loving baseball, and MLB top brass knew that.  

So what happened? We the fans turned on the bad guys when we showed up to games and we will continue to humilate them all until the day they retire. Because that's all we can really do.  Correa. Altuve. Bregman. The others got their jobs back... Hinch, Cora, and even Carlos Beltran became a commentator on YES.  But none of them should have been back.  

Meanwhile, a dope named Jeff Lunhow was the only one who lost a job and still hasn't returned or even works. Why? Well, not because he did the garbage banging and came up with the scam and executed it himself, but because he erased evidence that pointed fingers in his own organization.  

Explain this to me? Explain how Lunhow loses everything and all these other assholes still work in the MLB? It's the wicked web of Jim Crane and Rob Manfred and their friendship... and it's absolute bullshit.

Mark Powell of Fansided writes:

"Jeff Luhnow, the general manager at the time who oversaw this entire mess, has yet to get another job in baseball.

Luhnow, it turns out, tried to warn those within the Astros organization of an impending investigation before the fact. Those close to Luhnow even suggest he deleted data from his own phone, and insinuated others to do the same...Seemingly every reminder and/or update to this cheating scandal makes matters worse. It's another layer and reminder that Houston knew exactly what they were doing, and continued to sweep it under the rug."

Jim Crane is a bad dude. Luhnow? Sure, he is too, but this just proves that even the owner was in on it, and cutting Lunhow loose and creating another narrative is the way to go and that's what Crane is trying to do. Don't know what I mean?

Remember when Cashman came out back in March (CBS Sports) saying:  "The only thing that stopped (us) was something that was so illegal and horrific. So I get offended when I start hearing we haven't been to the World Series since '09. Because I'm like, 'Well, I think we actually did it the right way.' Pulled it down, brought it back up. Drafted well, traded well, developed well, signed well. The only thing that derailed us was a cheating circumstance that threw us off."

He was ripping the Astros and it was amazing. Jim Crane shot back, from Bleacher Report): “I found his comments to be extremely strange,’’ Crane told USA Today's Bob Nightengale. “There’s the letter, and you were doing it, too. You were there dude. What are you talking about? If I was one of the teams, and I knew our team was doing it [cheating], I’d keep my mouth shut and just go about our business."

Crane sounds like a 5 year old. "I pulled his hair because he pulled mine!" Guilty. Guilty. Guilty. Go in the corner, you dunce.

By the way, the letter?  CBS Sports writes:  "In that letter, it notes that the Yankees were fined for sign-stealing behavior from 2015-16, but also clears them from wrongdoing"

Whatever Crane.

What we know these days is damaging and guys like Crane should be punished. Mandfred and the MLB should reopen this investigation on the Luhnow phone stuff. It's bad. But they won't.

As long as we are in a MLB world of stupid rule changes and relationships to make more money for the commissioner and the baseball owners, us fans will continue to shout but not be heard.  It's terrible what's happened to the MLB, but what's worse is that this Astros front office found one guy to truly punish and destroy, while the rest of these assholes can continue to live their life. The punishment did not fit the crime.  It's shameful.

RUMOR: ROBOTS ARE COMING TO A MLB STADIUM NEAR YOU

If you are a baseball purist you are not going to like this one.....

Major changes could be coming to Major League Baseball soon, maybe. You can read more about it HERE but "robot umpires" are being used in 11 Pacific Coast League Triple-A stadiums and if you are a baseball traditionalist I bet you are mind blown right now.

But we knew this was a possibility years ago. Sure, there are a lot of "bad calls" in baseball and they seem to be more and more common every year. I got fired up about a bad call back in 2019 when I wrote AARON BOONE IS "WAITING" FOR AN EXPLANATION WHILE WE WAIT FOR ROBOTS and I got a few tweets from people who thought the idea of robots in baseball was insane.

And it might be, but I wrote that while I was completely annoyed. Any avid baseball fan knows how much this game has changed over the years, especially with Rob Manfred in charge and the most drastic changes may still be to come.

Can you image that though? ROBOTS calling balls and strikes from behind the plate. I am twitching just thinking about it. I completely agree that there are some infuriating calls sometimes in baseball and they can make you lose your cool completely but...it's part of the game. It's part of the human element. The umpires decisions (whether we like them or not) are part of the game! If you take out the human element of the game (even though flawed) and replace it with a robot....is it even baseball anymore? It sounds more like a video game.

And if you use robots to call balls and strikes why stop there? Does artificial intelligence just completely take over? It's crazy to think about, but honestly 30 years ago this robot idea was also crazy! I know baseball is trying to appeal to a younger demographic but is completely giving it a face lift the right idea? Alienating an existing fan base seems like a drastic idea but what do I know? Maybe I am wrong.

But honestly, if someone was looking for a reason to stop watching the game could this be that reason? Maybe. The passionate baseball fan inside of me truly hopes not. Reading some of the details of that article, they just don't make sense to me. When I look at the two examples used of Aaron Judge and Jose Altuve, Judge is 13" taller than Altuve but his strike zone is 3 inches larger.  Why is the lower part of the zone on Altuve below his knee, but Judge it is above his knee? Who came up with this magical formula? Whoever it was, please do not quit your day job or sell this insane idea that makes no sense.

Look, I love the strategy and the human element to this game even though it is insanely flawed at times. I like the idea that Aaron Boone can get so annoyed at an umpire that he flies out of the dugout screaming and yelling and maybe even kicks dirt at him. It gets us fired up inside! It creates a reaction.....

I know everything must evolve including baseball but newer isn't always better. Robots worked fine in the Jetsons cartoon but why baseball? I'm all for improvements but it feels like MLB is doing everything it can to make baseball The Great American Past-its-Time and I'm just not okay with that.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

BOONE HAS TO GO WITH HIS GUT WHEN IT COMES TO CLOSING OUT GAMES

Aroldis Chapman is still and will always be my closer in the modern era of the New York Yankees. That being said, the dude's got problems... and going on an 11 game winning streak, and Zach Britton now out, Aaron Boone has to earn his money now and really and truly manage.

The New York Post writes:

"With Zack Britton all but announcing he was done for the season with a sprained elbow (more clarity on that is expected early next week), the Yankees are already down one elite reliever late in the season.

After Aroldis Chapman failed to close out a game again, Tuesday in Atlanta, manager Aaron Boone acknowledged the team would have “to figure it out” when it comes to finishing games.

The manager wasn’t ready to make — or at least make public — any decision regarding his closer in the immediate aftermath of yet another tense victory, but Chapman’s status will continue to be a topic for discussion as long as he pitches like he has lately.

His velocity was down again Tuesday and he walked two batters — the same number he retired before getting pulled for Wandy Peralta, who got Freddie Freeman to fly out with the bases loaded to end the Yankees’ 11th straight win.

Even before his recent problems, Chapman would have entered October surrounded by question marks, given that he has allowed crippling homers that helped end both of the Yankees’ past two postseasons — one to Tampa Bay’s Mike Brosseau in last year’s ALDS and the infamous game-winning home run by Houston’s Jose Altuve in the 2019 ALCS."

Chapman is 1 save away from 300.  Not easy to do and we should root for him to get that, but in the meantime, Boone needs to piece it together because, after all... that's his job. The Yanks have a bunch of guys in that pen that probably deserve a place on that stage and like Chapman's most recent scare, Boone's gonna have to go with his gut to figure out the best strategy going into the ninth.

Chapman's gonna want the ball... you gotta love that, but there will be times where he may not complete the job.  I mean, think about this... Mariano Rivera only blew 4 save opportunities in the post season ever. He also had 215 regular game saves when he blew his save against Luis Gonzalez against the Diamondbacks. You wanna talk devastating? That was. Now look... I know Mariano is sacred, he didn't get the job done in the biggest stage ever, Game 7 of the World Series after 9/11. And so my point is simply, closers aren't perfect. Closers make mistakes. You have to almost applaud Chapman for how far he's come in his career. Mariano blew a save and it was "OK, he'll get him tomorrow." Chapman blows a save and people panic. Don't panic... let the manager manage. Let the closer figure it out.

Let Boone do his job and figure out his personnel when Chapman can't do his... which is human nature... you can't be perfect all the time. Chapman will figure it out... and so will Boone. We need to have faith. We have some good kids in that pen that wanna make a splash and deserve a shot. It will get fixed. I really believe it.

WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO REGGIE JACKSON, GUYS

 I guess when Reggie is all in, he's all in. The dude sold out. I mean, he had zero connection to the Houston Astros and now he's standing with the enemy, his new employer... wearing a Jose Altuve jersey.

Look, this isn't a big article about how much I dislike Reggie Jackson. But let me just say that I am disappointed.  But I guess you morph into what you need to become and that's what Reggie is doing. 

There is more to why this amazing player and outspoken dude left his gig with the Yankees. I don't know what it is, but it will eventually come out and I have a strange feeling it's because in some way the Yankees shafted him. 

Soon enough the truth will come out.

HOME RUN OR NO HOME RUN, YANKEE FANS WILL TORTURE TINY ALTUVE FOR LIFE

In the end, baseball is a game, but in life, if you're a cheater... you'll always be a cheater.  And Jose Altuve is a cheater. That speaks volumes in the world of humanity and common decency and everyone knows this.  And so, while the Yankees couldn't sweep the Astros because of a tiny Altuve home run, you move on as a team and as a fan. But trust me when I tell you... Yankee fans and baseball fans don't forget cheats and it changes nothing for the torture and abuse we will deliver to Altuve for the rest of his baseball life.  He's a loser, a cheat, a tool. Mark my words, we will shorten his baseball career... he'll lose his damn mind.

The Yankees lost the last game to the Astros.  The New York Post writes:

“It was just a great feeling,” Altuve said of his swing that broke the Yankees’ five-game winning streak, and broke a few hearts too. He clearly wasn’t in the mood after the game to celebrate the payback, or to do an end-zone dance for reporters via Zoom. Maybe Altuve didn’t want the fans know just how much they got to him these last three days. Maybe this was his way to remind people that he’s been doing this for a long time — hitting baseballs where opponents can’t catch them — whether the fans have been cheering for him, or chanting against him.

“I’m just trying to do my best to play the game,” Altuve said. “You don’t like to get booed by anybody, but that’s part of the game. I was just going out there trying to do my best to help my team win.”

But here's the thing that will always drive us crazy... saying stuff to the media like "I'm just trying to do my best to play the game", and getting caught cheating and sign stealing and then stealing a championship are 2 very different things. No one trusts what Altuve says. It really doesn't matter what he says. Reputation is a pretty serious thing and Altuve's, Correa's, theirs have been tainted... forever.

Yanks lose this one, but Yankee fans? They won this series BIG TIME... it was awesome! Keep it up!

THE ASSTROS REACHED A NEW LEVEL OF PATHETIC

What a nice, warm welcome for the ASSTROS, right? I mean, it couldn't happen to a more deserving team. Sure, there are only five guys on the ASTROS still from that 2017 cheating team, but they are the biggest lowlifes of them all. They deserve what they got and what is still to come.

There's no forgive and forget for these guys. Booing and heckling these guys was a long time in the making. I'm sure we've all seen the pictures and we know about all of the chants from the fans, and none of it was a surprise, but man some of the reactions from the Astros themselves have been the best parts for me.

First of all, why the hell is Kyle Tucker even opening his mouth? He's a 24-year old nobody who barely has a job but he sure threw himself in the spotlight on Tuesday before the game when he said, "Our job is to go out and play baseball and not worry about what the fans or anyone says, so that’s really what we’re focusing on." There's nothing wrong with that statement, but why was he even talking to the media anyway? He's a no-name, so it's no surprise why fans responded with the "We don't know you!" chant. This kid with his .183BA barely has a major league job and wasn't even around in 2017. He needed to blend into the background and just be thankful he wasn't stashed in the minors. Maybe he learned a lesson, we don't know you, Tucker....but you sure do know us.

And what about Dusty Baker's reaction? That was good too. He thought "the fans were extremely hard on Altuve tonight," Baker said HERE. "He's exerting a lot of effort, maybe too much effort." Nobody feels sorry for him. I doubt he expects anything different and he shouldn't. Altuve isn't remorseful and no one is throwing Jose Altuve a pity party. He exerted a lot of effort to cheat....at least let him exert a lot of energy at the plate and lose. 

But for ME, the best reaction came from Alex Cora! Have you seen THIS? He had a lot to say about the Astros treatment and I had to laugh.

"Yeah, I saw it. Obviously, it was interesting to say the least," Cora said. "What we did was wrong. Three people got suspended, another one (Carlos Beltran), he doesn't have a job in baseball. I still don't know how or why, because he was a player at that point. And then the guys, it's gonna be around them for a while. I know Dusty Baker made a good point, there's only what, four or five guys that played with us in 2017? But I mean, this is what we did and people are paying the price in different ways."

Now that he's got his job back with the Red Sox and he's ready to move on and hopefully forget it all....he knows "what we did was wrong." He should be counting his lucky stars that he got a second chance because he doesn't deserve it AT ALL. 

And at least he knows his turn is coming and he hasn't escaped any ridicule, either.
"It was a different atmosphere at Yankee Stadium with only 10,000 people, I can only imagine when they have 100 percent when the Red Sox are there," Cora said. "That'll be interesting. The fans, they're gonna remind us what we did and that's their right. You have to respect that." Cora better start preparing now for his June visit to the Bronx.

It's funny how Carlos Correa, Altuve and Alex Bregman had more to say when they were exposed as the dirty cheaters they are....but now they aren't talking. I'm sure they will have plenty to say when they leave Yankee stadium. I'm sure when we visit them in Houston they will have comments....but for now they are pansies.

This is what the Astros get. They didn't get punished by Rob Manfred, so now they can deal with the fans reactions and suck it up. The chants and the booing is far from over. Hey ASSTROS....you made your bed, now lie in it!

  --Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

     BYB Managing Editor

    Twitter: @nyprincessj